Free template
HVAC call script template
What to say on a service call, in the order the call goes, for whoever answers your phones. It's a guide for what to cover, not a word-for-word read.
Last updated
How to use it
- Fill in the [brackets] once with your fees, hours, plan perks and emergency rules.
- Print it and keep a copy at every phone, including the one that rings after hours.
- Change it when a call comes up that it doesn't cover.
The call script
1.Answer the call
- “Thanks for calling [Shop name], this is [your name]. How can I help?”
- “Can I get your name? Thanks, [caller's name].”
Get the caller's name early and use it.
Why: The caller knows right away they've reached a real shop and a real person.
2.Find out what's going on
- “Have we been out to your place before?”
- “Is this for your heating or your cooling?”
- “What's it doing right now?”
- “When did it start?”
- “Do you know about how old the system is?”
- “Is anyone at home elderly, very young or unwell? About how hot or cold is it inside?”
If they're an existing customer, pull up the account while they talk. If they don't know the system's age, move on.
Why: These answers tell you how urgent the call is, which tech to send and what the tech should bring.
3.Is it an emergency?
Check what the caller told you against your shop's list: [your emergencies, for example no heat in freezing weather, no cooling with someone vulnerable at home, water leaking from the equipment].
Gas smell or a carbon monoxide alarm (say this before anything else):
- “[Your shop's safety line, for example: Please leave the house now and call your gas company or 911 from outside.]”
If it's on the list:
- “That's one we treat as urgent. [What your shop does next, for example the first opening today.]”
If it isn't:
- “That doesn't sound like an emergency, so let's find you a good time.”
The emergency list and the safety line are your shop's policy. Write them in with the owner; this template doesn't set them.
Why: Deciding ahead of time keeps a new CSR from guessing on the calls that matter most.
4.“How much is it?”
- “Our service call is [$ fee]. That gets a tech out to [find what's wrong and go over your options].”
- “[If your shop does this:] If you go ahead with the repair, the [$ fee] comes off the bill.”
- “I can't price the repair until the tech sees it, but they'll go over the cost with you before doing any work. Let me find you a time.”
Give the fee plainly, once, then go straight to booking. Don't guess at repair or replacement prices.
Why: A straight answer earns trust, and going right to a time turns a price question into a booked call.
5.Book it
- “I have [day] between [time] and [time], or [day] between [time] and [time]. Which works better?”
- “What's the address where the system is?”
- “What's the best number to reach you that day?”
- “Will you be the one at home? If not, who should the tech ask for?”
- “Is the account in your name? [If they rent: Who approves repairs, you or the owner?]”
- “Anything the tech should know to get in, like a gate code, a dog or where the unit is?”
Write the problem in the caller's own words in the job notes, plus anything they've already tried.
Why: A wrong address, nobody home or a locked gate costs a trip, and good notes mean the tech arrives ready.
6.Maintenance plan members
- “Are you on our [plan name]?”
- “Thanks for being a member. You get [your plan's perks, for example priority scheduling or the member rate], and I'll make sure that's on the booking.”
If they're not a member [and your shop offers a plan]:
- “We have a [plan name] that covers [what it includes]. The tech can tell you about it at the visit.”
Check the account before you offer times, so a member hears their perks on this call.
Why: Members pay for the perks, so they should hear them on the phone, not find out later.
7.After hours and on-call
- “Thanks for calling [Shop name]. The office is closed right now, but I can help.”
- “After hours, there's a [$ after-hours fee] [on top of the regular service call]. Would you like someone out tonight, or the first opening in the morning?”
If they want someone tonight:
- “[How your shop reaches the on-call tech, for example: I'm paging our on-call tech now, and they'll call you back.]”
If it can wait:
- “I have [day] between [time] and [time]. I'll put you down for that, and if anything changes tonight, call us back at this number.”
If it's a gas smell or a carbon monoxide alarm, give the safety line first, then the fee. If it can wait, go through “Book it” and the read-back as usual.
Why: Saying the after-hours fee before anyone goes out avoids an argument at the door, and some callers are glad to wait for the morning.
8.Read it back and wrap up
- “Let me read that back. We'll see you [day] between [time] and [time] at [address], for [the problem in their words]. The best number is [phone].”
- “[If your shop sends one:] You'll get a [text / call] [the day before / when the tech is on the way].”
- “Anything else I can help with? Thanks for calling [Shop name], [caller's name].”
Why: The read-back catches a wrong address or number while the caller is still on the line.
9.Calling back a missed call or a new web or ad lead
- “Hi, is this [name]? This is [your name] from [Shop name]. [We missed your call / You asked about service on our website] [earlier today]. Is now a good time? What's going on with your system?”
If they don't pick up, leave a voicemail:
- “Hi [name], this is [your name] with [Shop name], [returning your call / following up on your request] about your [heating / cooling]. We'd like to get you taken care of. Call us at [shop number], or reply to the text I'm sending now. Thanks.”
Then send a text:
- “Hi [name], it's [your name] at [Shop name]. Thanks for reaching out. What can we help with? Reply here or call [shop number] and we'll get you on the schedule.”
When they answer, carry on from “Find out what's going on.” The same lines work for a lead from your website or Local Services Ads.
Why: A caller who didn't reach you may already be dialing the next shop, and whoever calls back first has the best shot.
10.A friendly past-due reminder (optional)
- “Hi [name], this is [your name] from [Shop name]. I'm calling about the invoice for the [visit / repair] on [date]. Our records show [$ amount] still open. Did you get it?”
- “I can [the ways your shop takes payment, for example text you a link or take a card now], whichever is easier.”
- “If something on the bill doesn't look right, tell me and I'll have [the owner / office manager] look at it.”
Keep it friendly and short. Don't mention late fees or collections unless they're in your shop's written terms.
Why: Plenty of open invoices are simply forgotten, and a friendly call clears them without costing you the customer.
From meetscoutai.com/tools/csr-call-script
Where Scout fits
Scout is an AI phone agent for HVAC shops. It answers calls around the clock, books and reschedules jobs directly in ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro, texts the customer, and hands urgent calls to you during business hours; after you close, you decide who covers emergencies.
The brackets you fill in here are your shop rules, and you teach Scout yours in chat. With Speed to Lead, Scout replies to every new lead within 5 seconds and works it toward a booked job.
FAQ
Questions managers ask.
Should CSRs read the call script word for word?
No. Callers can tell when someone is reading, so let each CSR put the lines in their own words. Keep the parts your shop decides exactly as written: the fees, the emergency list and the safety line.
What do I say to a caller who only wants a price?
Give the service call fee, then explain that nobody can price a repair honestly before seeing the system. A number guessed over the phone is hard to take back once the tech finds something different.
Who should answer HVAC calls after hours?
An on-call tech, an answering service or an AI phone agent can all work. Whoever it is, give them the same emergency list, after-hours fee and safety line you wrote here, so a caller at night hears the same answers as one at noon.
How fast should we call back a missed call or a web lead?
As soon as the current call ends, ahead of paperwork. Make one person responsible for missed calls and new leads each day, so nobody assumes someone else already called.
How do I train a new CSR with this script?
Fill in the brackets together, then role-play the hard calls: no heat on a cold night, a price shopper and a caller who isn't the account holder. Sit in on their first calls and add to the script when a question comes up that it doesn't cover.
See what's sitting in your book.
We'll walk through how Scout gets jobs booked and invoices paid.
