Recurring service contracts: turning one-off jobs into steady work
Most trade businesses run on one-off jobs: a call comes in, the job gets done, the customer disappears until something breaks again. That works, but it means every month starts at zero. A base of recurring service work changes the shape of the whole business.
Why it is worth the effort
- Predictable income. You know a large part of next month's revenue before it starts.
- Easier scheduling. Planned visits fill the quiet weeks and can be moved around urgent work.
- Better customers. Plan customers call you first when something does go wrong, and they rarely shop around.
- A more valuable business. If you ever sell, recurring contracts are worth far more than a list of past customers.
What can be recurring
More than people think. Almost any trade has something that should be done regularly:
- Heating and cooling servicing before each season
- Annual boiler, water heater or electrical safety checks
- Gutter, roof and drain cleaning
- Lawn, landscape and pest control visits
- Pool, window and pressure washing services
- Commercial cleaning and maintenance on a set schedule
If you regularly tell customers "you should really have this looked at every year", that is a plan waiting to be sold.
Make the offer simple
One or two plans are better than five. Say clearly what is included, how often you visit, and the price. Common extras that make plans attractive:
- Priority booking when something goes wrong
- A discount on any repair work
- No callout fee for plan customers
Price it monthly or annually. A monthly amount feels smaller and keeps payment automatic. An annual price suits commercial customers and those who prefer one invoice.
Ask at the right moment
The best time to offer a plan is right after a job has gone well, when the customer is pleased and the problem is fresh in their mind. "Would you like us to come back each spring so this doesn't happen again?" is an easy question to say yes to.
Put the offer on every invoice and in the follow-up message after a job, too.
Run it without chasing
A plan only works if the visits actually happen and the payments come in without you thinking about it.
- Schedule the next visit before you leave the current one
- Send a reminder a few days before each visit
- Take payment automatically on the plan's schedule
- Keep notes on each property so whoever goes knows its history
Start with your best customers
You do not need a big launch. Call or message twenty of your best past customers and offer them a plan. Twenty plan customers is a meaningful base of income, and it grows every month you keep offering it.