Preventive Maintenance Software: When Maintaining A System Becomes A Service Call.

I have seen it happen too many times. A customer calls in and asks how much a tune-up is for their type of HVAC system. They agree on the price and schedule a time. The technician shows up and finds that the system is not working correctly or not running at all! This is frustrating for the tech and the service company.

Some service companies send out newly experienced (apprentice) personnel to perform preventive maintenance (PM) services. This is advantageous for both the company and the apprentice. It helps the company keep their prices lower for PMs. The technician gets field experience on the type of system they are servicing.

Some organizations may send out experienced service technicians to perform PMs. But what happens when the apprentice or technician is confronted with a system that is not working correctly? You can not tuneup a car that doesn't start!

We need to break this scenario down by going back to the beginning when the customer called in looking for a price for a PM. The person receiving the call should be versed in that customers agreeing to a fixed PM price are given a brief scripted reply. The reply can not be dismissive. A customer can not be made to feel uncertain about hiring a company to service their HVAC equipment. For example, the customer can be told, "Our $X preventive maintenance service for a 'Y' system does not include the servicing of the system if is not working properly." Continue with, "If the technician finds something wrong with the system, they will stop and notify you of the matter." I like a softer approach toward a customer's inquiry especially when there is a fixed price involved. By eliminating the 'gray' areas in a subtle manner, a customer who knows the system is not working correctly may revert to asking the price to service the system.

This is not always the case. So, what about the under-experienced apprentice who goes out to perform a PM on a system that is not working correctly? This is where they need to stop the work and notify the customer of the problem. One thing you do not want to deal with is a customer making accusations that the system was "running fine" until the tech worked on it.

This is where the apprentice needs to be direct and up front about the situation. For an apprentice, an example statement could be, "While I was checking the pressures on your heat pump, it shut down and started to short-cycle. I can not complete my PM at this time. Do you want me to call my office so you can schedule a service technician to look at it and finish the PM?"

If an experienced technician is performing the maintenance, an example statement could be, "When I went to check the pressures on your outdoor air conditioning unit, it would not come on. I can stop the PM and start to troubleshoot the system, it would be $X." Even if the customer questions the extra service and denies further actions, they were informed of the situation up front.

These are instances where there needs to be an open communication between the apprentice/technician and the customer. Performing PMs and developing preventive maintenance and service contracts are a great way to establish long-lasting, professional relationships with your customers. This will lead to future service and installation projects.

Preventive Maintenance Software & CMMS Programs Online

	eMaint:Preventive Maintenance Management Software | eMaint.com | Eliminate your downtime, maintenance fees, and failure rates with eMaint's easy-to-use Preventive Maintenance software. Ranked #1 and used worldwide. – https://www.emaint.com/cmms-features-benefits/preventive-maintenance
	EnerDapt:Preventative Maintenance Software | EnerDapt | Enabling service providers and building owners to proactively manage HVAC costs and lower tenant complaints with preventative maintenance software. – https://enerdapt.com
	Excellence Alliance:Excellence Alliance Commercial HVAC Service Agreement Software - Excellence Alliance | Service Estimating 4 Profit (E4P) Excellence Alliance has developed the ideal method for commercial HVAC businesses to generate more sales via preventative/planned maintenance proposals. By focusing on commercial service estimating solutions through Excellence Alliance, you give your business exposure in an area with tremendous profit capability. – http://eainet.net/estimating-4-profit
	EZ Maintenance:Air Conditioning Industry CMMS Solution, equipment maintenance software – https://www.ez-maintenance.com/air-conditioning
	FacilityONE:Our Preventative Maintenance (PM) System simplifies user processes. Our UNITY™ interface, powered by our SMARTPRINT technology, allows an accessible Preventative Maintenance solution to be deployed throughout your facility. – https://www.facilityone.com/product/preventative-maintenance
	FIELDBOSS:Maintenance Contract Management - FIELDBOSS® | Service Agreement Management | FIELDBOSS® Service Agreement and Maintenance Contract functionality: Contract administration. Contract revenue, cost, overhead, margin and profit reporting. Contract copy and renew. Automated maintenance scheduling. Automated contract billing. EFT invoice integration. Inclusion and exclusion tracking. Revenue recognition. Billing multipliers for emergency or standby hours. Create a quote from an opportunity Quote Work Order. – https://fieldboss.com/maintenance-contract-management
	Fiix:Fiix's cloud-based maintenance & asset management software organizes, tracks, and schedules your maintenance management activities. – https://www.fiixsoftware.com
	FT Maintenance:FTMaintenance CMMS is a robust, yet easy-to-use maintenance software solution designed to make maintenance management easy. – https://ftmaintenance.com
	Hippo CMMS:Preventive Maintenance Software That's Easy to Use | Leverage preventive maintenance software to prevent breakdown, equipment failures and to increase productivity and profits. – https://www.hippocmms.com/preventive-maintenance-software
	IMS:Maintenance Pro CMMS software lets you keep track of an unlimited number of pieces of equipment, organized by categories. You can track all details vital to home, office, grounds, and facility equipment management, and maintenance and repair tracking. – https://www.mtcpro.com/maintenance-pro/#Preventative-Maintenance
	Maintenance Care:Preventive maintenance software helps you keep your equipment in tip top shape. Schedule preventative maintenance, keep your equipment in compliance, assign tasks quickly, and attach documents like MSDS and safety PDFs. Everything you need to manage your facility in one easy location. – https://www.maintenancecare.com/preventive-maintenance-software
	Maintenance Connection:Preventive Maintenance Software System - Free Demo & Pricing | Schedule preventive maintenance in a few clicks with Maintenance Connection preventive maintenance software. Get a free test drive and demo! – https://www.maintenanceconnection.com/website
	ManagerPlus:Preventive Maintenance Management Software | Stay Ahead on Preventive Maintenance. – http://www.managerplus.com/lps/preventive-maintenance
	Maxpanda:Preventive and Preventative Maintenance Software, CMMS preventive maintenance software for maintenance scheduling. Prevent equipment failure daily monthly task lists, unlimited assets & parts. Free Open source. Preventive and Preventative Maintenance Software is conducted to keep equipment working and/or extend the life of the equipment. – http://www.maxpanda.com/preventative-maintenance-software
	MicroMain:MicroMain GLOBAL CMMS/EAM is a cloud-based solution that enables businesses of all sizes in all industries to streamline and standardize their maintenance operations. Make data-driven decisions that save money, time, and headaches. – https://www.micromain.com/cmms
	MPulse:Learn about the MPulse software editions we offer to maintenance companies. We guarantee you will find the right type of CMMS software for your business. – https://www.mpulsesoftware.com/software/overview
	Municipalnets:EPM is the leading preventive maintenance FileMaker solution Why do preventive maintenance professionals like our program? Asset management capabilities. Manage parts and equipment. – https://municipalnets.com/preventive_maintenance
	My Service Builder:MyServiceBuilder.com | Six Types of Agreements – https://myservicebuilder.com
	PSIwebware:CMMS | Computerized Maintenance Management System | PSIwebware | Run Buildings Better - CMMS Software from PSIwebware will help you prove work performance, increase accountability, and lower costs. – http://www.psiwebware.com/cmms
	simPRO:Make contract maintenance profitable for your business with simPRO. From preventative, reactive maintenance, keep records of every piece of customer equipment. – https://www.simpro.us/features/preventive-reactive-maintenance
	Trackplan:Planned Preventative Maintenance Software- Trackplan Facilities Management Software – https://www.trackplanfm.com/planned-preventative-maintenance