Power Outage Call Script for Electricians

"Thanks for calling [Company Name]. I'm sorry you're dealing with a power issue — let me help you figure out what's going on.

First, let me ask a couple of quick questions to determine if this is something we can fix or if it's a utility company issue:

1. Is the power out in your ENTIRE home, or just part of it?
   [If just part → skip to Partial Outage section]

2. Can you see if your neighbors have power? Are their lights on? Are the streetlights working?

[IF NEIGHBORHOOD IS OUT:]
'OK — it sounds like this is a utility outage affecting your area. Here's what I'd recommend:
- Call [utility company name] at [phone number] to report the outage and get an ETA
- You can usually check their outage map online at [website]

Now, here's the important part: when the rest of your neighborhood gets power back, if YOUR home doesn't come back on, call us right away. That would mean there's an issue on your panel or meter side that we'd need to fix.

Is there anything else I can help with?'

[IF ONLY THEIR HOME:]
'OK, so your neighbors have power but you don't — that means the issue is on your side. Let me walk you through a quick check:

Can you find your main electrical panel? It's usually in the garage, basement, utility room, or on an exterior wall. 

Is the main breaker — the big one at the top — in the ON position? Or has it tripped to the middle or OFF position?

[IF TRIPPED:]
'Try flipping it all the way OFF first, then back to ON. Sometimes after a power surge, the breaker trips and just needs to be reset.'

[Wait]

'Did that restore power? 
- If yes: Great! If it happens again, give us a call — it could indicate an underlying issue.
- If no / if it trips again immediately: That tells us there's likely a short circuit or ground fault. We need to get an electrician out to diagnose it safely. Don't keep trying to reset it.'

I have availability [today/tomorrow]. Our diagnostic fee is [$XX], applied toward any repair. Can I get your name, address, and phone number?"

"So part of your home has power and part doesn't — that's actually helpful to know because it narrows down what's happening.

Can you check your breaker panel? Look for any breakers that are flipped to the middle or OFF position. Those are tripped breakers.

[IF THEY FIND TRIPPED BREAKERS:]
'Try flipping each tripped breaker to fully OFF, then back to ON. Did that restore power to those areas?

- If yes: Keep an eye on it. If the breakers trip again — especially the same ones — call us to have it checked. Recurring trips usually mean an overloaded circuit, a failing breaker, or a wiring issue.
- If breaker won't stay on: Don't force it. A breaker that keeps tripping is protecting you from a wiring problem. Leave it off and let's get an electrician there.'

[IF NO BREAKERS ARE TRIPPED:]
'That's actually more concerning. If nothing is tripped but you've still lost power to part of the house, it could be a loose connection, a failed breaker that isn't tripping properly, or a wiring issue. We should definitely get an electrician out to look at it.

I have availability [today/tomorrow]. Can I get your information?'"

• Full outage or partial? (determines script path)
• Neighbors have power? (utility vs. home issue)
• Main breaker checked? (tripped/on/won't reset)
• Individual breakers checked? (any tripped)
• Breaker reset attempted? (did it hold or re-trip)
• Any events before outage? (storm, surge, appliance turning on)
• Home/building age
• Utility company referred (if utility outage)
• Follow-up instruction given: 'Call back if power doesn't return with neighbors'
• Service call scheduled (if home issue confirmed)
• Caller name, address, callback number captured