CSR Hiring & Ramp Kit (Home Services)

Use this when you’re hiring your first or second CSR, leveling up a dispatcher answering the phones, or retraining after flat booking weeks. The kit breaks into five handoffables: (1) scorecard, (2) phone‑screen, (3) 10‑day ramp, (4) talk‑track cards, (5) QA rubric + tool steps.

How to roll it out this week:

• Today: Post the job, book two phone screens, and print the 1‑page CSR scorecard.
• Tomorrow: Run the 30‑minute phone screens with the test‑call prompt. Pick one finalist for a 2‑hour paid test shift on recorded lines.
• Next 10 business days: Follow the ramp plan. Do a 10‑minute morning huddle and review three calls/day.
• Friday of Week 2: Put the CSR’s booking rate and dispositions on a small scoreboard and decide “continue, retrain, or replace.”

Note on recordings and consent: Follow your state’s call‑recording consent rules and your phone/CRM vendor guidance. When in doubt, add a short disclosure to the greeting.

Hire for behaviors you can coach, not resumes you can’t verify. Score each behavior 0–2 on interviews, test calls, and early live calls. Keep the total visible.

Traits (what to listen for):

• Listens without interrupting; calm pace under pressure.
• Empathy without over‑apologizing; uses the customer’s words back to them.
• Call control: keeps momentum toward a booked slot.
• Closes the loop: always asks for commitment and confirms next step.
• Accurate notes and spelling; navigates the platform smoothly.

Must‑have behaviors on every bookable call:

1. Identify and capture: full name, best number, address/email, and lead source.
2. Create value up front: briefly state how your visit solves the problem (not just “we can send someone”).
3. Be clear on money: explain your diagnostic/minimum charge in plain English and what it includes.
4. Own the next step: offer the first specific time window; ask for commitment.
5. Confirm and recap: window, confirmations, any deposit/policy, and what to expect on arrival.
6. Mention membership if appropriate; don’t derail the booking.
7. If no‑book, capture a precise disposition reason.

Quick scoring rubric (10 points):

• Core Four (0–2 each): Build relationship; Create value; Understand need; Ask for commitment.
• Compliance (0–2 total): Contact info complete; Disposition accurate.

Test‑call prompt for interviews (read verbatim):

• “Hi, my name is [NAME]. My AC is blowing warm air. I’m calling from [CITY/ZIP]. I work 7–4, and I’m worried about the cost. Can you help?”
  • What good sounds like: empathy + value framing, clear diagnostic fee explanation, one specific window, ask for commitment, capture info, quick membership mention if relevant, clean recap.

Hire/no‑hire thresholds:

• Interview test call ≥7/10 and no “red flag” behaviors (argues, rushes caller, quotes firm prices for repairs sight‑unseen).

Run this exactly. Keep control of the clock.

Agenda (30 minutes):

• 0:00–5:00 — Rapport + quick filters (schedule flexibility, typing speed, local knowledge).
• 5:00–20:00 — Six scored questions (1–5 each).
• 20:00–25:00 — 5‑minute live test call using the prompt above (score 0–10).
• 25:00–30:00 — Tool sense check (simple scenario; see below) + next steps.

The six questions (score 1–5; write key phrases you hear):

1. “Walk me through how you’d handle an upset caller whose heat is out and it’s snowing.”
   • Good: acknowledges urgency, sets expectations, offers first available window, stays calm, avoids promises tech can’t keep.
2. “Explain a diagnostic/minimum charge to someone who pushes back.”
   • Good: value‑first framing, what it includes, how it saves time/money, avoids debating price.
3. “A caller only wants a price over the phone.”
   • Good: pivots to in‑home diagnosis, offers earliest window, uses range carefully if needed, asks for commitment.
4. “Two lines ring, a tech is texting, and a customer is in the lobby. What do you do first?”
   • Good: prioritizes live inbound call, fast triage, protects customer info, calls back missed within minutes.
5. “Scripts make you sound robotic. How do you feel about them?”
   • Good: treats scripts as guides, practices talk tracks, adapts tone without skipping the ask.
6. “Give me an example of closing a next step when the customer hesitates.”
   • Good: offers two options, handles soft objections, re‑asks clearly.

