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You built four options. You laid them all on the table. The customer's eyes went straight to the cheapest one. This episode fixes that. Chris Elmore breaks down why presenting all four options at the same time costs you money on every call — and teaches the top-down method that uses the trust you've already built to guide the customer toward the best solution. He covers the psychology of forced buys, why four options is the right number, and exactly how to build them using the red, yellow, green diagnostic system. You'll also hear two stories you won't forget — a Hot Wheels toothbrush that explains your entire job as a tech, and a gas station on a hill that will change how you present tomorrow morning. You'll learn: Why showing all four options causes customers to anchor on the cheapest The difference between fun buys and forced buys — and why it matters How to build and present your four options from the top down What to do when the customer says no — the LEAP method Why fighting for your recommendation is the most professional thing you can do Full show notes and resources: servextra.com Subscribe & listen: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5DlsGABopPu9Qq9NNhK4hu?si=70c11c4b09aa4dec Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/windshield-time/id1386770507 All episodes: servextra.com/episodes Hosted by Chris Elmore. Got a question? Reach Chris at [email protected]

A lot of technicians think customer resistance starts at the price. Chris Elmore says it starts much earlier. In this episode, Chris uses a vivid analogy to explain what happens when a technician gives a customer bad news without preparing them first. The result is confusion, defensiveness, and the urge to escape... just like someone reacting to an unexpected explosion. The point is not the drama of the analogy. The point is what surprise does to trust. This conversation breaks down why great technicians still lose customers during the presentation phase, and how to prevent that by setting expectations earlier in the call. Chris explains how the right questions create context, how context creates contrast, and how credibility, agenda, and price help settle anxiety before the diagnosis is ever delivered. He also shows why PRESS PLAY is more than structure... it is a way to make the final recommendation feel logical instead of alarming. If you want smoother calls, less pushback, and more trust when it is time to present options, this episode will help you understand what is really happening inside the customer's mind. If this episode hit home, follow, review, and share it with a technician who wants to run smoother calls and build more trust in the home. Windshield Time exists to help techs grow their skills, their confidence, and their careers. JOIN OUR NEXT LIVE PRESS PLAY TRAINING SERIES:  https://www.servextra.com/press-play-training-series/

"What is your job?" Most technicians answer the same way: fix the problem. But that answer reveals something important—many technicians see their role too narrowly. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris explains why professional technicians carry a much larger responsibility when they enter a customer's home. A technician isn't just there to repair equipment. They are responsible for discovering the condition of the system, clearly explaining the solutions, guiding the homeowner's decision, and ultimately delivering work that builds long-term trust. Chris outlines the five responsibilities of a professional technician and explains why technicians who understand these responsibilities become far more effective communicators, advisors, and professionals in the home. For technicians in HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and home services, this episode offers a new way to think about what the job really is. If this episode helped sharpen the way you think about the job, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with a technician who's serious about becoming a true professional. Windshield Time exists for one reason—to help technicians grow their skills, their confidence, and their careers.

If you're a technician who believes your job is to "just fix it," this episode will challenge that mindset. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris Elmore sits down with Joe Bates, owner of Northern Air Plumbing & Heating, to break down what separates average service technicians from true professionals. A technician's job is to diagnose the entire system, tell the story of what's happening, and explain what it takes to make it work the best, last the longest, and be the safest — even if that means replacement. Inside this episode: • Why "just fix it" keeps techs stuck at sixes and sevens • How settling customer anxieties increases trust and closes jobs • Why system diagnosis beats patchwork repairs • How HVAC sales starts with clarity, not pressure • Why professional technicians practice more than they perform • How physical fitness impacts longevity in the trades • Why learning outside the clock separates average techs from leaders If you want to grow as an HVAC technician, plumbing technician, or electrical service professional, this episode lays out what owners actually notice and reward. Because pros don't just fix. They diagnose, communicate, and lead the conversation. If this episode challenged how you show up in the home, follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another technician who wants to move beyond "just fixing it." Windshield Time is for home service professionals who want to master in-home service and sales. Service Excellence Training & Workshops https://www.servextra.com

What does a service business owner actually expect from technicians? In this episode of Windshield Time, Joe Bates, owner of Northern Air Plumbing and Heating, shares the ownership perspective most technicians never hear. This is not theory. It's what ownership sees every day. Payroll. Margins. Reputation. Risk. Joe explains what sets average technicians apart from trusted professionals — and how technicians' behavior directly affects company stability. In this episode: • What Joe Bates expects from his technicians • Why calm presence inside the home matters • How accountability affects profitability • What ownership really means in plumbing and HVAC • How culture starts with standards • Why discipline builds trust with customers If you work in HVAC, plumbing, or electrical service, this episode will change how you think about ownership. If this episode helped you see ownership differently, follow the show and leave a review. Reviews help more technicians and service leaders find Windshield Time. And if you're serious about growing in the trades, send this to someone on your team who needs to understand the bigger picture.

