The same system. A different setup interview, trade by trade.

“When the AC dies at 9pm in August, what actually happens, who answers, what's the after-hours fee, and how fast can someone be there?”

After-hours emergency response is the biggest differentiator and pricing question in this trade.

“Do you sell a maintenance plan (tune-ups, priority scheduling)? What's in it and what does it cost?”

Recurring revenue changes what the assistant should pitch on every call.

“Burst pipe at midnight: do you answer, what’s the emergency call-out fee, and what should a caller do before you arrive?”

The shut-off-the-water coaching moment is where a plumber wins or loses trust.

“Do you do camera inspections / hydro-jetting, and how do you price a mystery clog, flat or after inspection?”

Diagnostic pricing is the most common phone question in the trade.

“What symptoms make you tell a caller to flip the breaker and wait, burning smell, warm panel, flickering? Your exact triage rules.”

An assistant giving electrical advice must know exactly where advice stops and hands-off begins.

“After a storm: tarping first or inspection first, do you help with the insurance claim, and what's the typical wait when everyone calls at once?”

Storm mode is when every roofer's phone melts, triage rules matter most then.

“Weekly/bi-weekly service: how are routes scheduled, what happens on rain days, and how does a new customer get onto a route?”

Route-based recurring service is a different booking model than one-off jobs.

“What do you do when the caller has BEES, treat, refuse, or refer to a live-removal beekeeper?”

Bees are legally and reputationally different; many companies refer them out.

“Quarterly plans: what's covered, what costs extra, and what triggers a free re-service?”

The re-service promise is the most-asked follow-up question.

“Green pool call: flat recovery price or per-visit until clear? And what's included in weekly service, chemicals or labor only?”

Green-pool recovery and chemicals-included are the two questions every caller asks.

“Diagnostic fee: how much, and does it roll into the repair if they proceed? OEM, aftermarket, or customer-supplied parts?”

Diag-fee-rolls-in and parts policy decide whether a caller books or hangs up.

“Which insurances are in-network, what happens out-of-network, and is there a membership plan for the uninsured?”

Insurance is the first question in nearly every dental call; HIPAA also means the assistant never discusses treatment details.

“Which treatments need an in-person consult before booking, and which can be booked straight in? Any medical screening questions?”

Booking a treatment that legally needs a consult first is a compliance mess.

“Reservations or walk-ins only, how do big-party bookings work, and do you do catering or private events?”

Reservation policy and catering are most of what the phone rings about.

“Which rooms and food or drink stations do you operate, and which ones are actually open on a normal show night?”

A venue needs a separate operating picture for each room and service point, not one generic bar.

“Walk me through a normal event from setup through close: when do you prepare, open service, handle intermission, call last call, and finish?”

The assistant must follow the venue's actual show rhythm instead of inventing service times.

“What do you sell at each station today, and who approves a menu change, a special, or a show-specific cocktail?”

Menu and cocktail work must use the approved stock and authority, never a guessed offering.

“Who are the people who open, close, count cash, manage a station, and approve an exception when you are not there?”

Clear roles let the system route a real issue to the right person instead of assuming authority.

“How do you set par levels, count stock, place orders, and handle a shortage before doors? Which vendors or systems are involved?”

Inventory reminders only help when they reflect the venue’s own count and ordering process.

“Which point-of-sale system do you use, and what reports or closeout steps must be completed after each event?”

A closeout checklist cannot name a report or system until the venue confirms it.

“What is your approved rule for starting banks, two-person counts, drawer variances, deposits, and who gets notified?”

Cash controls are operational facts that must be confirmed by ownership, never guessed.

“What food safety, alcohol-service, guest allergy, incident, or security situation must staff stop and escalate immediately, and to whom?”

The assistant needs the venue's actual escalation boundary before it can safely guide a live shift.

“Booking by stylist or first-available? Deposit or cancellation fee for no-shows? Walk-ins?”

Per-stylist booking and no-show policy are the whole scheduling model.

“Pricing by vent count, system, or square footage, and what moves the number (two storeys, flex duct, dryer-vent add-on)?”

This trade has a bait-and-switch reputation; a precise honest quote is the differentiator.

“Who pulls permits and books inspections, you or someone else, and which trades do you sub out versus keep in-house?”

A caller asking where their job stands is asking about a permit, an inspection or a sub; the assistant has to know whose move it is.

“Residential, commercial or both, and what is the smallest job you will take, and the largest?”

A remodel lead and a tenant build-out are different conversations, and a job under your minimum should be turned away politely, not booked.