Installers are being encouraged to engage their customers in dialogue about the importance of a proactive annual boiler service to avoid the annual surge in requests come the industry’s busiest period.
boiler service
The encouragement follows Baxi’s finding that online searches for ‘boiler service’ peaked at 40,000 last October, compared to an annual low of just 12,000 last June.
With such a vast difference in demand over the spring and summer compared to the start of the peak heating season, Ian Trott, Head of UK Training Solutions at Baxi, believes is the time for installers to encourage annual servicing during quieter months.
boiler service appointments
Ian said, “It is common knowledge that most boiler service appointments will be booked just ahead of the heating season when customers are preparing to turn on their heating for the first time in months."
"Some might even choose to delay even further to the point when the system is back up and running and showing signs of a fault. But as we know, leaving servicing to the autumn, one of the busiest periods of the year for heating engineers could leave householders having to wait weeks for an appointment.”
spring or summer service benefits
Encouraging a service during the industry’s ‘off-peak’ spring and summer has the potential to create a real win-win
Ian believes that actively encouraging a service during the industry’s ‘off-peak’ spring and summer has the potential to create a real win-win for both installers and their customers, especially given the growing price sensitivity among homeowners.
He continued, “The benefits to customers of a spring or summer service are clear. First and foremost, ensuring that the heating system operates safely and efficiently before the start of the heating season gives the homeowner welcome peace of mind of trouble-free service in the colder months ahead."
cost of repair
“We are also all familiar with instances where a customer requests a service when in fact the boiler has broken down. As we know, when it reaches this point, the cost of a repair is likely to be much higher than that of an annual service."
“Installers will also benefit greatly from encouraging a service during those earlier months of the year as it will avoid the current bottleneck in September and October and allow them to spread their workload more evenly.”
customer loyalty
Investing in customer loyalty is one area Ian believes installers can sharpen their focus
Investing in customer loyalty is one area Ian believes installers can sharpen their focus on in a bid to drive a steady flow of servicing work outside of the industry’s peak period.
Offering three main avenues to focus on, Ian added, “A simple way to buck the yearly trend is to send service reminders to customers, a tactic which in turn helps build relationships and ensure business for today and tomorrow."
physical checklist or certificate
"Similarly, leaving a physical checklist or certificate with the customer upon completion of the job underlines the value of having the service. Value can also be demonstrated to customers by providing details of any parts replaced through the service, along with confirmation that the replacement parts are genuine."
"Genuine parts serve the best interests of both the homeowner and the installer so play an important role in maintaining those levels of loyalty and trust."
saving money
“Installers may also take the opportunity to give customers advice on how and where they can save money through things like changing control settings or adding the latest energy-saving measures.”
The Baxi Toolbelt app enables engineers to register newly installed systems and set up annual service reminders to encourage repeat business from customers.
