The Highest Quality Telephone Answering Service in the United States

Centratel

Telephone Answering Service

hvac answering service

Keeping Homes Comfortable Around the Clock: The Role of Answer Services in 24/7 HVAC Businesses

November 3, 2023
HVAC
By Centratel

The pivotal role of HVAC in the sanctity of comfortable homes is an undeniable truth. Any disruption to this essential service can trigger an avalanche of discomfort and dismay. With complexities of systems and the intricate interplay of components, inevitable issues arise. In such moments of crisis, the need for an adept answer service is paramount. This becomes the bridge between distressed customers and the resolution they seek.

The Unseen Challenges of the HVAC World

1. The Unpredictable Nature of System Failures

Complete system failures don’t knock politely before arriving. A well-functioning air conditioning system can grind to a halt at the most inopportune times. Similarly, a furnace refusing to function on a chilly night isn’t just about comfort, but often health and safety. Centratel’s dedication to professional, round-the-clock answer services ensures no call goes unanswered, prioritizing the urgent needs of customers.

The Value of Human Touch in Crisis: Venturing into our service, we recognize the importance of genuine human engagement. In the world of automated responses, Centratel refrains from employing AI, ensuring our clients experience authentic interaction, even in their most vulnerable moments. Learn more about our unique approach on our specialized answering service page.

2. Navigating the Currents of Seasonal Demand Variations

The HVAC industry witnesses ebbs and flows in service requests with changing seasons. Our answer service acts as an anchor, buffering HVAC businesses from being overwhelmed. With Centratel’s answer services, businesses can confidently navigate these variations without the fear of missing a single customer call.

3. The Nuances of Warranty Claims

Warranty claims can become intricate affairs. When handled incorrectly, they can sour customer relationships. Having an effective answer service ensures that initial warranty inquiries are effectively captured, and the pertinent information is swiftly and accurately relayed to businesses.

Streamlined Communication: In the vast HVAC realm, efficient communication channels are crucial. From e-mails to faxes, we’ve ensured our clients receive their messages promptly, making communication seamless. Messages can be accessed online, sidestepping traditional, time-consuming methods. Dive deep into our services here.

4. Keeping Pace with Technological Advancements

As HVAC technologies evolve, so do customer queries. Whether it’s about the modulating burner of a furnace or the efficiency of a new SEER-rated air conditioner, our answer services are equipped to handle questions of varied complexity, providing preliminary guidance before routing the customer to experts.

5. Educating the Inquisitive Minds

Customers today don’t just want solutions; they seek understanding. Whether it’s inquiries about the refrigeration cycle, the benefits of a ductless mini-split, or the workings of a geothermal heat pump, Centratel’s answer services play a pivotal role in assuring customers and educating them.

Answer Services: More Than Just a Response

Our approach at Centratel isn’t merely to respond but to resonate. With every interaction, our goal is to understand, prioritize, and ensure the caller feels heard. Every conversation is recorded, making query resolution straightforward. Potential clients can even evaluate our service quality during a 30-day free trial without any obligation.

Conclusion: Enhancing the HVAC Experience

The HVAC industry, with its myriad challenges, requires an ally that stands unwavering, 24/7. Centratel’s answer services provide this unwavering support, ensuring businesses maintain their reputation, customers find solace, and homes remain comfortable sanctuaries. With our services, HVAC businesses can focus on what they do best – keeping homes comfortable around the clock.

If you’re an HVAC business owner or manager, explore our specialized offerings and request a price quote today. Let us be the voice that reinforces your commitment to customer comfort and satisfaction.

Image by Freepik

A Telephone Answering Service Representative taking calls at Centratel

Centratel is an elite national telephone answering service headquartered in Bend, Oregon. Centratel’s HVAC Answering Service assists hundreds of heating, ventilation and air conditioning businesses, during and after-hours. By a variety of statistics, Centratel is the highest quality answering service available anywhere.

Taking the Next Step

For more specifics on cost, to start the onboarding process, or to just talk to us, fill out this form with your basic information and if it’s during regular working hours (M-F 8am to 8pm EST or 5am to 5pm PST), we’ll get back to you within minutes. Or, during the above hours, you can simply call us at 800-664-7159 or send us an email to inquiry@centratel.com.

(And note: for a quick orientation on how we operate, take a moment to review one or more of the key points listed below.)

For more specifics on cost, to start the onboarding process, or to just talk to us, fill out this form with your basic information and if it’s during regular working hours (M-F 8am to 8pm EST or 5am to 5pm PST), we’ll get back to you within minutes. Or, during the above hours, you can simply call us at 800-664-7159 or send us an email to inquiry@centratel.com.

(And note: for a quick orientation on how we operate, take a moment to review one or more of the key points listed on the right.)

