How to sort winter heating and boiler repair calls: an urgency order and the questions to ask
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
In the first cold days everyone turns the heating on in the same week, and calls to boiler, radiator and plumbing engineers jump. Sort calls by urgency: a gas smell means 104 at once, a leak goes to the duty engineer, no heating means today, the rest goes on the schedule. Before an engineer goes out, ask the address, boiler model, the error code on the display and who will be home. In September–October, call last year’s customers yourself to offer a service check.
What happens when the cold arrives
Boilers and pipes that sat idle all summer are switched on in one week, and faults appear together. Engineers are on the road or on a job and have no hand free for the phone. A family without heating doesn’t wait: after an unanswered number, it calls another engineer.
Sort calls by urgency
| Situation | What to do | When |
|---|---|---|
| Gas smell | Tell them to call the gas service on 104 at once and not to touch switches or flames | Immediately |
| Burst pipe, water leaking | Ask them to close the valve and transfer to the duty engineer | Immediately |
| No heating at all, a small child or elderly person at home | Book the first free slot | Today |
| Radiator half warm, noisy | Book an engineer visit | Within 1–2 days |
| Service check, new boiler installation | Agree a day on the schedule | In turn |
Write this order down so whoever answers sorts calls the same way.
Questions before the engineer goes out
- Address, floor and landmark.
- Boiler make and how many years it has worked.
- What happened: no heating at all, some radiators, or no hot water.
- Any error code on the display, for example “E1”.
- Since when.
- Who is home, when the engineer can get in, phone number.
The error code and model let the engineer bring the right part, so there’s no second visit.
Sample: a late call
For example, a call to a boiler service at 23:10:
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Issiq Uy service, Shohruh speaking.
Caller: Hello. The boiler has shut down and the radiators are cold. The display shows E1.
Sado: I see. Is there any smell of gas?
Caller: No, no smell. But there’s a small child at home.
Sado: Then an engineer will come first thing tomorrow, at nine. The call-out is 100 thousand so‘m; the engineer will price the repair on site. What make is the boiler?
Caller: Baxi. The address is Sergeli, block 7, building 12, third floor.
Sado: Booked: tomorrow 9:00, Sergeli, Baxi, error E1. Please don’t open the boiler yourself. The engineer will call when he sets off.
The call-out price is an example. If the caller mentions a gas smell, the call goes differently: 104 first, then the duty engineer.
Before the season: call last year’s customers
- In September–October, take the list of last winter’s customers.
- Offer a boiler check and agree a day.
- The engineers’ schedule fills before the cold, leaving time for urgent jobs when it comes.
- Remove anyone who asked not to be called.
Handing winter calls to an AI operator
Sado’s AI operator answers every call at once, at night too, and takes more than ten calls at a time, so there’s no queue even on the first cold night. It asks questions in your order, notes the address, model and error code, and transfers urgent cases to the duty engineer’s phone by your rule. More: inbound calls.
Pre-season service calls can go to auto-calls: upload the list and the operator talks with each customer live. You pay only for talked minutes: pricing. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
What should we say if someone calls about a gas smell?
Tell them to call the gas service on 104 at once, not to switch lights on and not to light anything. Then alert the duty person. This can’t wait for an engineer’s slot.
Should we give the call-out price on the phone?
Yes. Give the call-out price up front and say the repair price comes after the inspection. That avoids arguments at the door.
When do we send an engineer to people who called at night?
By urgency: the duty engineer for a leak, the first morning slot for a family without heating. Give the customer an exact time, not “sometime tomorrow”.