You install a heat pump in March. The customer is happy. They pay, say thanks, and you never hear from them again.
Eighteen months later the filter is clogged, the unit is working twice as hard as it should, and the owner is searching Google for "heat pump repair near me". They find someone else.
You did nothing wrong. You just never gave them a reason to stay in touch.
The job ends, but the need doesn't
Most things you fix, build or install need looking after. Heat pumps need cleaning. Decks need re-oiling. Gutters fill up. Websites need updating. Gardens keep growing.
Customers know this, but they forget, or they don't know who to call. So they wait until something breaks, and then they pick whoever turns up first.
A service plan fixes that. It's a simple offer: "Pay a set price each year, and we'll look after it for you." You do the regular work, and the customer never has to think about it again.
This isn't a new idea, but small businesses use it far less than they could. Housecall Pro, a US company that makes software for tradies, surveyed homeowners in 2025 and found 51% expected to be offered a membership or service plan. It's their own survey, so treat it as a guide. Still, it matches what I hear: people don't mind being asked. They mind being forgotten.
Why it's worth the effort
Finding a new customer usually costs more than keeping one you already have. You'll often see the figure "about six times more", although the sources for that number are a bit loose. You don't need the exact figure to see the point. You've already paid to win this person once. They've seen your work. They trust you.
A plan also smooths out your year. If you're a heat pump installer, winter is flat out and summer is quiet. Offering a service visit in February or March fills the gap with work you can see coming.
And it keeps you first in line when something bigger comes up. The person who has you out every year calls you when the unit finally needs replacing. They don't search.
What goes in a good plan
Keep it small. One plan is plenty to start with. You can add tiers later.
One clear job, done on a schedule. For a heat pump: clean the filters and coils, check the airflow, check the drain, test the unit. Electricians in Canterbury recommend a yearly service for most homes, though that's from a company selling the service, so use your own judgement on timing.
A fixed price. "$149 a year" is easy to say yes to. If you quote the price as a monthly amount ("$13 a month"), it can feel smaller still.
A perk that makes it worth joining. Pick something that costs you little but means a lot to them. Priority booking when the weather turns. A discount on repairs. A call-out fee waived. Members getting to the front of the queue is the reason most people sign up.
You do the remembering. This is the part customers value most. Send a text a few weeks before the visit: "Hi Sam, it's time for your yearly heat pump service. Thursday or Friday suit?" Housecall Pro's survey found 43% of homeowners appreciate maintenance reminders. Nobody wants to keep a diary of when their gutters were last done.
Easy to leave. Say so plainly: "Cancel any time." A plan people can leave is a plan people feel safe joining. Most won't.
Work out the price
Add up how long the visit takes, including driving. Add materials and the admin time to book it and send the reminder. Then add a fair profit.
Say the visit takes 45 minutes on site and 30 minutes driving and admin, and your time is worth $95 an hour. That's about $120 before materials. A $149 plan leaves a little room for filters and fuel. Then if you find a fault during the visit, you quote that repair separately. Most of your extra work will come from there.
Don't price the plan so low that you lose money on every visit. A cheap plan that leaves you resenting it won't last a year.
Who to offer it to
Start with the people who already like you. Your last twenty happy customers are the best place to begin. You don't need an advert or a new web page.
Ask at the end of the job, when they're pleased: "Most people have us back once a year to keep it running well. Want me to put you down for next March?"
Then go back through your older customer list. Anyone you installed or built something for in the last three years is a fair target. A short email or text will do it: "It's been a while since we looked at your deck. We do a yearly check for $149. Want us to book you in?"
A plan like this is one small piece of a bigger picture. If you want to see how it fits with guarantees, bonuses and pricing, I put it all in one place in our long guide to building offers.
Your first step this week
Pick the one job where customers always end up needing the same thing again. Write down what the visit includes, how long it takes, and a price that covers it with some profit. Then message five past customers and see how many say yes.
