The change of seasons can be a difficult time for many HVAC contractors.  After a winter busy with emergency calls about failing heating systems, the sudden lull as homeowners begin to turn off their heat can result in financial struggle until the air conditioning season is well under way.  However, this could be a very profitable time for HVAC companies, if customers were approached in the right way.

Anyone in this industry understands that it is much easier to fit in retro-fitting jobs, regular maintenance calls, and system inspections during the shoulder months.  But, with the heat and AC turned off, homeowners aren’t thinking about these things.  Some HVAC companies will shy away, figuring that homeowners aren’t going to want to spend more money on their HVAC after paying for heat all winter.  However, keep in mind that we, as Americans, spend a great deal of money to prevent emergency situations.  Need proof?  Just sit down and calculate exactly how much you spend on insurances – liability insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, health insurance, etc.  All of that is paid in order to defend ourselves against future hardship.  In that vein of thinking, it absolutely makes sense for homeowners (and business owners) to spend a little bit of money now to upgrade, maintain, and properly inspect their HVAC systems, in order to defend against more expensive emergency calls later.

How do you get customers to understand that?  You need to make it clear what their investment will buy.  If the aim is to provide a level of insurance, then do just that, create an insurance policy of sorts that allows them to spend today, knowing that you are offering a guarantee of the system in the next heating season.  Or, show them exactly how much they could stand to save with the newly retrofitted sensors and controls.  After paying for a season of heating, nearly every homeowner will welcome the idea of paying less next year.  Now that you have something to sell, call your customers and start offering your services, knowing that you have true value to offer.