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Making the Most Out of Your Maintenance Program
Preventive maintenance programs.
Most HVAC contractors understand the importance of developing and growing one.
Maintenance programs help to stabilize cash flow. They promote early season appointments leading to early season opportunities. The program benefits can also be used as a sales tool for replacements.
But, are you getting the most out of your program?
Let’s explore some strategies to maximize what this program can do for your business.
Recognizing Your Membership Base
First, we have to acknowledge what this group of homeowners is.
They are the group that has likely had the most experience dealing with your business.
This group has also chosen to pay for continued access to the services your team provides. Meaning, this cohort of customers most likely approve of the job you’re doing.
Since they use you the most – and like you the most – this audience is more likely than any other to be receptive to your other messages. Therefore, you will have a greater chance of getting them to act.
Remind Them of Their Benefits
There are plenty of different reasons why homeowners might join a maintenance program.
Some just installed a new system and are protecting their investment. Others know they have a system nearing the end of its life and are protecting themselves from the burden of that replacement. While for others, it might be simply to save a buck on a service call when the deal was presented to them. Many more just appreciate the seasonal reminders that you send out when it’s tune-up time.
As homeowners have committed to your maintenance program for a specific benefit, they most likely don’t understand the totality of the benefits available to them.
So remind them!
If your program offers a percentage off an add-on service, let your members know about it and highlight their exclusive discount.
Craft messaging about how they can get more out of what they are already paying for, and your members are more likely to take advantage of those benefits.
Ripe for Referrals
Whether we like it or not, more decision-making is happening from research done online. However, that doesn’t mean that word-of-mouth referrals are dead!
Who better to sing your praises than your maintenance members?
Creating incentives for this group to refer your services to their friends and neighbors is a great strategy for growing your customer (and membership) base.
Maybe it’s a special discount card you offer them at their next service appointment to give away. It could be a credit towards a future replacement for every customer that books due to their referral. Perhaps every referral enters them into a drawing for free tickets to a local ball game.
Don’t be afraid to get creative, your members will be most receptive to ideas that are new or out-of-the-box.
You’re Busy Now, But What About Tomorrow?
Since these customers are your most loyal, they’re also your most flexible. That gives you the opportunity to schedule them when it is most convenient for your team.
In the middle of the season, volume is going to drop as the weather changes. Start communicating with your maintenance members now to fill your schedule.
And as an added bonus, reaching out to schedule pre-season will often remind homeowners of that problem they’ve been putting off addressing – and it might grow into a replacement opportunity instead!
Membership isn’t the End Goal
Too often we see contractors treating the sign up for a membership program as the finish line to a customer’s journey.
Retaining their membership and growing the relationship should be the true goal of a maintenance program, so let’s not lose sight of that!
And if you need help getting to that goal, we have years of experience making these programs great for businesses and homeowners alike – so don’t be afraid to ask!