In the HVAC industry, we know it’s important to service your furnace before winter. However, relaying this message to your customer (the homeowner or building owner) may be a little taller task. When nothing seems to be wrong with their equipment, it can be a hard sell to get them to pay to make sure something doesn’t happen in the future. But, that’s exactly what preventative maintenance is!

Knowing how to have this conversation can be extremely beneficial, and when done correctly, gets you a customer for life. Here are a few things to include in your conversation when talking to a homeowner about preparing their furnace for fall and winter:

• Think about Safety – Nobody wants to get stuck in the cold without an option for heat. Knowing your customers are set gives them a peace of mind they would not otherwise have. It’s also a good idea to include issues with dirty air filters, blocked vents, cracked heat exchanges, or dirty burners in the conversation. All of these can cause health issues or other safety concerns.
• Lower the utility bills – This one may not be about safety, per se, but who wouldn’t prefer lower bills? By making sure the customer’s unit is up to date and clean, you’ll help them safe a little bit of money and make sure the heating system is as efficient as it can be. And, the more build-up a system has to work around, the harder it has to work to keep your customers comfortable. Talk to your customers about how easy it is to avoid this.
• Saves the customer from continuous repairs– Maintaining a furnace is much more affordable than an unplanned breakdown (and we know that breakdowns happen at the most inopportune moments). Helping your customers repair smaller issues along the way builds trust and respect. And so, when a big breakdown happens, the same customer will call you for that job. And, not only is preventative maintenance a better option for your customer, it is also safer in the long run.
• Prolong the life of the system – By scheduling a furnace tune-up every fall with your customers, you can increase the lifespan of their unit by 30-50% or more, and help cut down on emergency calls for your technicians. Professional maintenance performed every year can easily double the lifespan of the average furnace.

Save your customers money, energy, time, and frustration by scheduling their fall furnace maintenance appointments! You’ll help them before their need becomes an emergency, and foster great relationships and trust with your customer base.