{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"How AI Is Changing HVAC (Without Replacing Techs) | Chris Plunkett","description":"AI is not coming for your techs. It is coming for the busywork, the missed calls, and the guesswork that quietly eats your margin. In this episode of Service Business Mastery, Tersh Blissett sits down with Chris Plunkett, a Tucson HVAC owner who has been in the trade since he was eight years old, to talk about what using AI in an HVAC business actually looks like day to day. They get into how Chris turned home inspections from a loss leader into one of his highest paying jobs, why his AI voice agent books calls so well that customers swear they were talking to a person, and the simple pay change that made after hours emergencies fair to his technicians again. If you run an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical company and you are tired of AI hype with nothing to show for it, this one is built for you. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Breezy, the AI voice agent Chris uses for his after hours and overflow calls. See how many calls you are missing at https:\/\/getbreezyapp.com and use code SBM for 500 dollars toward Breezy. CHAPTERS 0:00 \u2013 Why AI Won't Replace HVAC Techs 1:45 \u2013 Welcome to Service Business Mastery 2:37 \u2013 Fix Your Processes Before You Automate Anything 3:44 \u2013 Meet Chris Plunkett: From 8 Year Old Tech to HVAC Owner 7:33 \u2013 Where Chris Actually Uses AI in His HVAC Business 8:21 \u2013 Letter Grade Diagnostics Customers Understand 10:28 \u2013 The Real Way AI Is Changing the Trades 11:49 \u2013 Turning Home Inspections Into a High Ticket Profit Center 15:37 \u2013 Presenting Diagnostics So Customers Say Yes 18:04 \u2013 AI Voice Agents for After Hours and Overflow Calls 20:31 \u2013 The Call Nobody Could Tell Was AI 27:07 \u2013 Trigger Words and On Call Routing That Keep Owners Out of the Mix 29:41 \u2013 The Late Night Call Policy That Protects Your Techs 32:06 \u2013 Why Emergency Rate Beats After Hours Rate 35:02 \u2013 Nobody Wants to Work for YOU: Hiring the Next Generation 37:32 \u2013 Trade Culture, Mentorship, and Bringing Young Techs In 46:24 \u2013 Where to Find Chris and His Whiskey Side Hustle ABOUT SERVICE BUSINESS MASTERY Service Business Mastery is where home service owners come to run better, more profitable companies. Every week, Tersh Blissett and Josh Crouch talk through the real operations, technology, and leadership decisions behind growing an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical business, with the operators and experts actually doing the work. More episodes and resources: https:\/\/servicebusinessmastery.com\/ https:\/\/linkin.bio\/servicebusinessmasterypodcast    THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY BREEZY About 30 percent of inbound calls in home services go unanswered, and those are customers ready to book with whoever picks up first. Breezy puts AI agents on every call, books the job, and follows up instantly, so you wake up to booked jobs instead of missed calls. See how many jobs you are losing right now at https:\/\/getbreezyapp.com and use code SBM for 500 dollars toward Breezy. UPFROG Upfrog is the OG of pricing transparency online. They find hard to reach system replacement leads through paid ads, then nurture and book them into sold systems before your team even arrives. Learn more: upfrog.com MARKET STORM Market Storm works with home service companies across the country, using AI to catch early buyer intent and put your brand in front of homeowners before they ever search. So when they do search, your name already feels familiar. Visit https:\/\/marketstorm.ai\/ CALLRAIL CallRail assigns a unique tracking number to each of your marketing efforts, so you know exactly which channels bring your best leads and which ones to cut. Try it free at https:\/\/callrail.com\/sbmpod. PHONETAP Your calls hold the key to growing your business. PhoneTAP gives you instant AI analysis, real customer lifetime value, and tools to coach your team. Learn more: phonetap.ai\/demo  COMPANYCAM Capture work, track job progress, and stay connected from the field to the office with photo documentation and AI tools that keep work moving. Start a free trial at: https:\/\/companycam.com\/ CONNECT WITH OUR HOSTS AND GUEST Tersh Blissett: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tershblissett\/ Josh Crouch: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/josh-crouch\/ Chris Plunkett: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chris-plunkett-11613385\/ NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Subscribe on YouTube and follow Service Business Mastery on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. If this one helped, share it with an owner who needs to hear it. #ServiceBusinessMastery #HVAC #AIinTheTrades #HomeServices #HVACBusiness    ","author_name":"Service Business Mastery for Skilled Trades: HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical Home Service","author_url":"https:\/\/www.servicebusinessmastery.com","html":"