Heatwave in focus: More Indians prefer local technicians over brands for AC service

Amidst the heatwave affecting the country, Indians are increasingly depending on local vendors to get their air conditioners fixed or serviced as opposed to technicians from brands.

Some are frequently calling help from service-based applications like NoBroker, Urban Company and others.

A user on Reddit said: “Local technicians may not have fancy ratings but their problem solving speed is unmatched.”

Only about one in four Indians called a brand in the last 36 months to get service for their air conditioners, a survey has found out.

This change comes in the backdrop of brands failing to provide affordable services and fast response.

A survey done by LocalCircles found that about 67 per cent of the respondents said brands offer high cost services, 47 per cent reported slow service and 42 per cent said contacting brands is a cumbersome process.

The study also found that the percentage of respondents who have been unsatisfied with the services of AC brands has doubled from 17 per cent to 35 per cent in three years.

What did the study find?

With several parts of India experiencing a heatwave, AC adoption has significantly gone up in recent years. 

Prolonged periods of extreme temperature and early onset of summer are pushing many to rely on cooling appliances.

The residential market is projected to reach nearly $9 billion in 2026, said the survey from LocalCircles.

The survey received over 27,000 responses across 289 districts, who highlighted the widening gap between AC ownership and customer satisfaction with the after services.

When asked on how they are planning to get their air conditioners serviced in 2026, about 13 per cent said they would avail brand service through maintenance contract, 17 per cent said they would plan brand service on an ad-hoc basis, about 44 per cent would prefer a local service provider, about 13 per cent had organised their third party service providers and others gave mixed responses.

When asked why they won’t reach out to brands for servicing, about 67 per cent said brands offer high cost and about 42 per cent said they get discouraged with the complicated contact process.

Some blamed the time-consuming process and others questioned the skill set of the technicians (about 27 per cent).

The survey also found that in comparison to 2023, the percentage of consumers who retracted from brand service because of high cost rose from 54 per cent to 67 per cent in 2026.

As per reports, Bengaluru is experiencing a sudden surge in AC sales and rentals, a trait unusual for a city known for its moderate climate.