In 60 Seconds
- •Treating every call as an emergency leads to burnout. Treating no call as an emergency leads to lost revenue.
- •The Filter: You must force the customer to self-identify urgency BEFORE they reach a human.
- •The 'Emergency' Criteria: Define it strictly. (e.g., Active water leak, No heat in <32 degrees, Safety hazard).
- •The 'Priority Fee': Gate access to emergency dispatch with a verbal agreement to a Dispatch Fee (e.g., $250). If they won't pay the fee, it's not an emergency.
- •Automation Flow: Use an IVR (Phone Menu) to route 'Press 1 for Emergency' to the On-Call phone, and 'Press 2' to Voicemail/SMS.
If you are a 24/7 service business, you live in fear of the phone ringing at 2 AM.
Is it a $5,000 burst pipe job? Or is it a tire-kicker asking "how much for a faucet"?
You cannot sacrifice your sleep for tire kickers. But you cannot miss the burst pipe.
You need Triage. Providing clear lanes for customers to sort themselves into.
Defining "Emergency"
You cannot serve everyone instantly. You must prioritize.
True Emergency (Drop Everything):
- Active damage (Flooding, Fire risk).
- Health risk (No AC in nursing home, No Heat in blizzard).
- Security (Lockout, Broken window).
Urgent But Waitable (Next Day):
- Clogged toilet (if they have a second one).
- No hot water (unpleasant, not fatal).
Routine (Schedule Next Week):
- Estimates.
- Maintenance.
- Questions.
The Triage IVR System
Set up your phone tree (Interactive Voice Response) to handle this logic.
Greeting: "Thank you for calling [Name]. For quality assurance, calls are recorded."
Node 1:
"If you have a plumbing emergency that requires immediate dispatch, press 1." "To schedule routine service or get an estimate, press 2."
Path 1 (Emergency):
"You have selected Emergency Dispatch. Please note, our After-Hours dispatch fee is $249, due upon arrival. To agree and speak to a technician, press 1. To leave a message for the morning office staff, press 2."
- Why this works: The Financial Gate ($249) stops 90% of the non-emergencies. If they press 1 now, they are serious buyers. Wake up the tech.
Train Your Team (The Script)
When the tech answers the emergency line, they must validate urgency immediately.
- Tech: "I understand you have an emergency. Can you turn off the main water valve to stop the damage until morning?"
- Customer: "Yes."
- Tech: "Okay, if we come now, it's $400 overtime rate. If I come at 8 AM, it's standard rate. Which do you prefer?"
- Customer: "Come at 8 AM."
- Result: You booked the job, saved the burnout, and the customer is happy they saved money.
Verification Checklist
- IVR Recording: Is the voice professional and clear?
- Fee Disclosure: Do you clear the fee before dispatching the truck? (Prevents arguments onsite).
- CRM Tagging: Do emergency jobs get a special tag (e.g.,
URGENT) so dispatch sees them first thing in the morning?
Common Mistakes
[!TIP] Don't Be a Hero Techs often try to be "nice" and skip the emergency fee. "Oh, I was awake anyway." Stop. This devalues your time and trains customers to abuse your availability. Stick to the protocol.
- Vague Definitions: "Emergency" is subjective. A dripping faucet drives some people crazy. You must define it objectively (Damage/Safety).
- Leaving the Line Open: If your On-Call tech falls asleep, do you have a backup? Use a "Hunt Group" (Ring Tech 1 -> Ring Tech 2 -> Ring Owner).
FAQ
Q: Will the fee scare away customers? A: It scares away bad customers. The ones with a real emergency don't care about $200; they care about the water destroying their hardwood floors.
Q: Can I automate this dispatch? A: Yes, sophisticated CRMs can auto-dispatch based on IVR input, but a human validation check (triage call) is safer to avoid sending trucks to false alarms.
Sources and References
- ServiceTitan: Best Practices for After-Hours Dispatch - Workflow guides.
- HVAC School: Triage Protocols - protecting technicians.
Changelog
- 2024-05-12: Initial publication.
Read Next in This Hub:
- After-Hours Response - Handling the call.
- Speed to Lead - Daytime urgency.
Related System:
- Response Protection - We configure the IVR.