Many owners, managers, and HVAC techs tend to dismiss maintenance agreements as non-essential during the summer.
“My techs are highly trained; they want to run demand service calls.”
In reality, this attitude is what prevents bigger success. HVAC maintenance is the entry point to more profit every summer. Every time we perform a maintenance visit, we have a new opportunity to grow the relationship with our customer.
Your Team Must Believe in Maintenance
If you want to build a lasting HVAC business, your company must embrace the importance of maintenance agreements. Regular visits to customers are the core of the residential service and the HVAC replacement industry.
All success comes from the attitude of the people at the top of the company. As an owner or manager, if you don’t believe in maintenance or see it as an inconvenience, your employees will carry the same belief. Customers will not buy into your services if you don’t think they are valuable and essential.
Maintenance is more than just a service you offer. It must become a part of your culture and your business.
NOT A LOSS Managers see maintenance as a loss, but maintenance isn’t a burden — it’s a HVAC company’s most reliable growth tool. (Courtesy of Will Merritt)
The Three Levels of Opportunity
The weather is mild during the spring, and the demand for service leads is sparse or non-existent. Air conditioners are not running yet, so how can your technicians drive sales?
If you change your mindset, customer maintenance visits can be a gold mine.
Let’s break them down into different categories: Level 1, 2, and 3.
Level 1 Maintenance: Zero to 4 Years
This is a customer with a new HVAC system less than 5 years old. Having just replaced their HVAC system, they are prime candidates for add-ons such as UV lights, high-efficiency air filters, humidifiers, or surge protectors.
Level 2 Maintenance: 4 to 9 Years
Customers start to provide more opportunities. Their system is 4 to 9 years old, and the consumer is starting to notice small issues. They might have hot and cold spots in the home, which is the perfect opportunity for duct modifications or zoning.
The a/c could be short-cycling because it’s oversized, creating humidity problems. Or maybe the system is undersized. These issues could be potential opportunities for an early replacement, or a mini split added to the bonus room or the master bedroom.
Level 3 Maintenance: 9 Years +
The homes with older systems are the coveted customers, yet it’s rare to get them calling us. Often, they are a customer of record who has been with us for years, doing maintenance or even from the initial installation.
Let’s look at a real-world example with my own home system.
Three years ago, my HVAC technician, whom I trust explicitly, came out for my spring maintenance.
At the time, he said, “Will, your downstairs system is leaking, and it’s going to freeze up once the weather gets hot.”
He had been warning me for years that the replacement time was coming soon. Of course, I did not want to spend the money, but I also knew that my system definitely lasted longer because of the regular service, and it was time to finally replace it.
After many years of maintenance on my 17-year-old R22 system, I bought a whole new system. The trust built up over many years made it easier to agree to the big purchase of a new system.
The payoff for my HVAC technician only happened because of the maintenance plan. On every visit, he created trust with me and educated me. So when replacement time finally arrived, it was a no-brainer.
The lesson here is simple: You must educate your customer about how their system is aging on every visit, as you are setting up future success. If not, they may lose trust and contact another HVAC company for a second opinion. If you build a trusting relationship with your customer on every maintenance, why would they go anywhere else?
How to Present to the Consumer
You’ll notice I didn’t say “sell” to the consumer. Consumers love to buy and hate to be sold. And when you explain the benefits of maintenance, it will often sell itself.
Maintenance offers peace of mind that a HVAC system is less likely to break down in the heat of summer. As a customer, you also get priority service over non-maintenance customers if your system breaks. On top of this, you can receive discounted or waived diagnostic fees and even discounts on any needed repairs.
The best analogy has always been comparing an HVAC system to your customer’s car or truck.
“If you just bought a brand-new car, are you going to drive it for 100,000 miles without maintenance? Just like with your new car, we’ll get started on your maintenance today, and we’ll see you again in approximately 6 months to keep the system tuned and running.”
Creating Different Levels for Technicians
If you have techs who feel they are overqualified, you solve this issue by creating ‘levels’ of maintenance technicians.
Level 1 technicians are your newest, and simply do maintenance only.
Level 2 technicians have the training to diagnose and do simple repairs (e.g., capacitor or contactor replacement). They also offer upsells on newer systems where needed.
Level 3 technicians do all the above but can perform larger repairs and sell or recommend system replacements.
Spring Maintenance Makes Your Summer Sizzle
As an HVAC marketing company, every spring, we hear the same thing:
“Things are slow.”
“The weather isn’t hot yet.”
“We need to get more new system calls.”
These kinds of statements show us that your company doesn’t have the right proactive mindset around maintenance.
Outside of the hottest months of summer, heating and air companies cannot rely solely on demand service and installation.
HVAC maintenance contracts insulate your company with consistent revenue each year. But you must see the value in them for your company and your customers.
Take care of your maintenance customers; they will provide your company with added sales every shoulder season. If you provide quality service and focus on building trust, you will create customers for life.