·5 min read
The HVAC summer surge playbook
How HVAC shops handle the first 95-degree week without burning out the office manager.
The first sustained heat wave of the season is the single most predictable revenue event in HVAC. Phones go from steady to 4-5x normal in 48 hours, and the shops that prepare two weeks ahead win the season.
What the winning shops do
- Pre-stock the trucks for capacitor, contactor, and condenser-fan failures - those are 60% of first-heat calls.
- Set an overflow rule on the dispatch line so anything past ring 3 routes to TradeAnswer instead of voicemail.
- Pre-write a "we'll be there today between X and Y" text template for diagnostic-only bookings.
- Pull the install crew into maintenance for the first 5 days. Installs can wait a week. A no-cool call cannot.