Kenny Chapman trains Philadelphia technicians on an "option sheet" process for service calls. Dustin uses it successfully twice, then abandons it after one difficult call where a customer wants the crew to leave before her husband returns. Chapman shows how a single bad experience can make technicians ditch a tool, even when it works most of the time.
I was in Philadelphia last year doing a ride along with a guy, never been introduced to an option sheet before. I did the training. In the morning he ran his first call. I was with a different technician. They run maintenance techs, demand techs and comfort advisors. The best way to win as a technician is to set a lead for a comfort advisor, right? So it had been like two weeks since he had set a lead. I taught the option sheet process. He goes out on his first call, works the option sheet, has a good experience, sets a lead, first one in two weeks, second call, I get dropped off and now I go with him. So let's say it's Dustin and I. Dustin's running the call and we go and I get dropped off. He goes through a great process, writes up a quality option sheet, sets another lead. He's two for two now. Been two weeks since he set one. Now we get to ride one last call together. It's about five in the afternoon. My training went till like noon. So it's his third call. It's about 5 o', clock, we go in and it's a free inspection call. Now one of the things we're going to talk about is the fact that you've got to run free inspection calls different than you run money demand calls. And there's minor tweaks, but I want to talk about what those tweaks are regardless of plumbing, heating or electrical. And so this was a free tune up call. He goes in, goes through some information, asks some questions, we transition out to the truck. I always want you riding your option sheet in the truck. We'll talk more about why. But he gets out to the truck. Now when you do get to the truck, be efficient with your time and don't waste your time out there. And so we're sitting out there and he's just jawing me up, oh, which option you think I should put first? This and that. I don't talk when I'm on these calls with you. I just want to, to see your process so I can coach you after the fact. I said just go ahead, ride it up. He's spending way too much time, way too much time. And lo and behold, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I don't know how they do this because I don't get the whole like when people can transport themselves to all of a sudden, you ever had that customer just right at the side of the truck, she didn't walk outside, she just like somehow, just like snapped out here somehow, right? They just come out of nowhere, right? On the side of the truck. He rolls the window down. He's like, oh. She's like, what are you guys doing? Well, it's just a couple more minutes. I just need to finish putting my options together, and we'll be right in to cover this. Go over it. And here's what she said. It's 4:57. My husband gets home at 5, and you guys can't be here. You got to go now. And I said, start the truck, right? Because I'm like, you know, I don't know. This is all about customer service and relationship building, but I don't know what they've got going on. But I'm pretty clear we don't want to be here when he gets home, right? And so we abandon. We make an exception. What we're talking about right now, he made an exception to the process. That. Okay, what are you going to do? I mean, she wants us gone. We gotta go. So we take off and we're driving back to the shop, and I'm going, jason, so tell me about your day. He's like, well, you know, overall, Kenny, it was fine, but I'm not using that damn option sheet anymore. I said, really? Well, tell me more. And I always appreciate honesty and people sharing what's real and what makes sense to them. And he goes, well, you saw what just happened. That stuff doesn't work now. Think about that, guys. He went two weeks without setting one lead, got introduced to a new tool. When you get introduced to a new tool, would you say that it takes a little bit of getting used to? So during the getting used to process, he won twice in a row. Then he ran into a situation that does come, but it doesn't come often. Ran into that situation, and he abandoned a process that worked. And my heart goes out to you guys because I believe you have the most difficult job in this industry, which is why I spend time with you to see if I can help you improve it. But here's what I know. We'll do something that works and it works, and it works, and it works. And then we hit a crazy person or situation and it doesn't work. And what do we do? We abandon the whole thing over one situation.
