A maintenance agreement is the most profitable thing many HVAC companies sell, and the least marketed. Each member pays a fee every year, books visits into the quiet months and usually calls you first when something fails. This service makes the plan something your company actively sells, renews and grows.
Why members matter more than leads
A member is a customer whose acquisition cost has already been paid. Every renewal is revenue with no new marketing cost attached, which is why member count is one of the few marketing numbers that compounds.
Run the numbers on a hypothetical plan priced at $219 a year. Say the visit and admin cost you $95, so the plan itself leaves $124. That looks small. Now add what members typically bring in your own records: say one repair call in three years worth $160 in gross profit, and a replacement every twelve to fifteen years that you are far more likely to win. Even before the replacement, a member who stays five years is worth roughly $620 from the fee plus about $270 from repairs. Divide that by what it cost to sign them up and the plan often beats any campaign you run. Our maintenance agreement guide walks through this in detail.
Who it is for
- Companies with a plan but no steady growth in members
- Companies whose renewal rate is unknown, which usually means it is low
- Owners who want the shoulder seasons filled with scheduled work instead of discount offers
- Companies preparing for a sale or a partner buy-in, where recurring revenue is part of the story
What is included
Presentation
- A plan page on your website that explains the plan in plain terms: what is included, what it costs, when visits happen
- Clear mentions of the plan on every service and repair page, without turning them into sales pitches
Selling at the point of service
- A short script and a one-page leave-behind for technicians and the office
- A simple way to record who was offered the plan, so offer rate can be measured
Renewals and win-back
- Renewal reminders written and scheduled in your own text and email tools, sent only to customers who have consented
- A lapsed-member list worked each quarter with a straightforward return offer
Reporting
- Monthly: new members, renewals due, renewals won, lapsed members and members per technician
- Quarterly: member count trend and gross profit from member work
Timeline
- Weeks 1–2: review of your current plan, pricing structure and member records
- Weeks 3–4: plan page, scripts and leave-behinds ready
- Month 2: renewal and win-back reminders running
- Months 3–6: member growth measured against the starting count
Member growth is slow by nature. Expect the first real signal after a full renewal cycle for the members due in that period.
How results are measured
Four numbers tell the story: offer rate (how often the plan is offered on a visit), conversion (how often an offer becomes a member), renewal rate and net member growth after lapses. Members acquired through campaigns are also tracked through cost-per-booked-job tracking, so you can compare cost per new member with the value a member brings.
Mistakes to avoid
- Selling the plan as a discount club. It trains members to wait for deals.
- Letting renewals depend on the customer. If you do not remind people, many will simply forget.
- Overloading the plan. Too many inclusions push the visit cost up until the plan quietly loses money.
- Booking every member visit in October. Spread visits across spring and fall so they fill the gaps instead of colliding with the first cold snap.
- Messaging people who never agreed to it. Canada's anti-spam law requires consent for commercial texts and emails, as the CRTC explains. We only set up reminders for customers who have opted in.
We market maintenance plans; we do not deliver them, and we do not give accounting or tax advice on how plan revenue is recorded. See plans and pricing or the services overview to compare options.
Frequently asked questions
We already have a maintenance plan. Why isn't it growing?
In most companies nobody owns it. The plan sits on a page of the website, technicians mention it when they remember, and renewals depend on the customer calling. Growth comes from making each of those steps deliberate.
Should we discount the plan to sell more?
Usually not as a first move. Members tend to value priority booking, reminders and a predictable visit more than a few dollars off. We test the offer and presentation before touching price, and the pricing decision is always yours.
Can you send renewal texts and emails for us?
We can set up and write renewal reminders in your own systems, sent only to customers who have agreed to hear from you, in line with Canada's anti-spam rules. You stay the sender and keep the customer list.
Do you perform the maintenance visits?
No. We are not an HVAC contractor and never service equipment. We market the plan; your technicians do the work.
Sources
- CRTC: Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation FAQ (2026-10-22)