Dive into the Latchel Emergency Process. See how Latchel responds to different emergency situations and how we handle your dispatch instructions. Learn more at https://latchel.com/

1. You can’t get better by staying the same.
Explore Emergency
Process >

2. Latchel’s Emergency Process
Our secret sauce is our process.
Next >
REPORT DIAGNOSE TROUBLESHOOT RESOLVE
Your tenant
calls in their
issue.
We diagnose
issue severity.
Emergencies
are troubleshot
before dispatch.
We confirm
issues are fully
resolved.
< Go Back

3. Reporting an Issue
A tenant is calling to report a new maintenance request. Latchel
accepts requests via phone call and SMS.
What type of issue is your tenant calling about?
An emergency request >
A normal request >
< Go Back

4. < Go Back
Emergencies
An experienced Latchel troubleshooter calls the tenant to verify
the emergency situation. They will do their best to fix the issue
over the phone or reduce the severity.
What outcome do you want to see?
Troubleshooting resolves
issue >
Issue is not actually an
emergency >
Tenant does not answer their
phone >
Troubleshooting does not
work >

5. < Go Back
Issue is an Emergency
We tried troubleshooting but weren’t able to fix the problem
over the phone. Now we follow your emergency instructions.
This entirely depends on how you want to customize your
account. What do you want to see?
Contact someone else before
sending a contractor >
Use the Latchel Contractor
Network >
Call me >
Send one of my preferred
contractors >

6. < Go Back
Contact Designated Person
You can customize your dispatch instructions so we call
someone else before contacting contractors to go out on site.
We will call the full list (3 calls/contact) to see who will take the
emergency issue. What do you want to see?
One of my contacts takes the
emergency >
No one is available >

7. < Go Back
You Contact Took The Emergency
Per your instructions, your designated contact accepted the
emergency.
Once we hand it off to your contact, Latchel closes out the work
order (no invoicing or follow-up).
We’ll email you so you’re aware of what’s going on.
View a sample email
(new window) >

8. < Go Back
Your Contacts Are Unavailable
Everyone deserves a vacation. Sometimes your contacts are out
of town and can’t take the emergency. That’s okay, Latchel will
now follow the rest of your emergency instructions.
What do you want to see?
Use the Latchel Contractor
Network >
Call me >
Send one of my preferred
contractors >

9. < Go Back
Your Preferred Contractors
We now contact your preferred contractors in the priority order
you specify based on trade. We call down your list until we find a
contractor who can give us a confirmed visit time.
What outcome do you want to see?
None are available. Use the
Latchel Contractor Network >
None are available. I’m not
using the Latchel Network >
One of my preferred
contractors is available >

10. < Go Back
Emergency Appointment Scheduled
We confirm an appointment time and notify your tenant that
help is on the way. We send you a confirmation email so you
know what’s going on. We also follow-up with your tenant and
the contractor to ensure the work is completed.
In the rare case the contractor needs to go over your budget
limit, we’ll contact you for approval.
View a sample email
(new window) >

11. The Latchel Contractor Network
< Go Back
We have a nationwide network of vetted and qualified
contractors. In the rare cases where the Latchel Contractor
Network is also unavailable, we source new contractors on-
demand so your property doesn’t face a risk of damage.
Our software is built to guarantee the invoice stays within your
approved budget limits.
View a sample invoice
(new window) >

12. < Go Back
When We Need To Contact You
Here’s when we’ll contact you:
1) Your tenant does not answer (and there is a risk of property
damage)
2) Your contractors are unavailable (and there is a risk of
property damage and you are not opted into the Latchel
Contractor Network)
3) We need to exceed your budget limit.
What outcome do you want to see?
I (or someone else on my
escalation list) answer >
No one is available >

13. < Go Back
Successful Hand-Off
We’ve successfully handed off the issue to you or someone else
on your escalation list. We do this whenever the emergency is
beyond what our team can handle.
If we contacted you for a budget limit approval, we will take the
job back over. Otherwise, you will carry the job forward from
here. We always notify you about the hand-off.
View a sample email
(new window) >

14. < Go Back
You Are Unavailable
You provide us a list of emergency contacts to escalate issues to.
We will try calling each person on your list 3 times (with a
voicemail) before moving on to the next contact. If we reach the
end of that list, Latchel is stuck. We cannot exceed the budget
you have provided, we have already exhausted your existing
contacts and contractors, and there is no further action we are
able to take. We notify you via email if this ever happens.
View a sample email
(new window) >

15. < Go Back
Normal Requests
We will take the details of the request and send you an email. If
you are subscribed to our Premium coordination service, we will
begin scheduling and dispatching right away.
If you are subscribed to an emergency only service, we will close
the work order in our system and you will be responsible for all
follow-up.
View a sample email
(new window) >

16. < Go Back
Troubleshooting Fixed Issue
View a sample email
(new window) >
The Latchel troubleshooter successfully fixed the issue over the
phone with the tenant! This saves you loads of money on
unnecessary contractor visits.
Basic troubleshooting often goes a long way, preventing late
night dispatches up to 75% of the time.
Whenever this happens, we send you an email update.

17. < Go Back
Issue Is Not An Emergency
The Latchel troubleshooter learns that the issue will not cause
property damage and isn’t a safety risk to the tenant. Since this is
a normal request, we’ll send you the details to take over.
If you are subscribed to a Premium service, we work on getting a
contractor scheduled and dispatched.
We send you a follow-up email so you know what’s going on.
View a sample email
(new window) >

18. < Go Back
Tenant Unreachable
Believe it or not, some tenants will report an emergency and
then not answer their phone for someone trying to help them.
If this happens we assess whether the reported issue has the
potential to cause property damage or not.
What do you want to see the outcome for?
Potential property damage > No property damage >

19. < Go Back
No Property Damage
Latchel has a policy not to dispatch contractors unless we are
able to ensure the tenant is reachable and responsive OR we
receive your express permission to dispatch.
If there is no property damage (e.g. clogged toilet), then it isn’t
worth your time to be woken up for an issue the tenant isn’t
responding to. We’ll email you so you’re aware and leave a
voicemail for the tenant asking them to call us back.
View a sample email
(new window) >

20. < Go Back
Potential Property Damage
Latchel has a policy not to dispatch contractors unless we are
able to ensure the tenant is reachable and responsive OR we
receive your express permission to dispatch.
In cases where there is potential property damage we will try
contacting you and anyone you ask us to.
What outcome do you want to see?
Successful contact >
No one on my escalation list
responds >