Emergency Call Playbook: Handling After-Hours Chaos
3 AM calls can make or break your business. Here's how to handle emergencies profitably without burning out.
The phone rings at 2 AM. A homeowner has water pouring through their ceiling. They're panicked, you're half-asleep, and decisions made in the next few minutes will impact your revenue, reputation, and sanity.
After-hours emergencies are where service businesses are won or lost. Handle them well and you'll build a reputation that generates referrals for years. Handle them poorly and you'll burn out while losing money.
Define What Qualifies as Emergency
Not every after-hours call is an emergency. Establish clear criteria:
- True emergencies: Active water leak, no heat below freezing, gas smell, sparking electrical
- Urgent but can wait: AC out in mild weather, clogged drain not flooding, hot water heater not working
- Not emergencies: 'I just noticed,' 'It's been like this for days,' 'I want a quote'
Train whoever answers your phones (human or AI) to triage accurately. True emergencies get dispatched; everything else gets a next-day callback promise.
Setting Emergency Rates
Emergency calls should be profitable or don't offer them:
- After-hours premium: 1.5x to 2x normal rates
- Minimum charge: Cover your costs even for quick fixes
- Communicate upfront: Never surprise customers with pricing after the fact
- Weekend vs. overnight: Some businesses tier their emergency rates
“I used to feel guilty charging emergency rates. Then I tracked my emergency calls—20% of revenue, 50% of my stress. Now I charge appropriately and actually want to take the calls.”
The Emergency Call Script
When taking an emergency call, follow this structure:
- Acknowledge urgency: 'I understand this is stressful. Let me help.'
- Assess the situation: 'Is there active water flowing? Is anyone in danger?'
- Give immediate advice: 'Turn off the main water valve while I dispatch'
- Set expectations: 'I can have someone there within [X]. Our after-hours rate is [Y].'
- Confirm: 'Can you confirm the address? I'm dispatching now.'
On-Call Rotation for Teams
If you have multiple techs, rotate emergency duty:
- Weekly rotations work best (less context-switching)
- On-call premium pay: Additional compensation for carrying the pager
- Backup system: What happens if primary on-call can't respond?
- Limits: Define maximum calls per night before backup kicks in
- Recovery time: Techs who worked overnight shouldn't have 7 AM calls
AI for After-Hours Triage
AI excels at after-hours call handling:
- Answers instantly at 2 AM (no groggy human mistakes)
- Asks consistent triage questions every time
- Collects customer info and problem details accurately
- Dispatches true emergencies while scheduling non-emergencies for morning
- Sends you a summary so you have context before calling back or dispatching
AI Emergency Handling
Local Business Pro's AI answers after-hours calls, triages emergencies, and dispatches—so you can sleep.
See How It WorksPreparing Your Truck for Emergencies
Emergency calls fail when you don't have what you need:
- Common emergency parts always stocked (faucet cartridges, supply lines, breakers)
- Temporary fixes when permanent repair isn't possible at 3 AM
- Lighting: Headlamps and work lights for dark spaces
- Payment processing: Card reader that works when cell signal is weak
- Customer materials: Invoice pad, business cards, leave-behind info
Following Up After Emergencies
Emergency customers are perfect for long-term relationships:
- Call the next day to check on the repair
- If temporary fix, schedule the permanent repair
- Pitch your maintenance agreement (prevent future emergencies)
- Ask for a review (high satisfaction = great review opportunity)
The Bottom Line
After-hours emergencies are a privilege, not a burden. Customers in crisis remember who helped them—and tell everyone. But you have to do it sustainably: price appropriately, staff intelligently, and use technology to handle the triage.
Done right, emergency work is highly profitable and builds unshakeable customer loyalty. Done wrong, it burns you out and drives you out of business.
About Mike Chen
15-year HVAC veteran turned business consultant. Helps contractors streamline operations and grow revenue.
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