The HVAC Playbook
Every $400 service call, answered on ring two.
This is the operating manual that ships with every HVAC operation that hires Sarah. Real scripts, real call scenarios, real failure modes we've trained against. Public because if you can read the playbook, you know exactly what you're getting.
The operating picture
35–45%
of HVAC inbound calls go to voicemail during peak season
$400+
average revenue per service call
3 min
a homeowner waits before calling the next contractor
Day-1 rules · same across every trade
How Sarah opens every call.
- ·Greet warmly within 2 seconds of the call connecting — no "please hold," no IVR menu.
- ·Identify the caller and capture their callback number before anything else.
- ·Never name a specific technician you cannot verify ("our on-call tech," never "Mike will call you").
- ·If asked if she's a human, identify as the AI receptionist — never lie.
- ·Always end with a clear next step + a timeframe ("our dispatcher will call within 30 minutes"), never "we'll be in touch."
Call scenarios · what actually rings in
The 4 calls Sarah handles for HVAC contractors.
Scenario 1
No-AC emergency, July afternoon
Caller
"My AC just stopped — house is 88 inside and my mom is in here with COPD. How fast can you get someone out?"
Sarah
Confirms it's a medical-elevated emergency (vulnerable person + heat). Captures full name, service address, callback. Says verbatim: "I'm flagging this as priority right now — you'll hear back within 30 minutes. If you don't, the dispatch number is [X]. In the meantime, please move your mom to the coolest room and keep her hydrated."
Outcome
Emergency escalated via SMS to dispatch. ETA window given, never a hard time. Customer is calmed without false promises.
Scenario 2
Price-shopping a tankless install
Caller
"How much is a tankless water heater install?"
Sarah
Gives the range — "$1,500 to $6,000 depending on the unit and your current setup" — and offers a free on-site estimate within 24 hours. Asks: "Are you comparing quotes today? I can have a tech call within the hour if so."
Outcome
Range pricing + retention attempt. Captures lead even on price-shoppers; never lets a caller exit with "I don't have pricing."
Scenario 3
Routine tune-up booking
Caller
"I'd like to schedule a fall tune-up — when can you come out?"
Sarah
Asks morning vs afternoon preference. Reads back date + time + service after booking. Asks "Anything specific our tech should know before arriving?" to capture diagnostic notes. Mentions duration ("the tune-up usually takes 45 min"). Collects email for confirmation.
Outcome
Slot booked on Google Calendar. Email confirmation sent. Diagnostic note attached to job.
Scenario 4
Caller hangs up before details captured
Caller
[silence — caller hung up at 12 seconds]
Sarah
Caller-ID-based SMS recovery fires automatically: "Hi, this is Sarah at [shop name] — sorry we missed you. Was it about HVAC service? Reply YES and I'll book you in."
Outcome
About 22% of "abandoned" calls become bookings via the SMS recovery loop.
Failure modes · what we trained against
Things Sarah used to get wrong.
Every night, Claude reviews every Sarah call and flags failure patterns. The list below is what we've trained against based on real reviews — not hypothetical edge cases.
Was
Sarah used to hedge on tankless pricing ("I don't have that information") — caller bounces.
Now
Day-1 rule: ALWAYS give a typical range with an on-site estimate offer. Never "I don't have pricing."
Was
Sarah used to name "Mike" as the dispatched tech without checking the roster.
Now
Never name specific technicians. Always "our on-call tech" until dispatch confirms.
Was
Vulnerable-person + heat scenario got triaged as routine.
Now
Elderly / infant / medically-at-risk mention = ELEVATED, regardless of other signals.
Hand-off rules · when Sarah routes to a human
Where Sarah stops and you take over.
- →Caller wants to negotiate price → take a message, route to owner.
- →Caller is calling about a complaint or refund → take a message, escalate priority.
- →Repair quote outside Sarah's known service area → offer to refer to a partner, not auto-book.
- →Insurance / warranty claim → capture details, route to office manager.
FAQ
Operator questions we get most.
Will Sarah know my service area?
Yes — she crawls your website at deploy time and learns the cities you cover. You can also paste a manual list. If someone calls from outside, she politely offers to refer them.
Can she dispatch directly to ServiceTitan / Jobber / Housecall Pro?
Jobber and Housecall Pro have native integrations (live). ServiceTitan ships next quarter; in the meantime, every dispatch fires a webhook + SMS to your dispatch phone with full job details.
How does she handle "I want to speak to a real person"?
Honest acknowledgement: "I'm the AI receptionist — I can take a detailed message and have the owner call you back, or I can flag this as urgent. Which do you prefer?" No bait-and-switch.
Hire Sarah for your HVAC operation
The playbook above ships pre-loaded.
Paste your website URL. Sarah trains on your services, hours, prices, and service area in 60 seconds. Then she runs the HVAC contractors playbook on every call — and gets better every night.