Chimney service customer service representative job description
A chimney service customer service representative books sweeps and inspections, often months before the first cold night, and tells callers simply what each inspection covers. They never guess at a repair price before a technician has looked, and on a chimney fire call they tell the caller to call 911.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, building services companies · BLS, May 2025
Chimney & Fireplace Services - Customer Service Representative
Company Name:
[INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE]
Department:
Operations
Reports to:
[Office Manager]
Location:
[INSERT LOCATION HERE]
1. Position Summary
The Customer Service Representative (CSR) plays a crucial role in ensuring high customer satisfaction by providing timely and courteous service. The CSR is responsible for answering client inquiries, scheduling service visits, and handling follow-ups. This role contributes to the company's success by ensuring smooth operations and customer relationships.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Schedule and confirm service appointments.
Answer customer inquiries via phone, email, and in-person.
Handle customer complaints and resolve them promptly.
Follow up with customers after service to ensure satisfaction.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Answering and redirecting customer calls.
Managing customer inquiries about services and pricing.
Handling customer complaints and providing appropriate solutions.
Scheduling service visits and follow-ups.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Customer Satisfaction Rating: >4.8 stars.
Average Call Handling Time: <5 minutes.
Follow-up Completion: 100% within 24 hours.
Customer Retention Rate: >80%.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
High School Diploma or equivalent.
At least 2 years of experience in a customer service role.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Proficiency in CRM software and MS Office.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the home services industry, particularly with chimney and fireplace services.
Experience in handling inbound and outbound calls.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to sit for extended periods.
Ability to operate standard office equipment.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday.
Some weekend and evening hours may be required during peak season.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Hourly rate of $15-20, commensurate with experience.
Health, dental, and vision insurance.
401k plan with company match.
Paid time off and holidays.
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we believe that our success is rooted in our commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement. We foster an inclusive and growth-oriented environment, where every team member's contribution is valued.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
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Callers want a sweep before the first fire, a clear answer about which inspection they need, and a price for a repair nobody has seen. A few call while their chimney is on fire.
Fall gets booked in summer
Calls spike once nights turn cold, when the fall calendar has little room left. A good CSR works the other way. In summer they call and text last year's customers to book a fall sweep, fill spring and summer days with inspections and repair work, and give new callers the real first opening instead of a hopeful one.
Inspection levels in plain words
Callers hear "Level 1" and "Level 2" and don't know which to ask for. In CSIA's terms, a Level 1 comes with a routine sweep when nothing about the chimney is changing, and it covers the parts that are easy to reach without tools or ladders. A Level 2 adds a camera run through the flue and a look from the roof, attic, basement and crawl space. It takes longer, and the customer should clear the way to those spaces. Source: CSIA standard operating procedure: Level 2 inspection of a masonry chimney.
No repair price before someone looks
Callers ask what a new liner or crown costs. A liner's price turns on the flue's size and height and on what the camera finds, and a crown's on the brick underneath, so nobody can say until the chimney is inspected. The CSR quotes the set sweep and inspection prices and explains that any repair comes later as a written proposal with photos. A low guess sets up an angry customer; a high one scares off a fair job.
Chimney fire calls go to 911 first
CSIA describes an active chimney fire as loud cracking and popping, a lot of dense smoke and an intense, hot smell. Some homeowners hear a low rumble like a freight train, and flames or smoke may shoot from the top. CSIA calls it extremely dangerous and says to call 911 immediately. So the script is short: hang up and call 911 now. The follow-up inspection gets booked after firefighters have left. Source: CSIA: Preventing chimney fires (signs of a chimney fire).
Smoke in the room isn't always a fire
Some calls are about smoke, not flames: a fireplace that smokes when lit, or smoke drifting out of a second fireplace downstairs. CSIA says the second case is common in tight houses, where the fire in use pulls air down the unused chimney. Book an inspection and note when it happens. If a carbon monoxide alarm is going off, the caller needs to leave the house; Oregon's fire marshal, as one example, says to move everyone into fresh air and phone 911 once outside. Source: CSIA: Homeowner resources (smoke from an unused fireplace).
How much chimney service customer service representatives make
Customer service representatives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $20.25 an hour ($42,130 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $44,770 median for customer service representatives in all industries. About 12,680 of the 2,595,750 customer service representatives in that survey work for building services companies.
