When a homeowner calls for help with a broken air conditioner, a leaking pipe, or a heating system that has stopped working, they want one thing: to get the problem fixed as quickly as possible. But for many home service companies, the process of getting help can take longer than customers expect. Before booking an appointment, homeowners may need to answer several questions, explain what went wrong, and provide details about their home.
While these questions help contractors prepare for the job, they can also make a simple service request feel like a long task. For families looking for emergency AC repair in Dallas or other urgent home services, every extra minute can add to their frustration.
Josh Campbell, Founder of Rescue Air and Plumbing, understands both sides of this challenge. As a third-generation mechanical contractor who has spent his life in the trades, Josh knows why companies need accurate customer information. His business provides heating, cooling, and plumbing services in North Texas, where helping homeowners quickly is an important part of the customer experience. Yet Josh sees a growing problem across the industry. As contractors look for more information to run their businesses, homeowners want to spend less time giving it. That gap is making the first step of getting service harder than it needs to be.
This growing challenge became a key part of a PowerChat conversation hosted by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, where Josh shared his views on changing customer needs and why contractors must rethink how they respond to homeowners.
As Josh explained, “we’re looking for more data and people want to give less of their time.”
His point raises an important question for business leaders: How can contractors collect the information they need without making customers spend more time than they want to?
The conversation explored how faster responses, better use of technology, and more ways to book service can help close that gap.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Through conversations with experienced leaders like Josh, the platform shares lessons that help contractors understand changing customer needs and find better ways to serve them.
Josh’s message points to a shift that home service companies cannot afford to ignore. Homeowners are not asking for more steps, longer calls, or harder booking processes. They want to explain their problem, get the help they need, and move on with their day. For contractors, the real challenge is no longer just collecting more information. It is finding ways to get that information while making the customer’s experience faster and easier.
During his PowerChat with Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, Josh Campbell, Founder of Rescue Air and Plumbing, raised an important concern about how home service companies deal with customers. Contractors want to know more about the people calling them, but homeowners want to spend less time asking for help. Josh believes this gap will keep growing as companies seek more customer information and people expect quicker service. His experience shows why business leaders must think beyond how they answer calls and focus on how easily a homeowner can get from having a problem to booking someone who can fix it. The conversation explored how simpler booking steps, more ways to reach a company, and better use of technology can help contractors meet their own needs without asking too much of the customer.
Josh Campbell, Founder of Rescue Air and Plumbing
Every service call begins with a need. A homeowner wants something fixed, while the contractor needs to understand enough about the problem to send the right person. Both sides have a reason for what they want, but Josh believes those needs are becoming harder to balance.
For contractors, gathering customer information is an important part of running the business. They need to know where the homeowner lives, what problem they are facing, and what kind of service they may need. These details help the company plan appointments, prepare technicians, and keep track of customer needs. As businesses grow, they may also want more information to improve their marketing, understand buying habits, and serve customers better in the future.
But homeowners do not always see the value of every question. A homeowner searching for AC repair may have a hot house, an uncomfortable family, and other things demanding their attention. They want to know whether someone can come fix the problem and how soon they can expect help.
That difference is what Josh sees becoming a bigger challenge across the industry.
“We’re looking for more data and people want to give less of their time,” Josh explained.
His point reveals how easily a business can become focused on what it needs while losing sight of what the customer came for. A question that seems useful to the company may feel like another delay to a homeowner who simply wants to book service.
Josh also believes this problem will continue to grow. Contractors will keep looking for better ways to understand customers and improve their operations. At the same time, homeowners will continue expecting quicker answers and shorter conversations.
The challenge for business leaders is to decide which information matters most during that first contact. A homeowner should not have to provide every detail about their home or service history before the company can help them take the next step.
A better process respects both sides. It gives contractors the information they need to begin helping while allowing customers to move forward without spending more time than necessary.
For Josh, understanding that balance is becoming an important part of delivering good service.
The challenge Josh describes goes beyond the number of questions a company asks. It also involves how those questions affect the homeowner’s experience.
Think about a customer who calls because a pipe has started leaking. They may already feel stressed about possible damage to their home. If getting an appointment means waiting on hold, answering a long list of questions, or explaining the same issue to different people, the process can become another source of frustration.
