Maintenance Agreements Don’t Just Keep Your Techs Busy. They Boost Your Bottom Line
Maintenance agreements can be one of the best ways for an HVAC contractor to increase revenue and maintain a steady business during “slow” seasons. These programs, however, can be a tricky sell. Customers tend to be wary of entering into these contracts if they aren’t convinced of the value, and many service technicians aren’t sufficiently conversant in explaining the benefits of the program. Maintenance agreements must be properly managed and marketed in order to be profitable and keep your company in good standing with your PM customers.
Different people value different things, which is why maintenance agreements should be multifaceted to appeal to various clients, and should offer enough value to be considered worthwhile. Thorough system inspection and tune-up will be most attractive to some customers, while others are more apt to sign on to receive priority scheduling, discounted parts, or same day service. In order to effectively sell these contracts, technicians must themselves recognize the value of a maintenance program and be well-trained to explain the various benefits to the customers. Contractors should offer several plan levels. A basic plan usually covers labor costs but does not include parts. Mid-level coverage can also include the cost of parts and priority service. Top echelon agreements usually include tune-ups, no-charge emergency service, and priority same-day service.
While it goes without saying that these contracts help keep technicians busy year-round and provide a source of steady income, they are also an effective opportunity to gain additional business. Technicians performing PM can spot and correct issues before they can morph into bigger, more costly problems. This means fewer start-of-season service calls from PM clients, allowing more time to service non-contract customers when multiple calls start coming in.
