When the HVAC busy season starts to slow down, most HVAC business owners start to panic.
The pressure to keep your HVAC techs busy, to keep the business profitable, and to keep doing HVAC repair and replacement becomes a big focus.
Of course, a lot of the problems that a HVAC company has in the fall, winter, and spring are caused by a lack of HVAC service agreements.
Without a steady stream of HVAC maintenance agreement customers, every HVAC business will suffer during the slow season every year.
In this article, we will look at how to increase HVAC service agreements in your HVAC business and how to offer preventive maintenance to your customers.
The 'Danger' of The Summer Rush
When the summer heatwave hits, HVAC companies gear up for their busiest time of the year.
It's frenetic. It's exciting. It's profitable.
But, all this rushing around this can also be dangerous.
Amidst the surge of service calls, installations, and air conditioner repairs, most HVAC business owners forget that the high demand won't last forever.
Every HVAC unit is more likely to need emergency repairs during the hottest months, but demand for air conditioning service will start to slow dramatically by the start of the fall season.
The high demand in Summer for emergency service can be dangerous for a HVAC contractor to depend upon.
For any HVAC business to survive and thrive, it's crucial that HVAC technicians and business owners to understand the value of selling HVAC service contracts during Summer to support the slower seasons.
HVAC Maintenance Agreements Offer Big Opportunity
As an HVAC business owner, we know that the peak need for air conditioning repairs comes from April to September.
This high demand season is when every HVAC technician is booked solid, and is focused on urgent repairs, and making sure that the customers' air conditioner is running.
Broken or run-down air conditioning systems will always fail in the Summer months when they are needed most. And if a HVAC repair or replacement is needed, during Summer it is easier to sell to a new customer.
During the busiest months, it can be easy to just focus on the immediate needs of your HVAC customers. But there is also a huge opportunity for growing the overall profit of your HVAC business.
Keep in mind also that a major reason why it is crucial to sell maintenance agreements during the summer is this is when you have the most opportunity to sell them!
Setting up HVAC service agreements with during the summertime can help your business thrive in a all year long, even in the most competitive market.
Perhaps most important, offering HVAC service contracts and HVAC maintenance agreements can be a huge benefit to your customers. It saves them money on costly repairs and reduces the risks of breakdowns during the hot summer months.
Offering to clean and service your customers HVAC units is an excellent way to boost income and reduce emergency calls during the HVAC busy season.
What is a HVAC Maintenance Agreement?
HVAC maintenance agreements (also known as a HVAC service agreement, HVAC contract, or HVAC club membership) are a recurring preventative maintenance plan that ensures that air conditioning and heating units are kept clean, and running efficiently.
For homeowners, the benefits of a HVAC service agreement and regular HVAC maintenance is that their system will run efficiently, have less mechanical problems, and keep the home cleaner inside. There is less risk of allergies, dust, and the air conditioning running properly during summer.
Typically, routine maintenance on a HVAC system will include:
- Complete cleaning of the evaporator and condenser coils, drains, and elements
- Inspecting connections, motor operations, and thermostat functionality
- Monitoring refrigerant pressure
- Testing safety controls
- Lubricating all moving parts
Most HVAC maintenance plans offer a twice-yearly plan to ensure that the HVAC system runs well in both the summer and winter months. Regular maintenance helps the homeowner to stay cooler and comfortable in your home, it also significantly reduces energy costs.
The Benefits of a HVAC Service Agreement for Homeowners
Many homeowners will ask if it's worth getting an HVAC maintenance plan or having annual maintenance on their AC system.
One overlooked benefit to routine HVAC maintenance is that a HVAC technician will discover if an AC unit is in need of repairs or is at risk of a breakdown before it happens. This can reduce the need for emergency service or costly repairs when the system should be working.
Another benefit is that a HVAC maintenance contracts will often offer priority service if there is a need for repairs or emergency service.
What is Included in a HVAC Maintenance Agreement?
What should a customer expect during a regular HVAC maintenance?
Typically, a HVAC technician will perform several checks during a residential HVAC visit. Services during a HVAC maintenance are:
- Coolant level and pressure checks.
- Thermostat calibration and check of thermostat control
- Humidity levels and timer checks
- Electrical system inspection and tightening
- Checks on wiring, contacts, capacitors and relays
- Temperature checks room to room
- Inspection of moving parts such as fan motor, pulleys, bearings etc
- Lubricate system where necessary.
- Replace batteries and check all electrical connections.
- Check the cabinet for possible leaks
- Check noise levels of system