The script, step by step
1. Greet, then check the safety questions
- Say
Thank you for calling [Company], this is [Name] on the after-hours line. First, a quick safety check: do you smell gas, is a carbon monoxide alarm going off, or do you see smoke or smell something burning?
- Why
- These are the calls where the right words prevent an injury. Carbon monoxide has no smell, and the CDC lists furnaces among the household sources. People who are asleep can be poisoned before they notice symptoms.
- Write down
- Gas smell
- CO alarm sounding
- Smoke, sparks or burning smell
- Anyone with headache, dizziness, nausea or confusion
What to do at step 1 If Then Gas smell "Please leave the house now with everyone. Don't touch light switches or use your phone inside. Once you're outside, call 911 or the gas company." Log the call and alert the on-call tech. CO alarm, or anyone has headache, dizziness, nausea or confusion "Please get everyone outside to fresh air right now, then call 911." Log the call and alert the on-call tech. Smoke, sparks or a burning smell from the unit "Please turn the system off at the thermostat if you can do it safely, leave the room, and call 911 if you see smoke or fire." 2. Get the callback number and address
- Say
In case we get disconnected, what's the best number to reach you, and the address of the property?
- Why
- If the call drops, the tech can still call back and find the house. Checking the address now also tells you whether it's in your service area.
- Write down
- Caller name
- Callback number
- Service address
- Inside service area (yes or no)
3. What's happening?
- Say
What's going on with the system: no heat, no cooling, water leaking, a strange noise, or something else? When did it start?
- Why
- The symptom decides the urgency and the parts the tech brings.
- Write down
- Symptom
- When it started
- Water leaking from the unit, and onto what
What to do at step 3 If Then Water leaking onto a ceiling, electrical or the floor below "If you can do it safely, turn the system off at the thermostat and put a bucket or towels under the leak." Treat as urgent. 4. Who's in the home, and how hot or cold is it?
- Say
Who's in the home right now? Is there a baby, someone older, or anyone with a medical condition or medical equipment? And roughly what temperature is it inside?
- Why
- Ready.gov says older adults, children and people with chronic conditions are at greater risk in extreme heat and cold. A no-cooling call in a heat wave with an older adult at home is a different call from the same fault in an empty house.
- Write down
- Infants, older adults, medical conditions or equipment
- Indoor temperature
- Pets
What to do at step 4 If Then Someone has signs of heat stroke: very hot skin, confusion, fainting "Please call 911 now." Ready.gov lists confusion, very high body temperature and hot, dry skin as signs of heat stroke. No cooling in extreme heat, with someone at higher risk Treat as urgent. "Until we get there, a cool shower and a cooler room can help, and your local cooling centers are open; dial 2-1-1 to find one." No heat in freezing weather, with someone at higher risk Treat as urgent. "Please don't heat the house with the oven or stovetop. It can cause carbon monoxide poisoning." 5. System details and quick checks
- Say
What kind of system is it: a gas furnace, a heat pump, a central air conditioner, a boiler? Is the thermostat set to heat or cool, and does its screen have power? Has a breaker tripped?
- Why
- Some calls are a thermostat set wrong or dead batteries, and the caller would rather know now. The system type tells the tech what to bring. Don't walk the caller through repairs, and tell them not to keep resetting a breaker that trips again.
- Write down
- System type
- Approximate age
- Thermostat checked
- Breaker tripped (and whether it trips again)
- Brand, if known
6. Customer and plan status
- Say
Have we worked on your system before, and are you on one of our maintenance plans?
- Why
- Members often get priority or a reduced after-hours fee, and past job notes help the tech.
- Write down
- Existing customer (yes or no)
- Maintenance plan member (yes or no)
- Home or commercial
7. Explain the after-hours fee
- Say
Our after-hours visit fee is [after-hours fee], which [covers the trip and diagnosis / is in addition to repairs]. Or we can book you for [first morning slot] at our regular rate. Which would you like?
- Why
- An after-hours fee the caller agreed to on the phone avoids a dispute at the door, and offering the morning slot respects callers who can wait.
- Write down
- Fee accepted, or morning slot chosen
8. Set the next step
- Say
[Tonight:] I'm sending this to our on-call technician now, and they'll call you at [number] within [your callback window] to give you an arrival time. [Morning:] You're booked for [day and time], and we'll text you when the technician is on the way.