Hourly pay in the template, plus fall overtime. Any bonus should reward sweeps and inspections booked and kept, never repairs sold, so the phones stay out of repair sales.
Building services companies
$42,130$42,130 median Middle half $36,770–$47,500 10th–90th $33,810–$57,320
All industries
$44,770$44,770 median Middle half $36,870–$51,780 10th–90th $31,750–$63,590
$20k$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
Building services companies
$33,810
$36,770
$42,130
$47,500
$57,320
All industries
$31,750
$36,870
$44,770
$51,780
$63,590
BLS doesn’t publish pay for chimney sweeps on their own. These figures cover services to buildings and dwellings, which include them. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Explains a Level 1 and a Level 2 in plain words without reading a script
Says "we price that after we look" and still books the visit
Follows the chimney fire script word for word
Takes notes a technician can use: fuel, appliance, stories, roof and last sweep
Keeps promised callbacks during the fall rush
Teach these on the job
Parts of a chimney: flue, liner, crown, cap, damper, smoke chamber
Your sweep and inspection prices and what each includes
Your field software and reminder texts
The towns each branch and crew covers
How proposals and deposits work after a repair is found
Bookings go into field service software that sends reminder texts and shows each home's past reports, including the last sweep date and what it found. Keep the chimney fire script printed beside every phone as well as in the software.
Chimney service customer service representative interview questions
Two of the 6 questions we'd ask, and what a strong answer sounds like. Ask every candidate the same questions, and rate each answer on your own before you compare notes.
Situational · Handling a chimney fire call
A caller says their chimney is roaring, there's smoke in the room and sparks are coming out the top. What do you tell them?
A strong answer: Tells them to get everyone out and call 911 now, then follows up later to book an inspection. Doesn't try to schedule while the fire is happening.
Behavioral · Handling trust complaints
Tell me about a time a customer called angry because they felt a technician had used scare talk to sell a repair. How did you handle the call?
A strong answer: Listened without arguing or blaming the coworker, got the facts and any photos or video, set a callback with a manager by a clear time and followed up.
Chimney service customer service representative KPIs
Your call logs set the targets. Grade a July only against last July, since summer and October phone queues have little in common.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Give the post-visit survey one question about the phone call alone, so opinions of the sweep don't swamp it. Chart that answer for each CSR every month.
Average Call Handling Time
The phone system reports minutes per call, notes included. Read it next to booking accuracy, because a quick call that skips the appliance or roof notes costs a technician time later.
Follow-up Completion
Follow-ups made inside the template's window, out of all due: post-sweep check-ins, questions about proposals and voicemails. Log each one in the customer's record.
Customer Retention Rate
Of the homes swept last year, how many booked again this year? Run that report from the field software in spring and again after the fall rush.
Career path
Customer service representativeBooks sweeps, explains inspection levels and keeps fall callbacks moving.
DispatcherTurns the booked calendar into each crew's day.
Rehash specialistFollows up with customers who haven't decided on a repair proposal.
Office managerLeads the CSRs and keeps reports, permits and bills on file.
Other roles in a chimney & fireplace services business
Chimney service customer service representative FAQ
Is it the CSR's place to say a chimney is safe to use?
No. That takes a technician on site. The CSR can repeat what the company tells every caller, such as holding off on fires after a chimney fire until the chimney has been inspected, and then book the visit. Anything beyond that goes to a technician or manager, and the CSR notes what was said in the customer's record.
How much does a chimney service customer service representative make?
Customer service representatives who work for building and home services companies earned a median of $20.25 an hour ($42,130 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $36,770 and $47,500 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What should a chimney CSR ask before booking?
What burns in it: an open fireplace, an insert, a wood or pellet stove, gas logs or a furnace. The last sweep date, the height of the house, how steep the roof is and whether there's a cap. Any smell, smoke or water problem. Whether the home is being sold, and if so, the closing date. Those answers set the job's length and the crew.
Should a new CSR ride along on a sweep?
Yes, early. One morning on a sweep and one Level 2 teaches more than a week of reading: what a smoke chamber is, why the camera matters, and why a steep roof turns a short job into a long one. CSRs who have seen the work explain it better and write better booking notes.
Who calls customers about a repair the technician found?
The technician presents the finding and the written proposal on site. Pick one person for the follow-up call, from the phones, rehash or sales, and give them the photos and video. Keep the call about answering questions. Pushing hard after an inspection can make a customer doubt the finding itself.
Customer Service Representative in other industries
