HVAC Operations Manager
AI-powered operational assistant for HVAC contractors — dispatch, maintenance scheduling, seasonal prep, and customer follow-up.
When to Use
- Scheduling service calls and dispatching technicians
- Managing preventive maintenance programs
- Seasonal transition planning (heating ↔ cooling)
- Customer follow-up and retention campaigns
- Warranty tracking and parts inventory alerts
- Generating service estimates and proposals
Inputs Required
Before running, gather:
- Service area — zip codes or city/radius you cover
- Team size — number of technicians and their certifications (EPA 608, NATE, etc.)
- Software stack — ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, Jobber, or manual scheduling?
- Season — current season affects priority workflows
- Business goals — growth target, average ticket size, close rate
Workflow 1: Daily Dispatch Optimization
Morning Routine (run at 6:30 AM)
- Pull today's scheduled jobs from your dispatch board
- Check technician availability and certifications vs job requirements
- Route jobs geographically to minimize drive time
- Flag any jobs missing equipment or parts
- Send tech briefings: job history, customer notes, upsell opportunities
Output Format
DISPATCH BOARD — [DATE]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
TECH: [Name] | Cert: [EPA/NATE] | Vehicle: [#]
8:00 → [Address] — AC tune-up (residential) | Est: 1.5hr
10:30 → [Address] — Furnace no-heat call | Est: 2hr | ⚠️ Parts needed: ignitor
1:30 → [Address] — Duct cleaning | Est: 3hr
DRIVE TIME: ~45 min total
UNASSIGNED: [List any overflow jobs]
PARTS ALERT: [Items to pick up before routes]Workflow 2: Preventive Maintenance Program
Setup
- Export customer list with equipment install dates and last service
- Classify by equipment type: furnace, AC, heat pump, mini-split, commercial RTU
- Set maintenance intervals:
- Residential AC: Spring tune-up (Mar-Apr) - Residential furnace: Fall tune-up (Sep-Oct) - Commercial: Quarterly inspections - Heat pumps: Twice yearly
Automated Outreach Sequence
- 60 days before due: Email reminder with online booking link
- 30 days before due: SMS reminder + limited-time discount offer
- 14 days before due: Phone call from CSR (flag in CRM)
- Day of service: Appointment confirmation + tech ETA
- 3 days after: Review request + referral program mention
Tracking Metrics
- Maintenance agreement renewal rate (target: 80%+)
- Average maintenance ticket value
- Upsell conversion from maintenance visits
- Customer lifetime value by agreement tier
Workflow 3: Seasonal Transition Playbook
Spring (Cooling Season Prep) — February through April
- Inventory audit: Refrigerant stock (R-410A, R-22 phase-out status), filters, capacitors, contactors
- Marketing push: "AC tune-up special" campaigns — email blast + door hangers in service area
- Training: New refrigerant handling, updated EPA regulations, heat pump installs
- Hiring: Assess if summer demand requires seasonal techs
- Pricing review: Adjust rates for peak season, update flat-rate book
Fall (Heating Season Prep) — August through October
- Inventory audit: Heat exchangers, ignitors, flame sensors, thermocouples
- Marketing push: "Furnace safety check" campaigns — target homes 10+ years old
- Carbon monoxide awareness: Partner with local fire dept for co-branded safety content
- Emergency protocol: Update after-hours dispatch rotation and response SLAs
Workflow 4: Service Estimate Generator
For Replacement Proposals
- Collect: square footage, insulation quality, window count, duct condition, current system age/model
- Run Manual J load calculation (or use ACCA-approved software)
- Generate good/better/best options:
- Good: Standard efficiency (14 SEER2) — lowest upfront - Better: High efficiency (16-17 SEER2) — utility rebate eligible - Best: Variable speed / heat pump (18+ SEER2) — max comfort + savings
- Include: equipment cost, labor, permits, warranty terms, financing options
- Show 10-year cost of ownership comparison (purchase price + estimated energy costs)
Estimate Template
HVAC REPLACEMENT PROPOSAL — [Customer Name]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Home: [sqft] | Current System: [model, age] | Condition: [rating]
OPTION A — Standard Comfort
Equipment: [Brand Model] | 14 SEER2 | 80% AFUE
Price: $X,XXX installed | Warranty: 10yr parts
Est. Annual Energy: $X,XXX
OPTION B — Enhanced Efficiency ⭐ RECOMMENDED
Equipment: [Brand Model] | 16 SEER2 | 96% AFUE
Price: $X,XXX installed | Warranty: 10yr parts + 2yr labor
Est. Annual Energy: $X,XXX | Rebate: $XXX
10-Year Savings vs Option A: $X,XXX
OPTION C — Premium Performance
Equipment: [Brand Model] | 18+ SEER2 | Variable Speed
Price: $X,XXX installed | Warranty: 12yr parts + 5yr labor
Est. Annual Energy: $X,XXX | Rebate: $X,XXX
10-Year Savings vs Option A: $X,XXX
FINANCING: [Terms available]Workflow 5: Customer Retention & Review Management
Post-Service Follow-Up
- Same day: Automated "How did we do?" text with 1-5 star rating
- If 4-5 stars: Request Google/Yelp review with direct link
- If 1-3 stars: Alert office manager for immediate callback
- 7 days later: Maintenance agreement offer if not already enrolled
- 90 days later: "How's your system running?" check-in
Referral Program
- Offer $50 credit per referred customer who books service
- Track referral sources in CRM
- Quarterly drawing for top referrers (free tune-up or smart thermostat)
Key Metrics Dashboard
Track weekly:
- Revenue: Total, average ticket, revenue per tech
- Operations: Jobs completed, callback rate, on-time arrival %
- Sales: Close rate on replacements, maintenance agreement signups
- Customer: NPS score, Google review average, referral count
- Inventory: Parts turnover, stockout incidents, van inventory accuracy
Integration Notes
Works with common HVAC business platforms:
- ServiceTitan — dispatch, invoicing, reporting
- Housecall Pro — scheduling, estimates, payments
- Jobber — quoting, CRM, route optimization
- QuickBooks — accounting sync
- Podium/Birdeye — review management
Want this running 24/7 without lifting a finger? AfrexAI manages AI agents for your business — setup, monitoring, and optimization included. Book a free consultation: https://afrexai.com/book Learn more: https://afrexai.com