Tool sense check (2–3 minutes):

• “Open notes and summarize back what you captured.” Ask them to structure a 2‑sentence recap they’d log.

Paid test shift (2 hours, same day or next):

• Seat them on recorded lines with a trainer shadow. Let them answer low‑risk calls and do three role‑plays. Score two live calls + one role‑play on the QA rubric. Pay fairly for the time.

Decision rule:

• Move forward if: Qs average ≥3.5/5, test call ≥7/10, and paid test shift shows momentum (coachability + call control).

Goal: competent, confident booking behavior by Day 10. Do a 10‑minute huddle each morning (yesterday’s numbers + one behavior focus) and review three recordings/day.

Daily plan (Mon–Fri x2):

• Day 1 — Orientation + scripts: shadow 3 hours; 2 role‑plays (Inbound Service, Price‑Shopper). Set up logins, call reasons/dispositions.
• Day 2 — First live calls: answer with trainer whisper; 3 role‑plays (Warranty add). Drill diagnostic‑fee talk track. Review 3 calls.
• Day 3 — Handle 50% of inbound queue; introduce honest arrival windows + confirmations script. Review 3 calls; correct two notes in CRM.
• Day 4 — Booking reps + no‑book reasons: practice accurate dispositions. Add membership mention without derailing. Review 3 calls.
• Day 5 — Independence test: 75% of calls solo, trainer nearby. Midpoint scorecard and coaching plan.
• Day 6 — Speed‑to‑lead: target answer ≤20s; practice missed‑call saves. Review 3 calls; one focused on asking for commitment.
• Day 7 — Objection handling: price‑only shoppers and warranty policies. Introduce deposit‑to‑hold language (policy‑based). Review 3 calls.
• Day 8 — Consistency: 80%+ calls solo; QA self‑score one call. Tighten notes quality; check lead‑source capture.
• Day 9 — Stretch goal: upsell membership on appropriate calls post‑booking. Calibrate arrival windows with dispatch.
• Day 10 — Final eval: ride a full block solo. Score 3 calls; confirm booking math and disposition accuracy.

Daily review checklist (use this every day):

• Did they ask for commitment on every bookable call?
• Was the diagnostic/minimum charge explained clearly?
• Was one honest arrival window offered and confirmed?
• Were contact details, notes, and lead source captured?
• If no‑book, was the disposition precise?

Stick these on the wall. Keep them short and human.

Inbound Service (urgent repair):

• Opener: “Thanks for calling [COMPANY]. This is [NAME]. I can help — who am I speaking with?”
• Value first: “We’ll send a licensed tech to diagnose the problem and get you a firm quote on site.”
• Diagnostic fee: “Today’s visit is a [$$] diagnostic that covers the full evaluation and the quote. If you go ahead, we apply it toward the work.”
• Ask + window: “I can hold a [2–4pm] window today. Does that work, or is [8–10am tomorrow] better?”
• Confirm + expectations: “You’ll get a text confirmation. The tech will call on the way. Anything else we should know about access or pets?”
• Optional membership: “We also have a maintenance plan that waives the diagnostic and gives you priority scheduling — I can add details to your confirmation.”

Price‑Shopper (noisy with “how much?”):

• Pivot: “I get it — you want to avoid surprises. Because every home is different, the fastest way to save you money is to send a tech to diagnose and give a firm, in‑writing quote.”
• Anchor value: “That visit is a [$$] diagnostic and includes the full inspection and quote. No work starts without your OK.”
• Ask + options: “If I can hold [tomorrow 10–12], does that help, or would [today 4–6] be better?”
• If still pushing for price: “Most fixes land between [$A–$B] once we see it, but we won’t know until we test on site. Want me to reserve the [10–12] window?”

Warranty/Manufacturer Call (may be non‑revenue):

• Clarify scope: “Is this under a manufacturer or home‑warranty plan? I’ll check what’s covered.”
• Policy explain: “We’ll diagnose and document what failed. If coverage applies, we’ll process it; if not, we’ll give you options and costs before any work.”
• Book or route per policy; if non‑revenue, tag the correct warranty disposition.

Arrival windows (honest):

• “Our route is dynamic. Your window is [2 hours]. The tech will call on the way. If timing shifts, we’ll text immediately.”

