A tech's service call checklist from doorbell to invoice

Why a written call flow

Customers judge a service company on a handful of moments: how the tech arrives, whether they respect the home, how clearly they explain the problem, whether the price is a surprise and how the house looks when they leave. Technical skill matters, but customers rarely see it. They see the process.

A written checklist turns those moments into habits. It helps new techs, keeps experienced techs consistent and gives the service manager something specific to coach. Keep it short enough to fit on one card in the truck, and build the key steps into the field service app.

Before the doorbell

• Read the job notes, the customer history and any photos sent at booking.
• Check the likely parts are on the truck; if not, call the office before you arrive.
• Confirm the on-my-way text went out with an arrival estimate.
• Park legally, never blocking the driveway, and not on the lawn.
• Tidy yourself: clean uniform, visible ID badge, phone away.
• Take shoe covers, a drop cloth and the tools you will need on the first trip in.

At the door

1. 01

   Step back after ringing

   Stand a step away from the door so the customer can see you and your ID.

2. 02

   Introduce yourself

   "Hi, I'm Marcus from [Company]. You should have had a text with my photo. I'm here about the furnace that isn't heating."

3. 03

   Put on shoe covers in view

   Do it at the door, before stepping inside, so the customer sees it.

4. 04

   Ask two questions

   "Is there anything I should know before I come in, like pets or areas to avoid?" and "Can you show me what has been happening?"

5. 05

   Listen without interrupting

   Let the customer explain fully. Repeat the problem back in one sentence to confirm.

Diagnosis

Lay a drop cloth before you set down tools. Diagnose thoroughly, and take the photos your company requires: the equipment data plate, the problem and any readings. If the customer wants to watch, explain what you are checking in plain words; if they prefer to leave you to it, tell them roughly how long it will take.

Include the safety checks your trade requires on every visit, not just when they are part of the complaint. For fuel-burning equipment, that means checking for carbon monoxide. Each year more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, and more than 100,000 visit an emergency department^[3]. A tech who finds a cracked heat exchanger or a blocked flue on a routine call may prevent one of them.

Presenting options

Explain what you found before you talk about price. Show the customer the photo or the part. Then present options, not a single take-it-or-leave-it price. Most problems have more than one reasonable answer: repair the failed part, repair plus related preventive work, or replace when the equipment is old or failing repeatedly.

Give the customer time to decide. Never pressure, never exaggerate a safety issue to make a sale, and never criticize the previous company. If the customer wants to think about it, leave the options in writing.

Approval before work

Get the customer's approval of the price in writing before you start, by signature on the tablet or a reply to a text quote. Explain how long the work will take and whether anything will be off during it, such as water, power or heat. If you find something new during the job that changes the price, stop and get approval again. A surprise on the invoice is the fastest way to a complaint.

During the work

• Keep the work area tidy as you go, with tools on the drop cloth.
• Use the bathroom only if offered, and keep conversations professional.
• Do not take personal calls in the home.
• Keep pets and children safely away from tools and open equipment.
• Take in-progress photos of anything that will be hidden when finished.

Cleanup and walkthrough

• Remove old parts and packaging unless the customer asks to keep them.
• Wipe down equipment and surfaces you touched; vacuum or sweep the work area.
• Take an after photo of the cleaned area.
• Show the customer the finished work and test it with them watching.
• Explain anything they need to know: new settings, filter changes, what to watch for.
• Ask: "Is there anything else you would like me to look at while I am here?"

Invoice and payment

1. 01

   Review the invoice together

   Walk through each line so it matches what was approved.

2. 02

   Take payment

   Offer the payment methods your company accepts, and send the receipt by text or email.

3. 03

   Mention warranty and next steps

   Explain the warranty on parts and labor and any follow-up visit or recommended service.

4. 04

   Thank the customer

   Thank them by name for choosing the company.

The review ask, done properly

Reviews drive new business. Some 82% of U.S. adults at least sometimes read online ratings or reviews before buying something for the first time, and 40% always or almost always do^[2]. Among adults aged 18 to 29, 53% always or almost always read them^[2].

Ask in a way that follows the rules. FTC guidance says asking for reviews only from customers you expect to be happy would be misleading if it skews how favorable your reviews look, and that a business cannot make an incentive, such as a discount, conditional on a positive review^[1]. The FTC's 2024 final rule also bans buying or selling fake reviews, including AI-generated ones^[4].

Script: "Thanks for having me today. We ask every customer to tell us how we did. You will get a text with a link to leave a review. Whatever you think, we would really appreciate the feedback." Send the same request to every completed job, and handle complaints by fixing the problem, not by asking for reviews to be changed.

When the visit goes wrong

Not every call follows the script. The customer may be upset before the tech arrives, the problem may need a part that is not on the truck, or the tech may damage something. The checklist should cover these moments too, because they decide whether the customer stays.

• Upset customer at the door: listen first, acknowledge the frustration and stick to facts about what you will do now.
• Part not on the truck: explain the options honestly, including timing for a return visit, and call the office from the driveway before leaving.
• Damage caused during the job: tell the customer straight away, photograph it and call the service manager. Hiding damage turns a small repair into a lost customer.
• Customer declines all options: thank them, leave the written options and note the decision in the job record without pressure.
• Safety hazard found: explain it calmly, follow your company's shut-off and notification procedure and record what you told the customer.

Write down what happened in the job notes before leaving the property. The office needs the story when the customer calls, and a clear record protects the tech as much as the company.

Example: the checklist in a coaching session

Example (fictional): a service manager rode along with a newer tech and scored the visit against the checklist. The tech diagnosed the problem well but skipped shoe covers at the door, explained the price before the problem and left the old filter on the floor. The manager coached just those three points. On the next ride-along a week later, the visit followed the checklist from the door to the invoice, and the customer's review mentioned how clean the tech left the closet.