Josh sees this as a growing problem between businesses and the people they serve.
“There’s more friction in the encounter,” he explained.
That friction is anything that makes it harder for a customer to complete what they came to do. It might be a long wait, an unclear booking process, or several steps that do not seem connected to solving the problem.
For a homeowner, those small delays can matter. The customer may have several local contractors to choose from. If one company makes it difficult to request service, they may decide to contact another business that offers a simpler process.
This creates a risk that contractors may not always see. A company could have a great team ready to help, but the homeowner may never reach that team if booking the appointment feels too difficult.
Josh’s observation encourages leaders to look at the first customer contact from a different point of view. Rather than asking only whether their team collects the right information, they should also consider how much effort the homeowner must make to provide it.
Some details are essential before a technician can visit. Others may be easier to collect after an appointment has been booked or when the technician arrives.
The goal is not to remove every question or rush through important details. It is to make sure each step has a clear purpose and helps move the customer closer to getting service.
This is especially important for companies that serve homeowners with urgent needs. A person dealing with a broken heater, a backed-up drain, or an AC that will not cool wants clear answers and a simple path forward.
The easier a contractor makes that journey, the less reason the customer has to keep searching for someone else.
Josh’s message gives leaders a reason to pay closer attention to the steps their customers take before booking. Sometimes, improving the experience does not require adding something new. It requires removing what makes the process harder than it should be.
As homeowners become more focused on saving time, the way they choose to contact service companies is also changing.
Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100
Some people still prefer speaking with someone on the phone, especially when they have a question that needs a clear answer. Others would rather send a short message while they are at work, caring for their children, or handling something else.
Josh believes customers increasingly want to finish what they need to do without spending unnecessary time on a call or chat.
He explained that homeowners want to “get off the phone faster” and complete their requests more quickly, no matter which way they contact the business.
That idea became especially clear when Andreas Bouras, Operations Manager at Rescue Air and Plumbing, explained how the company gives customers different ways to request service.
Rather than asking everyone to follow one method, Rescue Air offers the choice of speaking with a real person, using an AI assistant, or communicating through chat.
This gives homeowners more control over how they ask for help.
A customer scheduling routine maintenance may prefer sending a quick message. Someone facing a major plumbing problem may feel more comfortable speaking with a person who can explain the next step.
For homeowners looking for HVAC services, being able to choose how they contact the company can make requesting an appointment easier to fit into their day.
Andreas also shared an interesting observation about how customers were using these options. He estimated that the share of people choosing digital contact, including AI and chat, was roughly equal to the share choosing a real person. He also noticed that returning customers were showing greater interest in chat.
His comments suggest that some homeowners are becoming more comfortable using digital tools for service requests, especially when they already know the company.
What matters most in Josh’s larger message is not whether homeowners choose a person, AI, or chat. It is whether they can get the help they need in a way that feels simple to them.
A contractor may have a preferred way to handle calls, but that does not mean every customer wants to use it. Making people follow one process can add effort to something that should be easy.
By offering different ways to communicate, home service companies can better serve people with different needs and habits.
The lesson for contractors is clear. Giving customers a choice is not just about adding more ways to contact the business. It is about making those options useful, easy to understand, and able to help homeowners take the next step.
Giving customers different ways to reach a business is only part of the answer. Those options must also work well once the homeowner starts asking for help.
This is where Josh sees an important role for technology.
During the PowerChat, Josh explained how Rescue Air had explored several new AI tools as the company looked for better ways to manage different parts of its operations. He saw value in systems that could handle routine customer requests and help the business complete important tasks without depending on someone being available at every moment.
Reflecting on the role AI could play in the call center, he said, “The idea that an AI influence in that world would make a lot of sense.”
The company’s experience with Avoca AI provided an example of that thinking.
Andreas explained that when the company’s call center team cannot answer within three rings, the call moves to Avoca AI. This gives the homeowner another way to continue requesting service instead of waiting for someone to become available.
He also described a change in how the company handles calls outside regular business hours. With earlier answering services, a homeowner might explain the problem but still have to wait until morning for someone to call back and book the appointment.
With the newer system, the company can handle bookings during those calls.
For a homeowner, this can remove an extra step between asking for help and getting an appointment.