- Why
- The caller needs one clear next step and a time frame you can keep.
- Write down
- On-call alert sent, and who acknowledged
- Appointment date and time
9. Close the call
- Say
If you smell gas, a CO alarm goes off, or anyone feels unwell before we get there, get everyone outside and call 911 first. Thank you for calling [Company].
- Why
- Ending on the safety rule means the caller knows what to do if things change while they wait.
What not to say
| Don't say | Say instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| “It's probably nothing, just open a window.” | “Please get everyone outside, then call 911 or the gas company.” | Gas and carbon monoxide calls can't be judged over the phone. Leaving first is always the right advice. |
| “Try running the oven to warm up the house.” | “Please don't heat the house with the oven or stovetop.” | Ready.gov warns that heating a home with a gas stovetop or oven risks carbon monoxide poisoning and fire. |
| “Just reset the breaker until it stays on.” | “If the breaker trips again, please leave it off and the technician will check it.” | A breaker that keeps tripping can mean an electrical fault. |
| “The tech will be there in an hour.” | “The on-call technician will call you within [your callback window] with an arrival time.” | Arrival depends on where the tech is and what else is on the board. |
| “That repair will be about [amount].” | “The technician will diagnose it and give you the price before doing any work.” | Nobody can price a repair they haven't diagnosed. |
When to hand off
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| Gas smell, CO alarm or CO symptoms, smoke or fire | Caller leaves and calls 911 or the gas company. Log the call and alert the on-call tech. |
| No heat or no cooling with an at-risk person or a dangerous indoor temperature | Wake the on-call tech now, and keep escalating until someone acknowledges. |
| Water leaking onto ceilings or electrical | Wake the on-call tech. |
| Commercial account with an emergency contract | Wake the on-call tech and alert the commercial manager. |
| Caller chooses the morning slot | Book it and send the job summary to dispatch. |
| Outside the service area | Say so plainly and refer the caller if you have a referral partner. |
Spanish version
The same steps in Spanish. Read it aloud with a fluent speaker on your team and adjust the wording to how your customers talk before you use it.
- Paso 1.
Gracias por llamar a [Compañía], le habla [Nombre] en la línea fuera de horario. Primero, una pregunta de seguridad: ¿huele a gas, está sonando una alarma de monóxido de carbono, o ve humo o huele a quemado?
- Paso 2.
Por si se corta la llamada, ¿cuál es el mejor número para comunicarnos con usted, y la dirección de la propiedad?
- Paso 3.
¿Qué le pasa al sistema: no calienta, no enfría, está goteando agua, hace un ruido raro, u otra cosa? ¿Desde cuándo?
- Paso 4.
¿Quién está en la casa ahorita? ¿Hay un bebé, una persona mayor, o alguien con una condición médica o que use equipo médico? ¿Y más o menos qué temperatura hace adentro?
- Paso 5.
¿Qué tipo de sistema es: un calentador de gas, una bomba de calor, un aire acondicionado central, una caldera? ¿El termostato está en calefacción o en aire, y la pantalla prende? ¿Se botó algún interruptor del tablero?
- Paso 6.
¿Ya le hemos dado servicio a su sistema antes, y tiene uno de nuestros planes de mantenimiento?
- Paso 7.
Nuestra tarifa por visita fuera de horario es de [tarifa fuera de horario], que [cubre la visita y el diagnóstico / es aparte de la reparación]. O le podemos agendar para [primera cita de la mañana] con nuestra tarifa normal. ¿Qué prefiere?
- Paso 8.
[Esta noche:] Le estoy pasando esto ahora mismo a nuestro técnico de guardia, y le va a llamar al [número] dentro de [su tiempo de respuesta] para darle la hora de llegada. [En la mañana:] Queda agendado para el [día y hora], y le mandaremos un mensaje cuando el técnico vaya en camino.
- Paso 9.
Si huele a gas, suena una alarma de monóxido de carbono o alguien se siente mal antes de que lleguemos, salgan todos de la casa y llame primero al 911. Gracias por llamar a [Compañía].
Sources
- CPSC: Carbon monoxide information center (checked )
- CDC: Carbon monoxide poisoning basics (checked )
- PG&E: Gas safety (checked )
- Ready.gov: Extreme heat and heat-related illness (checked )
- CDC: About heat and your health (checked )
- Ready.gov: Winter weather (checked )