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What Makes a Home Air Conditioner Repair Service Call

air conditioner repair service technicianWhen it comes to Home Air Conditioner repair service, there is a wide range of costs different companies will charge. Not only do the supply or existing stock of hvac parts play a role in the ac repair cost, but things you never thought of will also have a role in the final cost you pay. In a previous ac repair cost guide we focused on the parts side of the repair cost, in this article, we take a quick look at the actual cost of the air conditioner repair service call.

Air Conditioner Repair Service Call Cost

The actual air conditioner repair service call itself will vary from free, to whatever the company has decided to charge on that day. Yes, there are some companies that have been known to change the rate daily, based on the demands of resources. Lets take a quick look at what you are actually paying for when you hear that it's going to cost $89 for an ac repair service call, just to have the repair technician come to your home.

Start to Finish – What Goes into an $89 Service Call

  • You Found the Company
    Whether that was due to a yellow pages ad, a TV ad, or a website, it cost money to create that advertisement.  A simple yellow pages ad for an air conditioner repair service may cost $250-$500/month by itself!
  • The Phone Rang
    Most business have multiple lines from the phone company, to make sure there is always an open line. Its very common for a small business to pay $350-$400 per month in phone fees, just for the office!
  • Someone Answered The Phone
    Just keeping one employee on staff to answer phones and dispatch technicians can cost anywhere from $1500 and up! Up, being the key factor here… just imagine how reliable of an employee you get for $1500 per month in wages. 🙂 If you called for air conditioner repair service after normal business hours, double that figure!
  • A Van or Service Truck Was Started
    The service vehicles are another subject all their own, but as you can imagine there are maintenance costs, fuel costs, insurance costs, etc that all go into making sure there is a vehicle poised and ready to come to your home.
  • The GPS or Mapping System Guides the Tech
    Most companies today have a GPS and tracking system installed in their vehicles. This not only allows the dispatcher to send the closest vehicle to your home, it makes sure they get there as quickly as possible!
  • A Trained and Certified Technician Diagnosed the Problem
    It never fails that we assume air conditioner repair service knowledge is just gained over time, with no further training required. Most reputable HVAC companies require their employees to complete a certain number of training hours each year, to assure they are up to date with the latest technologies and trends in the business. Certifications like NATE are not free either!
  • The Problem is Fixed!
    When the HVAC tech goes out to get the part out of the van, that part was already paid for somehow! Well, your part and hundreds of other parts that must be kept on the air conditioner repair service truck! If the part is expensive or you are a regular customer, some HVAC repair companies will waive the service call charge, since there is often overhead built into the parts cost as well.
  • The Credit Card Company Takes their Cut
    We can't forget that the credit card companies take 2-4% of the cost of every air conditioner repair service dollar charged as well! Even if you ONLY needed a switch flipped and paid with a credit card,  Visa or MC may take the first $2.50 off the top!

What About Larger HVAC Companies?

Yeah… everything outlined above is only for a small company! How about the overhead from a top HVAC company with 40-50 employees? As you can imagine, that $89 air conditioner repair service call is nothing compared to the cost per hour of keeping the doors open!

Air Conditioner Repair Service Call

Do you work for an HVAC repair company? If so, share how much your company charges for air conditioner repair service calls below.

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