But Josh’s larger concern goes beyond whether a system answers quickly. The business still needs to gather useful information without making the homeowner spend more time than necessary.
That means technology must do more than ask questions and save answers. It should help the company understand what the customer needs, guide the booking process, and make the next step clear.
If a homeowner uses chat to describe an issue but then must repeat the same details during a phone call, the business has added another step instead of making things easier.
The same is true when a company introduces new tools but fails to connect them to how its team works.
For contractors, the real value comes from using technology in a way that supports the whole customer journey. The information gathered should help the service team prepare, while the process should remain simple for the homeowner.
Josh’s experience shows why business owners need to judge technology by the problems it solves rather than how advanced it looks.
The best tools should make the company’s work easier while also giving customers a faster path to the service they need.
Josh believes the growing demand for faster service is not a short-term trend that contractors can ignore. He expects homeowners to keep wanting more convenience while businesses continue looking for more information.
That puts an important choice in front of home service leaders.
They can continue using the same processes and hope customers remain patient, or they can look closely at how their businesses operate and find better ways to meet changing needs.
For Josh, being willing to change is already part of how he approaches business.
He shared that Rescue Air had adopted ServiceTitan early in the company’s growth. The business also explored other AI tools as new technology became available.
But his experience taught him that trying something new is not enough. A company must also be ready to use it properly.
“I would say embrace more stuff implemented at a really high level,” Josh shared while discussing how contractors should prepare for a tougher market.
That message is especially important when it comes to customer service.
A contractor may invest in new software, build an online booking system, or add more ways for homeowners to contact the company. But those changes only matter if they make it easier for customers to receive help.
Business owners must understand where people get stuck, what questions take too long to answer, and whether their teams can use the new systems well.
Josh also warned that the home service industry would face more pressure from rising costs and a difficult economy. His view was that stronger business operations and smart use of technology could help contractors face those challenges.
That same thinking applies to how companies serve homeowners.
For a business, making it easier for customers to request an estimate, ask questions, and understand the next step can help create a better buying experience.
Homeowners making major purchases often need information before they feel ready to move forward. The company still needs to explain its services and understand the customer’s needs, but it should not make that process more difficult than necessary.
As competition grows, businesses that make customers feel heard and respected have a chance to stand out.
This is where Josh’s message becomes a larger lesson about leadership.
Great contractors do not simply focus on how efficiently their own teams work. They also think about how easy it is for customers to do business with them.
A company may collect useful information, run detailed reports, and invest in better systems. But if the homeowner leaves the first conversation feeling frustrated, something important is still missing.
Josh’s perspective challenges leaders to measure progress by more than the amount of data they collect or the number of tools they use. They must also consider whether the customer can reach the right person, receive a clear answer, and book service without unnecessary effort.
The contractors who learn to balance those needs will be better placed to serve homeowners as expectations continue to change.
For Josh Campbell, Founder of Rescue Air and Plumbing, one of the biggest lessons for home service leaders is that customers do not judge a company by how much technology it uses or how much information it collects. They remember how easy it was to get help when they needed it. Behind every service request is a homeowner trying to solve a problem and get back to their day. When a company understands that, it begins to see customer service as more than just answering calls and booking appointments.
Rescue Air and Plumbing
Josh’s perspective points to an important change in how contractors should think about their businesses. The company still needs good information to serve homeowners well, but collecting that information should not become another problem for the customer. The real opportunity lies in building better ways to work behind the scenes so that getting help feels simple from the moment someone reaches out.
Technology can play an important role in making that happen, but it cannot replace good leadership. Business owners must still understand their customers, support their teams, and make sure every new tool serves a clear purpose. As homeowners expect more convenience and the market becomes harder to compete in, these choices will help shape which companies people continue to trust.
The future of home services will not depend only on who has the most advanced systems or the largest team. It will also depend on which companies make people feel that their time matters. For Josh, that means building a business that does the hard work behind the scenes so homeowners do not have to. Because when contractors ask more of their systems and less of their customers, they create something more valuable than a faster appointment. They give people a reason to trust them, return to them, and choose them again.