Deposit to hold (when your policy requires it):

• “Because that slot blocks a crew for [X] hours, we take a [$$ or %] deposit to hold it. I’ll send a secure request now and confirm once it’s set.”

What “good” sounds like is teachable. Score calls the same way every day.

QA scoring — Core Four (0–2 each):

• Build relationship: warm tone, uses name, empathy without over‑apology.
• Create value: explains the visit and what the customer gets.
• Understand need: clarifies symptoms, location, access, and urgency.
• Ask for commitment: offers a concrete time window and asks directly.

Compliance checks (0–1 each):

• Contact info and address complete; lead source captured.
• Disposition accurate (booked with window; or precise no‑book reason).
• Notes are clear and searchable; membership eligibility noted if relevant.

Booking‑rate math you can trust:

• Booking rate = Booked appointments ÷ Bookable inbound calls.
• Exclude from denominator: duplicates, wrong numbers, vendor/parts, out‑of‑area, warranty/non‑revenue routed elsewhere, spam, and cancellations/reschedules of existing jobs. Align your dispositions to these.

Standard disposition set (start here; edit to fit):

• Booked — Repair/Service; Booked — Estimate/Sales;
• No‑book — Price over phone only; No‑book — Schedule conflict; No‑book — Fee declined;
• Not bookable — Wrong #/Spam; Not bookable — Vendor/Parts; Not bookable — Out of area; Not bookable — Warranty transfer.

Targets (separate by source):

• First‑party urgent service calls: aim for 60–80%+; trained teams can hit 85%+.
• Third‑party/marketplaces: much lower; track separately and cap spend until CSR scoreboard improves.

Your CRM/phone stack already shows what you need. Set it up once; check it daily.

ServiceTitan (CSR Metrics + scorecards):

1. Dashboard > CSR Metrics: watch Booking Rate, Answered Calls, and Average Handle. Drill into Agent Scorecards by CSR.
2. Correct misclassified calls so booking math is honest (Understand Call Classifications). Configure call reasons so long calls don’t auto‑count as leads by default.
3. Weekly: export CSR Metrics for the scoreboard. Review outliers and fix bad dispositions.
4. Member mention + deposit + windows: use native Memberships to note eligibility during booking; set honest arrival windows in the appointment; if taking a deposit, collect it as a prepayment on the job/invoice per your policy and note it in the confirmation.

Housecall Pro (Voice):

1. Settings > Voice > Call reasons: add the standard dispositions above. Enable missed‑call automations (text/callback) and confirm call recording per policy.
2. Voice > Overview/Call Log: filter to inbound answered to compute booking rate; use call reasons for precise no‑book tracking. Review voicemails and answer times.
3. Weekly: pull counts by reason; post the CSR scoreboard.

Jobber (Lead attribution; booking approximation):

1. Reports > Lead Source: confirm sources are clean. Turn on Online Booking with GA4 and ensure UTMs auto‑capture from your forms.
2. Compute booking by source using Leads/Quotes → Jobs created (and track phone bookings via your telephony). Note: Jobber doesn’t natively show call answer time or call‑level dispositions — use your phone system for that.
3. Weekly: compare first‑party vs paid sources; set different targets and coach accordingly.

Make coaching a habit and tie small money to team outcomes.

Daily/weekly coaching loop:

• 10‑minute huddle every morning: yesterday’s booking rate by CSR, one behavior focus, one script line to practice.
• Review 3 recordings/day: 2 chosen by you, 1 self‑pick. Score on the QA rubric; agree one improvement.
• Scoreboard on the wall: post Booking Rate, Booked count, Top 3 no‑book reasons, and Answer time (if you have it). Update Fridays.

Retrain vs replace:

• Retrain if the CSR shows progress on QA scores and disposition accuracy within 10 business days.
• Replace if they resist call control, won’t ask for commitment, or falsify dispositions.

Simple comp plan (example — adjust to your market):

• Base hourly anchored to local rates (national median CSR wage was ~$20.59/hr in May 2024; check current local data).
• Team bonus, paid monthly, tied to booked revenue or team booking rate band. Example: +$150 at ≥70% first‑party booking; +$250 at ≥80%.

One question for this week:

• “If you listened to three CSR calls today, which single behavior — asking for commitment, value framing, or next‑step clarity — would you coach tomorrow?”