Are you interested in offering getting away from a typical air conditioning tune-up and offering a similar service that is a more profitable for you, and more informative and beneficial to your customers? A service that also makes it easier to for your techs to sell additional services and upgrades.
What’s included?
A tune-up includes doing everything on a system that needs to be done every year. It does not include anything that only needs to be done occasionally, if at all.
When customers who’ve purchased a tune-up are informed that their system requires such things as a filter change or a blower and/or indoor coil pull-and-clean, all for an additional charge, their attitude toward the service can take a turn for the worse.
The Pre-Season Air Conditioning Inspection:
This year, instead of promoting “tune-ups,” promote “pre-season inspections”.
In an inspection, you don’t do any maintenance. All you do is go over their system with a fine-tooth comb, then provide them with a report on its condition.
You can do these “inspections” at a significantly lower rate than you can a tune-up. You’re not trying to make money on the inspections themselves; you just want to get your highly trained service technicians in front of the people who are most likely to spend more money with you.
The marketing:
The message is simple: "If your air conditioner runs, but not very well, for $49, we'll tell you why it doesn't, and what can be done about it." Every single person who responds to that message is someone who knows their problems go way beyond what a routine tune-up will solve and want to at least know what it would take to get better air conditioning.
Every single person who responds to that message is someone who knows their problems go way beyond what a routine tune-up will solve and want to at least know what it would take to get better air conditioning.
If you really want to do this right, you can do what I've done in the past and cherry pick through all your existing non-service agreement customers that you know have had trouble with their system. In fact, if you'll do just that, you just might find yourself with enough calls to where you won't have to do any mass marketing.
At the front door:
Following the initial introductions at the front door, show them your inspection form and say, “Just as a point of clarification, I’m here to do a $(price) inspection of your air conditioning system. That means I’ll be going over it with a fine-tooth comb, then provide you with a full report on its condition. If there’s anything that requires attention, and I'm not saying that there will be, I’ll also provide you with a list of options and prices to address those issues while I’m here, and I can usually do it all right on the spot. Sound good?”
Common tasks you’ll sell:
- Nearly every condensing unit will require cleaning. Don’t be afraid to charge double for heavily impacted coils that will require time and chemicals that go beyond normal, routine maintenance. That up-charge on impacted coils is a selling feature for the service agreement anyway. Once you get the coil cleaned, it’ll be considerably cheaper for them to have you come out every year and keep it clean.
- Contactors
- Capacitors
- I pull and clean the blower, for an extra charge, on two-thirds of my calls.
- Anything that’s on the blower is also on the indoor coil. Once I get the blower out of the way, I can get a good look at the indoor coil. Close to two out of three of them also need cleaning or replacing.
- When you find a dirty blower wheel and a dirty indoor coil, ask, “If there were a way to avoid these expenses in the future, have cleaner, healthier air, and increased airflow, would you want to know more about it?” I'm talking about improved filtration systems and UV lights. Quote these products on two out of every three calls and you’ll sell them.
- Take the start amperage of the compressor. If it’s higher than the specs on the manufacturer’s plate that’s attached to the unit, recommend a hard start kit.
Charlie Greer has been voted "Favorite Industry Sales Trainer,' HVAC Consultant of the Year, and has been inducted to the HVAC Hall of Fame. Email Charlie at [email protected] with your feedback on this column or with questions on HVAC sales..