• Replies 12 replies
  • Subscribers 2 subscribers
  • Views 0 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related

What's your process for warranty or callback tracking?

Ray DeLuca

So here's the thing. We just crossed 200 callbacks in the last quarter and I'm trying to figure out if that's... normal? Bad? Depends on the tech?

Right now we log callbacks as a separate job type in FieldPulse. Tech finishes original job, customer calls back within 90 days for same issue, dispatcher creates 'CALLBACK' job with link to original. Simple enough.

But I'm hitting walls when I try to pull patterns:

  • Which techs have highest callback rate per job completed?
  • Are certain equipment brands or install types trending higher?
  • What's our actual cost — labor hours, parts, customer goodwill?

Reports are giving me totals but not the ratios I need. And I suspect we're under-reporting because techs sometimes just... handle it quietly on their next scheduled day instead of flagging it properly.

How are you actually tracking this? Custom fields? Tags? Separate workflow entirely? Someone tell me I'm not the only one making this up as I go...

  • We moved away from job types for this — too noisy in reporting.

    • Custom field on work order: 'Callback Related' (yes/no)
    • If yes, required field for 'Original Job ID'
    • Another field: 'Callback Reason' — diagnostic error, parts failure, customer education, unknown

    Techs cannot close without both fields populated. Dispatcher audits weekly. Takes 15 minutes.

    Ratio math happens in Excel export for now. Working with our FP rep on custom report but that's been 'coming soon' for a while.

  • in reply to Sylvia Chen

    That's... actually cleaner than what we're doing. Currently have techs adding 'CALLBACK' to notes which is obviously garbage for data.

    Do you force the original job ID in real time? Half my issue is techs don't remember the number or won't scroll back to find it.

  • in reply to Sylvia Chen

    Dispatchers populate original job ID from the callback request. Tech sees it as read-only in their view. Removes the 'I don't remember' excuse.

    If customer just says 'same problem as before' and we can't locate original job, it goes to 'unknown' reason code — flagged for manager review.

  • I'll add something we're testing — warranty tier tagging.

    Not all callbacks are equal. We split:

    • Manufacturer defect (recoverable via supplier)
    • Installation error (our cost, training issue)
    • Customer misuse (billable, but handle carefully)
    • Unresolved diagnostic (ambiguous, needs manager)

    Changed our whole conversation with the team. Suddenly it's not 'why are callbacks up 12%' it's 'why are installation errors concentrated in one crew.' Much more actionable.

    Also — and this is bold — we started posting callback rates by tech in our monthly standup. Public accountability. Initial grumbling, then improvement. Sometimes you need the visibility.

  • in reply to Gwen Albright

    Pro tip: if you're going to share rates publicly, normalize by job complexity or you're just shaming the guy stuck with all the ancient equipment no-call customers.

    We weight callbacks by job type. Standard PM hardly counts. Full system replacement with duct mods counts heavier. Took some spreadsheet work but fairer to the field.

  • in my experience the 'techs handling it quietly' problem is bigger than most managers think

    we had a guy who'd just swap the part on his next visit, no ticket, no parts logged, customer happy, books look good. until inventory's mysteriously off and you have no paper trail for warranty claims with the distributor.

    fixed it by requiring photo of old part serial number before any warranty replacement. dispatch holds the new part hostage until photo uploaded. sounds harsh but stopped the leakage.

  • in reply to Art Kowalczyk

    Thanks so much for sharing this!! We're seeing inventory discrepancies and I think this might be exactly what's happening — I had no idea it could be tied to callbacks not getting logged properly.

    A few questions if you don't mind — do your techs carry common warranty parts on their trucks, or do they have to return to shop? And how do you handle it when the photo doesn't come through clearly or the serial plate is rusted/unreadable? Do you have a backup process, or does that just delay the whole job?

    Really appreciate any details you can share!

  • in reply to Art Kowalczyk

    truck stock for anything under $200. supervisor override for unreadable plates — happens maybe 5% of the time. not perfect but way better than the honor system we had before.

  • Great discussion here — warranty and callback tracking is definitely an area where we've seen creative workflows emerge from our customer base.

    We want to make sure you're set up for success with the tools available today, and I'd love to connect anyone interested in our upcoming custom reporting improvements. Feel free to reach out directly if you'd like to share your specific needs — your feedback helps shape what we build next.

  • 200 callbacks in a quarter and you're asking if it's normal? It's only normal if your bar is on the floor.

    We run 85 techs, averaged 47 callbacks last quarter. Target is under 60. You're either counting differently or have a training problem.

    Our setup: callback is a status, not a job type. Original job gets reopened, status changed to callback, new dispatch assigned. Keeps everything in one thread for history. Reporting is native — filter by status, divide by total completed.