Most service calls don't fail during diagnostics. They fail in the moment after. The inspection is complete. The findings are clear. And then the conversation stalls. In this episode of Windshield Time, we break down why service calls stall after diagnostics and what technicians can do to move the call forward without sounding salesy, awkward, or unsure. This isn't about closing harder. It's about leading the next step. In this episode, you'll learn: Why technicians hesitate after diagnostics The difference between findings and forward motion How hesitation weakens confidence and trust Why customers feel uncertainty in the pause The mistake techs make when they over-explain How clear options move the call forward naturally Why structure beats persuasion What to do immediately after diagnostics are complete If you've ever finished an inspection and thought, "Now what?", this episode shows you exactly what's missing. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

When a service call goes bad, it's rarely because the work was wrong. It's because the conversation wasn't documented. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris Elmore and Matthew Barbosa explain how to document a service call properly and why documentation protects technicians long after the job is done. This episode reframes documentation away from paperwork and toward clarity, protection, and trust, for technicians, customers, and everyone who looks at the job later. In this episode, you'll learn: How to document a service call step by step What "CYA" really means for technicians Why undocumented work might as well not exist How documentation prevents callbacks and blame Why customers forget conversations but remember documentation How green items build credibility alongside red ones Why minimizing language weakens trust How thorough documentation sets up everything that comes next If you want fewer callbacks, stronger trust, and protection after you leave the house, this episode shows why documentation matters. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

Experience is your greatest asset—until it creates your biggest blind spot. In the Season 2 premiere of Windshield Time, Chris Elmore and Matthew Barbosa dismantle the myth that "seasoned pros don't need checklists." If you're relying on your gut to diagnose, you're leaving money, trust, and your reputation on the table. We dive into why the diagnostic checklist isn't about finding the problem—it's about the "Juggernaut Strike": making one undeniable point that secures the sale before you even open your mouth. In this episode, you'll learn: The Routine Trap: How your "automatic" expertise creates invisible blind spots. Troubleshooting vs. Diagnosing: Why finding the fix is only 10% of the job. The "Greens" Strategy: How documenting what isn't broken builds more trust than finding what is. Translation Over Technicality: Using the checklist as a shared language with the customer. The Documentation Premium: Why knowledge has zero value until it's shared with the person paying the bill. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

Most people don't quit on self-improvement. They quietly drift away from it. Not because they don't want change. But because they never built a system to support it. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris and Noel break down why New Year's resolutions fail, why motivation is a terrible strategy, and what real, lasting improvement actually looks like, especially for people in the trades. This isn't hype. It's not "morning routines" or quick hacks. It's about structure. Awareness. And building habits that hold up when life gets busy. In this episode, you'll learn: Why most self-improvement efforts collapse within months The real difference between a resolution and a goal Why personal growth feels harder than work goals How avoidance blocks improvement before it starts Why long-form learning creates depth, not noise How writing and sharing goals changes outcomes Why systems beat motivation every time If you're tired of starting over, this episode will show you what's been missing. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

The holidays change everything. Customers are more patient. Mistakes get forgiven. Standards quietly soften. Then January hits...and all of that disappears. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris Elmore and Noel Tarter break down what technicians experience every year but rarely talk about: the holiday hangover. Not the fun kind. The professional one. You'll learn: Why customer behavior shifts sharply after the holidays How financial stress and overspending show up in service calls Why techs feel more pressure, frustration, and urgency in January How lowered holiday standards create post-season problems Why awareness—not effort—is the key to resetting successfully This episode isn't about pushing harder. It's about understanding the environment you're walking into, so you don't take customer behavior personally, lower your standards, or burn yourself out trying to fight reality. Professionals don't guess. They adjust. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

