1. The 24/7 call script

Collect these five on every call, no exceptions. Get them and any assistant can book a real, workable job — no appliance experience needed.

• Brand + model number — the model # is everything. Get it, even if you have to walk them to the sticker.
• The symptom in the customer's own words — "it's not draining," not your diagnosis.
• Age of the unit + stacked or side-by-side (for laundry).
• Under warranty? — home warranty / manufacturer / none.
• Address + when they're available.

2. The write-once triage rules

Write your shop's version once — it comes out of your head in about two evenings — and then it just runs. It's three buckets:

• Bring-the-part: "This symptom on this brand = bring this part on the first visit." (First-visit fixes = your best days.)
• Quote-first: "This one = a diagnostic-fee visit, no part." (Protects you from parts-chasing.)
• We don't take: "Out of area / not our appliance / not worth it." (Saves the truck for money jobs.)

That list is your triage. Once it's written, it never has to be re-taught to the next hire.

3. Warranty dispatches — where the money leaks

• Capture the claim # + dispatch # at intake so nothing gets lost.
• Track authorization + parts-return per job — an un-returned part is a chargeback.
• One board, not five portals.

4. The math

Every missed call is a missed job. A phone that's answered 24/7 — 2am, Sunday, doesn't matter — is the single highest-ROI thing in the shop. That's the whole reason this playbook exists.