Joe Marchese

How important is the service ticket? It depends on who you ask. If you were to ask a service technician, he may not see it as being important. But, if you were to ask a contractor or his or her customers, it is very important. The service ticket is the written documentation of what was done on the repair job. A technician may not see the importance of this document, but they should. It can be an accurate reflection of him and his work.

Many supervisors, managers, and business owners will critique their technicians by reviewing the service tickets they submit. If the description of the repair is not clear or doesn’t make sense, the technician may be viewed as being incompetent. This may not be true, but may be the image presented by a poorly written service ticket. And yes, penmanship and grammar do count. If the service ticket is sloppy or unreadable, it reflects negatively on the technician’s abilities.

Customers viewing the service ticket will not only judge the technician, but also their company. A well-written service ticket will present a professional image to the customer. A poorly written service ticket may leave the customer with doubts about the company and the technician.

A well-written service ticket will clearly describe the repair. This is an important part of this document. If the equipment fails within the warranty period, both the contractor and the customer will review the service ticket. If it is unclear or does not properly describe the repair, it can lead to a dispute over the warranty claim. A well-written service ticket can prevent these disputes. So, make sure when completing the document that it is clear and legible with a detailed description of the repair.

It is also a good idea to go over the service ticket with customers and make sure they understand what was written. If there are any recommendations for future repairs or concerns, make sure they are listed on the service ticket so the customer is aware of additional work that should be done. This will also help avoid any future misunderstandings.

Some service tickets will have a list of items that were checked, such as the system’s suction and discharge pressures, suction and liquid temperatures, compressor amperage, condition of the evaporator and condenser, etc. Listing these values on the service ticket is a good verification the equipment is operating properly. The customer may not understand the values, but your manager or supervisor will, and it will allow them to verify you have done your job properly. Recording these values also serves as a good reference for future repairs. If needed, a technician can compare the current operating conditions to the recorded values on a future repair.

So, the next time you complete a service ticket, remember the importance of this document. Take your time to complete it legibly with an accurate description of the work performed. It will go a long way in building your value with your company and its customers.

Publication date: 6/2/2014 

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