The global COVID-19 pandemic brought many industries to their knees, including the HVAC equipment industry. The unfortunate events have led to equipment and parts shortages. Some significant challenges contributing to the situation include:
 

• Manufacturing delays: Many factories shut down when the pandemic hit. When they reopened, they faced staffing challenges due to CDC guidelines, causing delays in manufacturing.
• Equipment shortages: Manufacture delays brought about equipment shortages, including a limited supply of finished AC units and water heaters. Consequently, it's difficult for contractors to keep up with installation and repair demands.
• Spike in residential demand: The summer of 2020 saw an increase in residential demand for HVAC, especially conditioners, because of the July heatwave in Eastern North Carolina.

 
How It Will Get Worse
The HVAC is undergoing a worker shortage, with the demand for skilled workers outpacing the number of qualified applicants. This is because skilled trades workers are exiting the labor market, especially as the Baby Boomers retire. In the transport sector, the worker shortage limits the number of trucks hauling HVAC replacement parts.
 
The problem will also get worse as semiconductors continue to experience a shortage. These are tiny electronic chips responsible for keeping appliances running. The slow production of semiconductors will slow down production elsewhere.
 
What That Means for Your Plumbing Business
The demand for HVAC equipment and installation has risen with the pandemic, which is attractive for businesses. However, it is a disadvantage because equipment and personnel shortages can make it challenging to fulfill the demand.
 
Since your business isn't immune to the effects of the pandemic, it's essential to maintain excellent relationships with your suppliers. This will help you keep equipment in inventory and minimize price increases for the customer. While it would be inevitable to increase prices in some cases, ensure you do all you can to keep the price spikes manageable.
 
For help on how to handle the growing demand for HVAC services amid the pandemic, Insta Answer is your go-to resource. Contact us now to see how we'll manage your calls!

As an HVAC contractor, your business might consider using a telephone answering service. Customers will love you more for having a live person to promptly answer their phone calls when they need your services. With an HVAC telephone answering service, you have an edge over the competition in terms of customer service. HVAC answering services provide: 

• Appointment scheduling 
• Call dispatching 
• Sales leads are captured

Tips to Select an HVAC Answering Service 

Experience Matters 
When it comes to finding the right telephone answering service, look for one with experience working in the industry. This ensures that they understand the terminology and process of your industry. The best service should be able to share their documented process with you, explaining how to set-up the service and what to expect every day. 

An experienced HVAC answering service has a general script along with basic instructions available to get you started. 

Industry Best Practices
The best HVAC answering service follows the best practices in the industry. Besides, it is important to share clear instructions with them, so they know what is expected of them with respect to different types of calls. This is crucial to provide the best level of customer service. Ideally, most answering services have a template that can be adjusted to meet client-specific instructions. 

24/7 Availability 
Nothing frustrates a customer more than not finding anyone to receive their call. When you have access to the best telephone answering service that has trained virtual receptionists available 24/7, you know you have the right team to handle all calls from suppliers and customers. This ensures that you do not need to hire an in-house team to take care of customer calls and provide support on-demand. Besides, they should have a special text and email messaging service. 

Referral Rate 
Customer referrals affect the reputation of a business. It indicates customer loyalty and has a positive influence on the business reputation. The best telephone answering service enjoys the reputation of being one-of-its-kind in understanding the needs of callers. Their expertise helps distinguish between a contract client and new clients 

The best service providers have nothing to hide. Rather, they have a huge list of happy customers who are willing to refer and do business with the HVAC company. 

Think about your business and customer needs. Determine how calls are handled and how a telephone answering service can affect your business. Then look for the best answering service with a professional virtual receptionist to best serve the interests of your customers. 

At Insta-Answer, we are an experienced call handling solution provider that has been working with HVAC businesses to provide the best telephone answering services. Whether you are a small or large business, we have the best solution for you.