Power100 brings real business owners into its PowerChat conversations so they can share what they have experienced while using industry tools and services. Rather than relying only on what technology companies say about their products, PowerChat gives its customers a voice. During the discussion with Josh Campbell, Founder of Rescue Air and Plumbing, Greg Cummings also spoke with Avoca AI Founder Tyson Chen and Rescue Air Operations Manager Andreas Bouras. This gave home service leaders a chance to hear how the technology worked in a real business, what problems it helped address, and what contractors should consider before making similar changes.
Power100 began with a focus on recognizing great CEOs in exterior remodeling, but its leadership conversations also share lessons that matter across the wider home improvement and home services industry. Through PowerChat, CEO Greg Cummings speaks with business owners, industry partners, and service leaders about customer experience, technology, operations, and growth. Leaders in HVAC, plumbing, roofing, windows, and other trades often face similar business challenges. Featuring Josh Campbell helps contractors learn how another business approaches changing customer needs and builds better ways to serve homeowners.
HVAC and plumbing contractors in Dallas need basic details to understand the problem and plan the right service. They may ask for the homeowner’s address, contact information, type of problem, and preferred appointment time. These details help the company prepare for the visit. However, Josh Campbell believes businesses must avoid asking for more information than they need during the first contact. His message is that contractors should collect the most important details first, then gather other information when necessary. This helps homeowners request service without spending too much time answering questions.
No. More questions can give a contractor useful information, but they can also make the booking service harder for the homeowner. Josh Campbell explained that companies want more customer data while homeowners want faster answers. Asking too many questions before confirming an appointment can create delays and frustration. Contractors should focus on what they need to understand the problem, check the service area, and arrange the visit. They can collect other details later when appropriate. A good home service booking process helps the company prepare without wasting the customer’s time.
No. The Rescue Air and Plumbing contact page explains that a team member will contact the homeowner to confirm details or answer questions after receiving a request. Homeowners can use the form to explain what they need, but they should not treat submitting it as a confirmed appointment. This is an important difference for anyone seeking AC repair or plumbing service in Dallas. Customers who need urgent help can call (972) 201-3253 to speak with the company directly and discuss available service options.
Rescue Air and Plumbing offers same-day service when appointments are available, along with 24/7 service availability for urgent needs. However, homeowners should not assume that every request guarantees a technician will arrive that day. Availability can depend on the location, the type of problem, and the company’s schedule. Homeowners seeking same-day AC repair in Dallas or nearby communities can call (972) 201-3253 to explain the problem and ask about the earliest available appointment. The company serves Dallas, Richardson, Plano, Frisco, and other North Texas communities.
Yes. Rescue Air and Plumbing offers free estimates and second opinions for HVAC system installations and replacements. This gives homeowners a chance to understand their options before making a major purchase. Someone considering AC replacement in Dallas can ask the company to review the proposed replacement and explain possible next steps. Rescue Air also offers free estimates for eligible water heater replacements and whole-home filtration systems. These offers apply to installations and replacements, not every repair visit. Customers should confirm the terms when requesting service.
Yes. Rescue Air and Plumbing states that it provides upfront pricing so homeowners can understand the proposed cost before work begins. The company also offers free estimates for eligible installations and replacements, and financing options subject to credit approval. This approach helps customers make informed choices instead of feeling rushed into a major repair or replacement. Homeowners looking for heating, cooling, and plumbing services in Dallas-Fort Worth can contact Rescue Air and Plumbing to discuss their needs, ask about pricing, and understand the next steps before approving service.
Power100 is the only unbiased third-party platform that recognizes and elevates the top leaders and most impactful companies in the home improvement industry. Led by Greg Cummings, CEO of Power100, the platform works to give outstanding business leaders the recognition, support, and visibility they deserve. Through national CEO rankings, PowerChat interviews, industry insights, and trusted partnerships, Power100 shares real experiences and practical lessons that help contractors improve their businesses, better serve homeowners, and prepare for the future. Its mission is to become the leading outside resource for the best home improvement CEOs in the country while raising the standard of leadership, customer trust, and service across the industry.
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Power100 is the nation's premier CEO ranking and media platform for the home improvement industry. Using a proprietary 5-layer evaluation system, Power100 identifies and celebrates the top CEOs, companies, and strategic partners driving innovation, customer satisfaction, and leadership excellence across the country.
