HVAC On Hold Messages Increases Maintenance Agreement Sales

Let’s talk service maintenance agreement sales… if you own or manage an HVAC company, you gotta love them! Lots and lots of agreement sales. If you think about it, when customers purchase maintenance agreements, they’re essentially paying you money every month to come back and sell them something else. They lock customers down, offer special incentives, deliver peace of mind; there’s a multitude of benefits for both customers and contractors. Unfortunately, for many shops,  service maintenance agreement sales are virtually nonexistent, and it’s a shame because they can keep any business running strong all year long and eliminate the slow seasons. This is where on hold message advertising for your hvac company proves to be a very valuable markeitng tool.

As an HVAC dealer contractor, you know what you have to offer, but do your customers really understand what you can do for them? As you probably realize, running a successful heating and air conditioning company involves more than the day-to-day nut and bolts of installing, repairing and maintaining equipment. You need strategic marketing solutions to increase sales in order to grow your business.

Most heating and air-conditioning companies don’t take into consideration the fact that the first contact with their company is usually via the telephone. Whether your new customers come from the internet, the yellow pages, or word-of-mouth referrals, it is important to educate them about your business from the very first call. Consider why people call your business. In most cases they either want information related to an upcoming buying decision or they are calling about a problem. In either case, dead silence can be a detriment to the situation.

Instead, fill those moments with on hold message marketing that can create added profit centers for your business, especially when it comes to selling more service maintenance agreements. First things first – you must provide value. There’s nothing more difficult than to sell than a product or service that doesn’t offer value. Your company’s on hold message can effectively communicate all the benefits, features and value of why consumers would want to purchase a service maintenance agreement. Let’s face it, it’s easier to purchase something when it’s perceived that the value exceeds price!

In addition to selling more service maintenance agreements, having an on hold marketing system can also generate additional sales in other areas of your business. You don’t have a crystal ball, which means you also “never” know what else customer and prospects may actually be shopping for or interested in. If the customer doesn’t know about a product/service, how can they possibly but it?

For instance, your on hold advertising can educate callers about special sales or promotional offers or season tune-ups! You can also include information about add-ons such as air-filters, air purifiers, thermostats, uv light systems, humidifiers and dehumidifiers and more. Do you offer radiant heating, or maybe newer geothermal technologies? What about air duct cleaning services? Maybe you offer custom sheet metal fabrications? Do you also have expertise in commercial services? These are areas of your HVAC business that prospects and customers may not be aware of.

Are you doing everything possible to make that first contact with your business to be a positive and profitable one?

• Playing the radio on-hold you say? … Well, you may be broadcasting a competitor’s commercial to “your” callers!

• Canned music on hold you say? …Music is very much a personal choice, so your canned music may actually have an adverse affect on callers, causing frustration with each passing second.

• Silence on-hold you say? Latest industry estimates indicate that 70% of business callers are placed on-hold, and over 55% of callers who wait in dead air hang-up in under 40 seconds! Lost calls, means lost revenues – not good!

• Custom music on hold & messages (You’ll you say, Yes!) … According to  Call Center Today, messages on hold keep callers on the line for up to 3 minutes, giving you the chance to serve them, and educate them about your business to drive more sales!!!

Do you have questions, or comments about on hold message marketing for your HVAC company? Drop us a line in the comments section below. We’d be happy to answer them.