HVACBossPro Blog — Quotes & Estimates

Quoting HVAC Second Opinions Without Bad-Mouthing the Last Company

“Another company told me I need a whole new system. Can you take a look?” Every HVAC company gets this call. Sometimes the first company was right. Sometimes the system has years left with a simple repair. Either way, the customer is nervous, unsure who to trust, and paying close attention to how you behave. A second-opinion visit is one of the best chances you will get to earn a customer for life.

A Special Kind of Quote

The previous guide, Who Writes the HVAC Estimate? Splitting Quoting Between Techs and the Office, covered who writes estimates in your company. Second-opinion quotes are usually best written by whoever is most experienced, often the owner, because they combine diagnosis, diplomacy and sometimes a replacement quote.

Book It as a Diagnostic

Treat a second opinion like any diagnostic call. Quote your diagnostic fee from the service list over the phone, and explain what it covers. Some shops have a specific “Second opinion inspection” line with its own description. That makes the call easy to book and sets clear expectations.

Ask the customer to have the other company's estimate handy, but do not read it before you look at the system. You want your own diagnosis, not theirs repeated.

Diagnose Fresh

Start from zero. Check the basics as you would on any call: thermostat, filter, breaker, capacitor, contactor, drain line, coils. Record the equipment details: system type, brand, model, serial, year installed, tonnage, filter size and unit location. Take photos of the data plate and of anything that has failed or is worn.

The equipment record is especially useful on second opinions. If the system is 22 years old and the heat exchanger is a concern, that matters. If it is 8 years old and the problem is a capacitor, that matters too. The age and size are on the estimate in black and white, which helps the customer understand your recommendation. More on that in Equipment Details on the HVAC Estimate: Fill In the System Once and It Carries Onto the Job.

Never Bad-Mouth the Other Company

This is the rule that matters most. Even if you think the first quote was wildly off, do not say so in harsh terms. There are good reasons:

• You do not know what the first tech saw. Conditions change, and some problems are intermittent.
• Customers get uneasy when one company attacks another. It makes them wonder what you will say about them.
• It is a small industry. You will meet that company again.

Instead, describe what you found. “Here's what I'm seeing today. The capacitor has failed, and the rest of the system is running within normal range. Replacing the capacitor should get you cooling again.” Let the customer draw their own conclusions.

Write a Clear Estimate, With Options If It Makes Sense

Second-opinion customers have usually already seen one confusing estimate. Make yours the clear one. Plain line names, one-sentence descriptions, sales tax on the estimate and a total that matches what they will pay.

If the system can be repaired but is getting old, it is reasonable to offer both: the repair as one estimate, and a replacement as a separate estimate, so the customer can choose with real numbers in front of them. That approach is covered in Good, Better, Best HVAC Quotes: Writing Options as Separate Estimate Lines. Keep the replacement estimate free of promises about energy savings or years of life you cannot back up.

If you agree with the first company that a replacement is needed, say so honestly. Customers often come back to the company that confirmed the bad news calmly rather than the one that delivered it first.

Let Them Decide

Send the estimate the same day and let the customer approve online when they are ready. Estimate follow-up emails remind them if they need time. Do not push. A customer who called for a second opinion is already cautious, and pressure confirms their fears.

Whatever they decide, offer a maintenance plan. A customer whose system was saved by a repair is often very open to twice-a-year tune-ups, and a plan keeps them coming to you instead of starting over with a stranger next time.

Keep the Record

Even if the customer goes with the other company, keep their record with the equipment details, your notes and your estimate. If they call next summer, you will know exactly what you saw and what you recommended. Many second-opinion customers become long-term customers a season or two later, after they remember who explained things clearly and treated them fairly.

The next guide covers moving all of your quoting off paper and spreadsheets. For the overview of quoting, approval and scheduling, return to the HVACBossPro HVAC estimate software page.