If the same objections keep showing up, it's not coincidence. It's information. This Windshield Time compilation brings together the most replayed conversations on objection handling — not because they're clever, but because they reveal the same mistakes happening over and over in real service calls. Across these moments, one pattern is clear:  Technicians aren't losing trust because they say the wrong thing. They lose trust because they skip steps. In this episode, Chris Elmore breaks down: Why objections repeat when something wasn't understood How jumping to solutions creates resistance later Why price objections are rarely about price How assumptions damage credibility instantly Why objections are diagnostic clues, not pushback How LEAP works when pressure shows up Objections aren't rejection. They're signals that something hasn't been connected yet. This episode puts the full picture together — so you can stop reacting to objections and start preventing them. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

Technicians aren't losing deals because they lack answers. They lose trust because they solve problems too early. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris Elmore and Noel Tarter reframe objection handling through a mindset every great technician already understands: diagnostics. An objection isn't resistance. It's a signal that something hasn't been understood yet. This conversation breaks down: Why objections point to missing information, not rejection How jumping straight to solutions creates pushback Why slowing down builds authority instead of losing momentum How LEAP works as a troubleshooting process for people The difference between pressure and professional confidence When your process is sound, persuasion isn't something you force. It's something that follows clarity. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

The holidays don't just change schedules...they change mindsets, customer behavior, and the entire rhythm of the trades. And most techs don't realize how much the season is influencing their decisions… until it costs them. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris and Brandon break down the psychological pressure of November–December and how it quietly causes techs to slip: cutting corners, assuming customers won't buy, projecting their own holiday stress, and mistaking emotion for emergency. This is not a "holiday tips" episode. It's a psychology-of-the-season masterclass for every tech, manager, and owner. Inside you'll learn: Why techs unknowingly lower their standards during the holidays How old memories, family routines, and financial stress shape job performance The holiday complacency trap: attire, parking, shortcuts, skipping steps Why "nobody spends money in December" is a myth—and a dangerous one How customer emotions heighten urgency, objections, and irrational decisions Why defining "real emergencies" protects tech morale (and company sanity) Tactical ways managers can set expectations before the season hits How awareness + process = professionalism—even under pressure This episode helps you keep your edge when emotions, expectations, and urgency are at their highest. Because the holidays don't change the job…They change the people doing the job. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

Most technicians think customers push back because of the price. But the truth is simpler: Customers push back because they don't understand the problem. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris Elmore and Brandon Cockrell break down the "value gap" — the space between what the technician knows and what the homeowner understands. When techs jump from "Here's what's wrong" straight to "Here's how we fix it," the customer is forced to make a decision without clarity… and that creates objections every single time. You'll learn how to fill the value gap using the FAB model (Features–Advantages–Benefits), how to explain the old part before recommending the new one, and how to translate technical language into real-world meaning the customer can trust. This episode shows you exactly how to build value before the price — so the price finally makes sense. Inside This Episode: Why unspoken questions turn into future objections How mixed signals from homeowners mislead techs The psychology of explaining the old item before the new one How FAB automatically creates understanding and trust Why technical jargon kills confidence How to slow down, explain clearly, and close calmly The real reason skipping steps forces you to backtrack When you fill the value gap early, trust rises, objections fall, and approvals become natural. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.  

Technicians don't lose the call because of price. They lose it because they solve too fast. In this episode of Windshield Time, Chris Elmore and Brandon Cockrell break down why techs jump straight to the fix — and why that instinct backfires with homeowners. When you skip LEAP (Listen, Empathize, Ask Questions, Problem Solve), you end up negotiating, apologizing, discounting… and sometimes even offending the customer. Chris shares the story of getting thrown out of a house for offering financing too quickly — and how to avoid the same mistake. You'll learn: Why "pushing the fix" sounds like begging How LEAP keeps you on the same side of the table The locomotive analogy: your customer hasn't left the station yet Why offering financing too early can blow up in your face How cognitive biases shape every objection How to diagnose people the same way you diagnose systems How to lower the customer's wall instead of trying to remove it This is the communication playbook every technician needs. Slow down, LEAP first, and watch your close rate go up. 📥 Download the FREE Objection Handling Playbook — loaded with scripts and strategies to help techs close more calls: https://www.servextra.com/objection-handling-playbook-download/ FOLLOW + REVIEW Enjoyed this episode? Follow us and leave us a review. Then share it with a teammate who needs to hear it.