Terms of Service

Why Choose Centratel

BY SAM CARPENTER
September 1, 2024

1.CENTRATEL’S UNIQUE 30-DAY FREE TRIAL

Why is this important? Because it will provide you a truly accurate estimate of cost (we bill monthly), it will demonstrate our quality, and it gives both sides of this equation—you and Centratel—the necessary time to refine and perfect operational details.

Here’s a testimonial from a new medical client that had just finished their 30-day trial: “Of course, I love the cost as it is close to the amount I was allowed by the president of the company. I told him that if we did not continue with Centratel, I would resign as the Director of Customer Service, and I meant it. It’s a great fit. We have had NOT ONE complaint from a patient or in-house which, as you know, we received daily with our former answering service. I love you, Centratel, and the price. I’m ready to sign whatever documents you require. Thanks for the great service, and the free month! To a great partnership! -KB, Phoenix“

2.STATISTICALLY, THE BEST IN THE U.S.?

Answering service quality is 100% dependent on human action and reaction, and in the course of a single day a multitude of human decisions are made by the people who process the calls: Telephone Service Representatives, or TSRs. (Some answering services refer to them as “agents.” Others, “operators.”)

Like any other answering service, at Centratel we’re dealing with real live human beings and so human errors occur. But within this labor intensive service industry that is historically known for marginal quality, Centratel’s error rate is light years ahead of established standards. Our most recent Customer Reported Error Rate (April through June, 2024) was 1 customer-reported error for every 6,491 message transactions processed. That statistic is unmatched.

There’s no artificial intelligence manipulation, we do not offshore calls, and we were founded and have always operated within the United States. (Note that since early 2020, the COVID six-foot social distancing mandate drove thousands of small-to-medium sized answering services out of business. Large, foreign-owned multi-nationals, often disguised by the name of the local answering services they acquired, now thoroughly dominate the industry. Hence, an even further decline in general service quality. See this analysis.)

3.CUSTOMER SERVICE EXTRAORDINAIRE

Your concerns and requests will be instantly acted upon. It’s a work ethic that stands out in stark contrast from the general quality decline in human-to-human business-customer communications. You’ve seen it yourself, all around. At Centratel you will know the customer service people you’re working with by name, appreciating their special listening abilities as well as their take-action-now comportments i.e. see the testimonial in point #1 above. ‘Nuff said!

4.GETTING STARTED: IT’S SIMPLE AND FAST

Getting your new Centratel answering service 30-day free trial started is accomplished within 24-48 hours. From the start, your “onboarding” customer service representative will be with you every step of the way, listening carefully to your concerns, answering questions, and offering suggestions.

5.NEW TO USING AN ANSWERING SERVICE?

A majority of our current answering service accounts switched to us from another service because of quality problems. However, if you have not used a service before, you are not familiar with the options, benefits, and pitfalls. As noted, our 30-day free trial provides you—and us—plenty of time to precisely refine your desired message-taking and delivery protocols; to get things exactly the way you want them to be without any financial risk, undue pressure, or obligation. 

6.PRICING

Starting at $89 per month, our rates rank in the mid-range of the industry. We’ll bill you based on the number of calls we handle per month, not on total minutes/seconds expended. (Be careful here as you shop for an answering service: the time-billing formula naturally induces caller/agent conversations to drag out, thus increasing client cost.)

7.ACCURATELY COMPARING ANSWERING SERVICE PRICING IS COMPLICATED

It’s apples and oranges. There isn’t an industry standard for billing, and each answering service has its own formula. Also, as noted above, some services charge by “time” while others charge by “work units.” Others combine the two. At Centratel, we charge for the work we do, not by the time we spend. The raw truth is that the only reliable way to determine monthly cost for a new service is to use that service for a solid month. Most answering services offer a 7-day free trial or no trial at all.

8.BEWARE: MONTHLY OR 28-DAY BILLING?

Important! At Centratel, we use a “monthly” billing cycle in which invoices are compiled from the first day of a month to the last day of that month. When soliciting quotes from other services, be sure to ask if the base-rate charges are billed monthly or on a “28-day billing cycle.” There is no good reason for a 28-day billing cycle! It’s bait-and-switch: customers billed on a 28-day cycle actually receive thirteen billings per year and therefore the overall cost is higher.

9.NO CONTRACT AND SIMPLE TERMS OF SERVICE

We do not require a yearly contract for service because we believe you should have the opportunity to evaluate us real-time, without restraint. Our terms of service are simple and straight-forward.

10.VALUABLE FREE GIFT FOR CONTACTING US

If you take the time to discuss answering service with us, on the same day we will ship you a hardcover copy of Sam Carpenter’s bestselling book, Work The System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less, now in its 4th edition…but soon to be released in a 5th edition (August 2024). We’ll send you a copy of this 5th edition, too, when it’s released. (Sam is the founder and President of Centratel. December 1st 2024 marks his fortieth year of ownership.)