Is a no-heat call always an emergency?

Not always. Treat it as urgent when safety, vulnerable occupants, or extreme temperatures are involved. Otherwise, route it by business hours, after-hours policy, and the caller’s constraints.

What should the intake handoff include?

A dispatch-ready record: name, callback number, address or service area, urgency bucket, what happened and when it started, system type, and preferred timing.

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Operations2026-05-297 min read

HVAC No-Heat Emergency Call Intake Checklist

A proof-safe intake and routing checklist for no-heat calls: what to ask, how to classify urgency, and what to hand to dispatch.

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Quick answer

For HVAC no-heat calls, the goal is not a long conversation — it is a dispatch-ready lead record with a clear urgency category and the minimum system context your team needs to schedule correctly. If you do not capture the basics, you end up re-calling the customer and losing the slot.

Use the routing matrix

Step 1: Confirm the Basics

Name + best callback number (confirm it)

Do not rely on caller ID. Confirm the number they want you to use if you get disconnected.

Address or service area

At minimum capture city + ZIP. Location drives dispatch feasibility and ETA expectations.

New lead vs existing customer

Existing customers often have priority rules. Ask explicitly so you route correctly.

Step 2: Classify Urgency (Fast)

Use buckets that match what your team actually does. “Emergency” should mean you will attempt a same-day or after-hours response. If your policy is different, keep the labels consistent with your dispatch reality.

Emergency signals

Vulnerable occupants, extreme temperatures, no heat overnight, safety concerns, or the system failing in a way that risks property damage.

Same-day signals

Heat is out but conditions are manageable; caller can be available today; no clear safety risk.

Next-day / flexible

Heat is intermittent, backup heat exists, or the caller is scheduling around work/tenant access.

Step 3: Capture Minimum System Context

Ask only what changes the next action. If the caller cannot answer, do not block the intake — capture what you can and move on.

System type

Furnace, heat pump, boiler, mini-split, or “not sure.”

What happened + when it started

One or two sentences: “No heat since last night,” “Heat turns on then shuts off,” “Thermostat blank,” etc.

Any error codes / unusual signs (optional)

If they mention a code, capture it. Note unusual sounds/smells, but do not ask probing technical questions.

Step 4: Handoff Format (Dispatch-Ready)

If your intake is missing fields, start with the general checklist in AI Receptionist Intake Fields and then apply your trade-specific routing rules with Route Emergency vs Routine Calls.

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We can map your no-heat intake into a short script, urgency buckets, and escalation rules your dispatcher actually uses — without over-collecting fields or slowing down the caller.

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