Taking Payments in the Field: Card Readers, Fees and Getting Paid Faster
How service businesses take card and bank payments on site: the options, what the fees mean, security basics, surcharging rules and habits that cut late payments.
Field Service Editorial
Trade School vs. Apprenticeship: Which Route Into the Trades Is Right for You?
Compare trade school and apprenticeship as routes into HVAC, electrical and plumbing careers: cost, time, pay while training, licensing and how to choose between them.
How to Deal with Difficult Customers as a Field Technician
Practical ways for field technicians to handle angry, anxious or demanding customers: what to say, what to avoid, when to involve the office and when to leave.
How to Get More Customer Reviews for Your Service Business
A practical, rule-abiding way for service businesses to earn more customer reviews: when to ask, what to say, how to respond, and what the FTC and platforms prohibit.
Wire Gauge and Ampacity Basics for Technicians
How wire gauge relates to the current a conductor can carry: AWG sizes, common breaker pairings, what changes ampacity, and how to read an HVAC nameplate.
On-Call Pay for Technicians: How It Works and What to Ask
How on-call pay works for service technicians: when waiting time counts as hours worked, common pay arrangements, how stipends affect overtime and what to ask an employer.
Texting Customers: Appointment Reminders, On-the-Way Messages and Consent
Text messages cut no-shows and keep customers informed. Which messages to send, how to word them, and the consent and opt-out rules a service business has to follow.
HVAC vs. Electrician vs. Plumber: Comparing the Three Big Service Trades
A side-by-side comparison of HVAC, electrical and plumbing careers: pay, job growth, training time, licensing and what the daily work is like in each trade.
PPE for Field Technicians: What to Wear and When
A practical guide to personal protective equipment for service technicians: eye, hand, hearing, respiratory, foot and head protection, and who pays for it.
Close Rate: How to Measure and Improve the Share of Quotes You Win
Close rate is the share of quotes that become jobs. Learn how to calculate it, what a rate that is too low or too high can mean, and practical ways to improve it.