ELECTRICAL
The four-point inspection flagged the panel. The homeowner has a deadline and is calling three electricians
The caller reads from a letter. The insurer wants something done about the panel, and there is a date at the bottom. Maybe the house is from the sixties. Maybe the panel is an older brand that inspectors often note. The caller does not know what any of it means. They know the date, and they are calling every electrician on the first page of results.
A note on what this is. We are not electricians and this is not insurance advice. It is about the first five minutes of the call, and what you need in hand to book it.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Why does this caller call three companies?
Because of the date. A homeowner with a deadline is not shopping on price yet. They are shopping on who will come. They call one number, it rings out, and they call the next. Whoever books a visit first usually gets the first look, and the first look often gets the job.
The other reason is fear. They do not know if this is a breaker or a whole new panel. A company that asks clear questions sounds like it knows the way through.
What are the four things to ask?
- The report page. A photo of the page that names the panel issue. That tells you what the inspector wrote, in their words.
- The date. When the insurer wants it done or shown, as the homeowner reads it. Write it on the job.
- The panel label. A photo of the sticker inside the panel door, if they can reach it safely. You may know the brand before you drive there.
- Who decides. The owner, a son or daughter, a realtor, or the agent. Get a name and a phone for each.
Some older panel brands and fuse boxes are names many insurers flag. You know them. The photo of the label saves you a trip to find out.
Tell the caller not to open the panel cover. The label is usually on the inside of the door. If they are not sure, they skip that photo.
How do you check your own calls?
Look at the last few calls that mentioned an inspection or an insurer. For each one, ask: did we write down the date? Did we see the report page before the visit? Did we book before we hung up, or did we say "we will call you back"? Every "we will call you back" was a chance for the next company to answer.
What should the form ask?
The same four things, nothing more. Many calls come in at night, from a homeowner who just read the letter at the kitchen table. A booking form in English and Spanish lets them send it all then:
- Name, address and the best phone.
- Language: English or Spanish.
- A photo of the report page, and one of the panel label if they have it.
- The date from the insurer.
- Who else should hear from you.
- A real open time to pick, so it ends in a visit, not a callback.
The language they pick on the form sets every message after it. The confirmation, the reminder and the estimate all go in that language. A daughter who filled it out in English for her mother can add the mother as the Spanish contact.
What does the form not do?
It does not tell anyone what the insurer will accept, and it does not price the panel. Those are your calls, after you see it. It also does not replace the phone. If someone can answer, answer. The form is for the hours when nobody can.
If your office answers every call and you already ask these four things, you do not need a new form. Use the list on your next call and keep going.
Related
Want the four questions on a form by next week?
Book a 30-minute call. We build the four questions into a form in both languages with you, connect it to your real open times, and show you what lands on the board when a homeowner sends it at night.
