The HVAC industry is more dynamic than many other service industries. Customers often have urgent needs and requirements, while contractors have to deal with demand spikes in different seasons. Running an HVAC service is no easy task, considering the competition and customer demands. Most team members are often on the field handling different jobs and sites, which means there are only a handful of others catering to customer calls and requests. No wonder, more HVAC companies are now turning to AI voice receptionists. More info on this is listed below!
Missed Calls = Missed Revenue
When a homeowner is dealing with a plumbing leak that’s flooding his basement, he doesn’t want to wait. He wants a plumber or HVAC expert to come over immediately, even if that is a weekend or beyond standard business hours. If you miss responding to such needs, customers will call the next available service. More missed calls only mean more lost revenue and the opportunity to get more clients and projects.
Reasons for Choosing an AI Voice Receptionist
- One of the first reasons why many HVAC contractors are switching to AI to manage calls is to streamline customer service. With the right provider, AI models can handle numerous tasks, such as scheduling service requests, processing emergency inquiries, and generic information needs. When customers get a prompt response, they know the contractor is genuine and cares beyond the bill.
- Humans can only talk to one caller at a time and work for a fixed number of hours every day. As a result, when a customer is facing a serious air conditioner-related issue at night, they may not get support from a service provider with a closed office. AI can operate 24/7 without a pause.
- Another good advantage of an AI voice agent is consistency. No matter the time or if the staff is available or not, AI can ensure professional responses. Also, because the system adheres to a script, there is little to no deviation. Using Natural Language Processing, AI can understand intent beyond standard keywords.
- Many HVAC contractors cannot afford to hire more front desk team members. The real work is done by technicians and workers on the field, and it makes no economic sense to expand the existing customer care team, especially with a low budget. Call centers are great for bigger services, but for small businesses, the pricing is ineffective. An AI voice receptionist can cost as low as $100 per month, which is something many contractors and service companies can afford.
- Lastly, when you don’t burden your existing team with call handling, they can use the time for other critical tasks. AI can remain the frontline for managing calls without scaling the team. If the voice agent cannot respond to a question or help a customer, the system will automatically raise an alert or route the call to a technician.
Finding the right AI voice agent
If yours is an HVAC company that’s trying to adopt AI to manage customer service, the best thing you can do is review the options and features. Select a provider who makes the onboarding easy, but what also matters is further management. Your team shouldn’t have a tough time using the caller data or updating scripts and information. Another aspect to review is add-ons. If you can control marketing and reviews using the system, that’s an advantage, while a mobile app is handy for managing calls and checking data. The data is likely to be protected and secure, ensuring you don’t have to worry about customer privacy.
Make a list of providers and ask for demos. Check how the answering service sounds and if you like the way AI handles common questions.
