Why This Matters
Most HVAC shops survive on seasonality and luck. This team in Tyler, Texas moved from a run-and-gun $1.2M operation to a disciplined $3.6M business in 12 months by turning every maintenance and repair touchpoint into a predictable, trusted sales path.
The Starting Point
- Owner-operator, light processes, “sell when you can” mindset.
- No defined repair-vs-replace rules; decisions varied by tech and mood.
- Maintenance was sporadic, records were thin, and lead handoffs were ad hoc.
- Comfort advisors were reactive; service techs carried the sales burden.
The Objective
Build a repeatable lead-flip model that:
- Uses maintenance to surface real replacement opportunities.
- Keeps trust high with clear repair-vs-replace criteria.
- Routes sales to trained comfort advisors, not overburdened service techs.
- Anchors loyalty with a simple friends-and-family plan.
The Model at a Glance
- Maintenance techs document system health on every visit and flag replacement triggers. They do not sell.
- Service techs handle necessary repairs; if major work is needed, they stabilize and flip to sales.
- Comfort advisors run the standardized sales process, price, and close replacements.
- Warranty techs ensure installs stay tight, feeding quality data back into maintenance records.
- Office dispatch orchestrates immediate handoffs when a lead flip is triggered.
Repair vs Replace Matrix
Principle: “A repair that’s a band-aid on a bullet wound costs more now and later.” The only exceptions: small, low-cost fixes (e.g., a capacitor) that restore full function without masking systemic risk.
Replace triggers (any one):
- System age and efficiency: 12+ years and SEER below market norm.
- Repeated failures: 2+ major component failures in 18 months.
- Safety/critical risks: cracked heat exchanger, unsafe wiring, refrigerant leaks.
- Cost-to-repair vs replace: if repair exceeds 25–30% of replacement and doesn’t materially extend life.
- Comfort gap: persistent airflow or delta-T misses after basic remediation.
Repair and retain (rare cases):
- Minor, isolated component (e.g., capacitor) with no systemic symptoms.
- Customer constrained; document the choice and schedule follow-up validation.
Friends-and-Family Plan
- $19.99/month membership.
- 20% off all future repairs and accessories.
- Two visits per year: 1 heat check, 1 cool check.
- Cool check: amps, delta T, airflow, coil condition, drains, filter path.
- Heat check: furnace integrity, combustion, safeties, venting.
- Benefits: priority scheduling, waived trip/priority fees, documented system health history.
- Goal: predictable visits → clean data → credible lead flips when replacement is the right call.
Lead Flip Path
New system issues:
- Maintenance tech visits, logs findings. If replacement warranted, they do not pitch.
- Tech notifies office in real time; office immediately dispatches a comfort advisor.
- Comfort advisor arrives same/next available window to run the sales process.
Major repair scenarios:
- Service tech stabilizes, repairs as needed to keep the customer safe and running.
- If repair hits replace triggers, service tech flips to office; comfort advisor presents options.
Standardized sales process (comfort advisor):
- Validate pain: comfort, reliability, safety, operating costs.
- Show the matrix: why repair is a band-aid vs replace ROI.
- Present 2–3 system options with financing; anchor on total cost of ownership.
- Close next steps on-site (sign or schedule install).
Roles and Accountability
- Maintenance techs: Inspection, data capture, no selling; trigger flips per matrix.
- Service techs: Repair-first, safety-first; flip when matrix says replace.
- Comfort advisors: Own the sale; measure, propose, finance, close.
- Warranty techs: Protect install quality; reduce callbacks; feed QC data.
- Office/dispatcher: Live routing; confirms advisor arrival; updates CRM/work orders.
Process and Tooling
- Standard work orders with required fields (age, SEER, delta T, static, photos).
- Real-time office Slack/phone trigger: “Flip – Advisor Needed” with address and summary.
- CRM tags: maintenance → lead → proposal → sold → install → warranty.
- Daily huddles: yesterday’s flips, today’s advisor schedule, blockers.
Results in 12 Months
- Revenue: $1.2M → $3.6M.
- Replacement close rate (advisor-led): 48% → 62%.
- Maintenance membership penetration: <5% → 42% of active customers.
- Average ticket on replacements: +18% (options + financing).
- Callbacks on installs: -22% (warranty tech QA loop).
Implementation Steps You Can Reuse
- Publish a one-page repair-vs-replace matrix and train every tech.
- Separate duties: maintenance/service find; comfort advisors sell.
- Launch a simple membership (2 visits, priority, discounts); keep billing autopay.
- Script the flip: exact words, who calls the office, how fast the advisor arrives.
- Track every flip from trigger → advisor arrival → proposal → win/loss reason.
- Review weekly: flips missed, advisor response time, close rates, install QA.
Lessons Learned
- Trust is the asset: techs who do not sell build the credibility advisors need to close.
- Speed wins: same-day/next-day advisor arrival lifted close rate and customer confidence.
- Simple beats clever: $19.99 membership with clear benefits converted better than tiered plans.
- Data discipline mattered more than discounts: consistent records justified the flip.
What to Do Next
- Start with the matrix: align your team on when to replace.
- Launch the friends-and-family plan to secure recurring visits and data.
- Give sales back to comfort advisors; unburden your service techs.
- Measure flips, not just calls. The flips are where you scale.
If you want this system implemented in your shop, let’s talk.