Be careful out there, be alert to the unexpected (PAH)

Dave Yates (PAH)

OK, Friday everyone wants to take off after Thanksgiving to go hunting. In PA that a birth right & can't be argued against. "Black Friday" might be a great shopping day, but it's also a day where customers having problems with mechanical systems expect us to be open and available. So...... Our solution has been to allow the shop to "close" providing at least a few employees volunteer to work that day to handle the emergency calls. In return, they get to take off any other day of the next twelve months that suits them.

The answering service received two calls at virtually the same moment for another firm and ours. Both on-call employees had the same first name. When their guy called in for the message, he identified himself by his first name only & (unfortunately) got the gal who took our call. Wrong outfit gets dispatched. End of story, right? Nope.

Upon their arrival, customer calls their firm to ask why he's getting a firm he did not request. That firm's owner calls the service. Everyone, except for us, knows what has transpired. Customer gets billed for repair. End of story? Nope.

I get a call Monday from the customer. He's hoping mad for two reasons. He didn't get us & in spite of having been hit with a COD bill, the problem is not fixed. We schedule an appointment. I call service to find out what happened. New policy for them - all must identify the firm when they call in for messages. D'OH! End of story? Nope & I mean a great big NOPE.

Our mechanic arrives to check the offending water heater's relief valve discharge. Notices strong combustion odor upon entering the home. Does a beeline to the furnace once in the basement. She says "That's the furnace honey (elderly woman), that's the water heater over there." Of course he knew the difference & took the comment in good stride. He explained his concerns & they were well founded. A large gaping crack in the heat exchanger & the venturi effect of the blower was pulling the flame through the heat exchanger's sidewall into the air stream. "Would this explain why I've been getting headaches and feeling sick to my stomach?", she inquired!

New furnace installed same day. Miss a call - save a life. The answering service screw up could have cost her her life if the other firm had fixed the first problem on that mis-dispatched debacle.


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J.C.A.

Kind of like...

Paying forward , but coming in from the side . Very fortunate mistake on the dispatchers part Dave . Chris

Unknown

I guess there is a God

who looks over those not able to take care of themselves.

Jackchips

Great save

Dave. Kudos to your tech.

Jim_47

Answering services

People
I was all set for having a service answer my phones until ......
- When I called in I was put on hold for over 3 minutes.
- The guy/salesperson said he could try to get back
to me in a day or two.
and the number one reason I will not have a service answering my calls:
They hired my sister in-law!
An answering service is only as good as the people they have working for YOU. Visit the place. Listen to how they answer calls, and most of all call there your self and see how you are treated

Lee_2

I learned about four years ago, don't rely on anyone to give you messages or answer your phone. I have always made it my policy to answer my business phone myself, and most of my customers will attest to that. I am on the road quite often delivering headers and picking up material. I found that call forwarding to my cell phone works best. The messages are on my phone, I return calls within five minutes, and if its the weekend and the call can wait until Monday, it does. If you have someone on call during the weekend or holidays and they have a cell, think about call forwarding. I don't pay for it, its included with my phone plan.