With UK temperatures topping 30 degrees for ten days in a row in some parts of the country during August, this summer saw one of the hottest heatwaves on record. And that has meant a massive peak in business for manufacturers and suppliers in the refrigeration and air conditioning industries.

When there's a rush on, customer service can be one of the first things to suffer - and dissatisfaction with service is the biggest single cause of lost business, according to a recent Mintel report on customer retention. At the same time, companies need to stay profitable. The long hot summer has put pressure on refrigeration service departments to get it right.

Taking incoming calls from customers, sending out engineers promptly when needed, making sure they carry the right spares and equipment, and dealing with the paperwork efficiently - fulfilling service agreements is a complex business.

Miracle Service Accent from Open Seas, a complete software-based service management system, is designed to take the heat when it comes to fulfilling service contracts.

Every step of the service process, from an incoming call to the final invoice, is dovetailed into the same one-click system. Compatible with all widely used handheld devices and databases, the system also allows field engineers to keep in constant touch with the service department. Customers can see the progress of their call for themselves by accessing an automatically updated web site.

The system can prioritise call-outs, generate invoices and even produce reports on which customers or areas of business are the most profitable.

Automating the logistics of managing service agreements, and virtually eliminating paperwork, can tip the balance in favour of businesses trying to deliver excellent customer service without compromising costs.

"A customer with a broken air conditioning unit in a heatwave is going to be hot and bothered enough, without the additional frustration of waiting around all day wondering if the engineer is going to turn up," says Jason Kent, Managing Director of Open Seas. "Miracle Service Accent gives customers control of this information and helps everyone to keep a cool head."