Shoulder season is the time between the busiest parts of the year, usually during spring and fall, when the weather is mild, and people aren't in a rush to heat or cool their homes. This can be a challenging time for HVAC and other home service companies. Fewer people are calling for repairs or replacements, and business slows down. This can lead to dips in revenue and a lot of uncertainty.
Solving the Shoulder Season Challenge
Seasonal slowdowns are one of the many challenges that trade companies deal with, they put a strain on cash flow and make it difficult to retain full-time employees when the job board dries up. Weather-related demand is not always controllable, but some tactics can help an HVAC company better navigate these challenges.
That’s why it’s important not to rely on just one strategy, like paid ads. Instead, businesses should find new ways to reach and serve customers.
Diversifying Your Services Can Help Create More Customer Interactions
During slow months, it's smart to offer more than just your usual heating and cooling services. One way to do this is by promoting seasonal offers. For example, advertise HVAC tune-ups before summer or furnace checkups in the fall. These services help customers prepare for upcoming temperature changes while giving your techs more work:
- Indoor air quality solutions
- Duct cleaning and sealing
- Smart thermostat and home automation
- Energy audits and efficiency upgrades
Indoor air quality services, like duct cleaning or installing APCO air purifiers. These services improve the air people breathe in their homes, and they pair well together. Owning your own duct cleaning machine is a big win for your business, too. These jobs are affordable to perform and often only require one technician. As a bonus, you can offer a free APCO replacement bulb, a value worth a few hundred dollars, when customers buy the full package.
Smart home technology is another opportunity. Installing smart thermostats not only provides value to customers but also gives your techs a chance to check the system for other issues. Even small sales like new filters can add up. Encourage your technicians to look for additional ways to help while they’re in the home.
Boost Your Marketing Strategy
Good marketing can make a huge difference during slow seasons. Start by improving your online presence. Use search engine optimization (SEO) to write blogs, record videos, or publish helpful guides about common problems people face with their HVAC systems in spring or fall. Website content that aligns with homeowner researching problems around their home can help build brand awareness. These can help bring new customers to your website and show that your company is knowledgeable and trustworthy.
Keep your Google Business Profile up to date and encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. You can even reward technicians who get the most reviews by running a friendly contest. There are tools that can help send automatic review requests, making it easy to collect feedback after each job.
Social media is another great tool. Run fall or spring promotions on Facebook and Instagram, and consider doing a giveaway, like a $50 gift card or even a free HVAC system. These promotions can bring attention to your business and grow your audience.
Email marketing is also helpful. Don’t just send messages asking customers to book appointments. Send educational emails, like what to do if your furnace stops working or how to prevent frozen condensers. These emails help build trust and often get high open rates.
Direct mail can still work well, too. Send offers to homes near recent jobs or thank-you cards to past customers. Add discounts or referral incentives to keep them engaged and encourage them to spread the word. Another great tactic is sending radius mailers. After completing a big installation job, look at the surrounding homes. If they’re older, it’s likely they need similar upgrades. Send a mailer that says you recently worked in their neighborhood and offer a discount on a new system. People are more likely to trust a business that’s already helped their neighbors.
Follow-up is one of the easiest and best ways to generate referrals and word of mouth leads. Send thank-you cards to recent customers and include a $50 discount for future repairs. Add another $50 coupon they can share with a friend or neighbor. If you gave them an estimate before, this incentive might help close the deal when they’re ready.
Improve Operations and Staff Training
When business slows down, it’s the perfect time to improve your team and processes. Train your staff, update their skills, or help them get certified. You can also hire temporary or seasonal workers to save money during slow periods. Some businesses use subcontractors or outside crews for installations, which can help control labor costs.
Make sure your customer service is top-notch. Answer the phone quickly, if you don’t, another company will. Train your team to ask open-ended questions and really listen to the customer’s needs. Be kind and take your time, especially when someone is without heat or air.
Qualify the lead properly by confirming they are a homeowner. Be clear about service windows, pricing, and what the customer should expect. Remind them about current promotions or comfort club perks. You should also check in on open estimates. Pull reports on any customers who haven’t made a decision yet. Send them a text offering 10% off if they schedule this month. Many people shop around, and a limited-time offer might be just what they need to choose your company.
Use a customer management system like ServiceTitan to send automatic emails to people who got a quote but didn’t book a job. A simple follow-up can turn an old lead into a new customer.
Another important step is improving the “walk-off” process for techs. When a technician finishes a job, the dispatcher should check in. Make sure the tech has collected payment, left an estimate, ordered parts if needed, and knows where to go next. This keeps everything running smoothly and professionally.
To keep your techs motivated, offer incentives. Give bonuses for upselling services like duct cleanings or humidifiers. If your company provides both HVAC and plumbing services, consider bundling maintenance packages. For example, you could promote a $49 spring tune-up that includes both systems. Even if the customer only needs a tune-up, getting a licensed tech into the home often leads to finding other repairs that need attention.
Also, consider offering free estimates or waiving dispatch fees if the customer agrees to a repair. Lowering your dispatch fees or emergency charges during slower months makes it easier for customers to move forward. Don’t forget to offer flexible financing options. Not everyone has thousands of dollars saved for a new HVAC system, and a good financing plan can help them say yes.
Build Stronger Customer Relationships
Staying in touch with past customers is key to long-term success. Reach out to people who got quotes but never booked. Ask if they’ve found someone else, and if not, offer a special discount to encourage them to choose you.
You can also offer loyalty rewards for customers who book during the off-season. Many advanced CRM and sales platforms will allow you to create short technician bios with a photo and a short paragraph. This can then be incorporated into the SOP’s and sent out to customers before their appointment so they feel more comfortable with the person coming into their home.
Taking these small steps can go a long way in building trust and turning one-time customers into loyal clients.
Survive and thrive in the years to come during projected slowdowns. Be proactive, plan ahead and budget shoulder season doesn’t have to mean a dramatic slowdown for your business. By expanding your services, improving your marketing, training your team, and staying connected with customers, you can turn this quiet time into a season of growth. Stay proactive, and your HVAC company will be ready to thrive, no matter the time of year.
For over fifteen years HLM has been helping home service companies fill their dispatch boards. If you are searching for a marketing agency to help you attract more customers and generate leads consistently, contact HLM to speak with a marketing expert today.
