5 Quick Tips to Increase Your HVAC Service-to-installation Business

Summer is fast approaching, and as temperatures rise, so too will the demand for HVAC services. As an HVAC contractor, did you know that 70% of your leads are going to be service call leads instead of straightforward installation leads?

As we’ve recently discussed on this blog, the HVAC buyer’s journey typically doesn’t start with installation calls. Instead, the average consumer’s first instinct will be to seek a repair instead of a full replacement, even if it makes more sense to install a new system.

That leaves many HVAC businesses missing out on valuable revenue streams. So how do you maximize those service calls by converting them into installations?

To maximize the potential of service calls and increase installation business, HVAC businesses should follow these five quick tips:

1. Get a Spring / Fall Membership Strategy

Schedule your maintenance strategy to be in your shoulder seasons – i.e. spring and fall – and not in your busy seasons. This will free up your resources to handle more service calls during the summer and winter. We at HVAC Coach Pro can help you turn your maintenance program into a more powerful membership program, and we’ll work with the Mediagististic team to drive memberships through marketing.

2. Seasonalize Your Offers

Align your offers with the season. If your check-up special runs into the summer, you’re creating a wasted opportunity. Instead of doing a $79 checkup, you could be running a special on new system installations.

3. Financing, Financing, Financing!

Take every opportunity to offer financing first, and then bake that into your messaging. If you offer financing before the whole dollar amount, the consumer will see the lower monthly installment and it will feel less intimidating to them.

4. Go Beyond “Good, Better, Best” on Your Service Options

Offer options on service. It should go a little further than “good / better / best,” which will allow the consumer some degree of choice. The entry-level option is the bare minimum, and the consumer is more likely to gravitate toward “better” or “best.” It also allows your technicians to be more consultative and offer solutions during those crucial kitchen table conversations with the homeowner.

5. Implement a Color-Coded 3-Strike System

Implement a 3-strike system to convert older systems into replacement opportunities. Strike examples could be the cost of the repair, warranty expiration, phased-out refrigerants (like R22) and age of unit. This will give your technicians a methodology to be consultative and helps with the kitchen table conversation. In fact, having a 3-color system health report can help with that conversation. As a side note, this is something we cover in HVACCoachPro’s TGL process.

By following these tips, HVAC businesses can increase their chances of converting service calls into installation opportunities, ultimately leading to increased revenue and business growth. To learn more about these strategies and other HVAC business tips, read more content on the Mediagistic blog and visit HVACCoachPro.com.

Jason Ellington is the founder of HVAC Coach Pro. A successful HVAC entrepreneur, Jason founded the HVAC Coach Pro coaching service as a way to give back to the hard-working contracting community. Through this service, he seeks to share the processes and systems that he used to take my business from literally nothing and create a multimillion dollar business. Learn more about Jason Ellington and HVAC Coach Pro by clicking here.

Featured image via iStock