Homeowners knowingly skipping their boiler service is a well-known problem within the heating industry. Richard Harvey, Category Director of Heating and Renewables at Wolseley UK, provides insight on how installers can help their customers stay on track with boiler servicing, and to ensure customers return whenever an issue arises.

Most UK homeowners take domestic plumbing and heating systems for granted. Without your expert knowledge, it can be easy for customers to overlook the importance of regular boiler servicing. Many homeowners knowingly ignore the need for regular servicing and maintenance and sometimes don’t understand the impact this can have on their system’s safety and levels of efficiency. 

Highlighting the importance of regular maintenance is vital when providing a professional service, and can often form a healthy stream of repeat revenue for your business. 

Ensuring all boilers and parts are annually checked offers your customer reassurance that their heating system will run smoothly throughout the winter months – avoiding boiler breakdown, frozen pipes, and frost on doors and windows. 

As 95% of UK homes now have central heating fitted, some homeowners rely solely on you for advice and expertise to assist with maintaining their heating systems. 

Keep in touch

Establishing great customer relationships relies on you keeping in touch with them. Ensuring your customers can get hold of you at any time builds trust, which is essential when working in the trades. Make sure you send boiler service reminders in advance, giving your customers time to arrange an appointment which works for them. 

Putting their needs first goes a long way towards making happy customers, who are more likely to recommend your services to their friends and family. So, make it easy for them to get in touch via email, phone, or even through social media. 

Smart recommendations 

As the old saying goes, honesty is the best policy. As an installer, honesty about the work and products required to do the job goes a long way and by only quoting for necessary work, your reputation for quality and value for money can spread faster than you can say gas leak. 

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with making a few recommendations to bring in more revenue for a job or to guarantee more work further down the line.

Before recommending products, it’s also essential to carry out basic checks in order to assess the current state of the heating system. These include checking radiators, the system pressure, thermostat care, and boiler servicing. 

Gather feedback

Asking for feedback from your customers is essential. It allows you to assess the level of service you provide, focus on your successes and improvements as a business, and also shows your commitment to customer satisfaction. 

A solid reputation and regular work only come with great recommendations. All feedback should be welcomed, regardless of whether it’s good or bad. Honestly assessing your feedback then allows you to improve your work and deliver a better service for your customers.

Be open about availability

Making yourself available for customers is essential to building a positive relationship. Clearly explaining when you’re next free will avoid any complications. The aim here is to ensure clear communication and no misunderstandings. 

Emergency heating callouts will happen but, if you can make it to your customers in good time, this will have a positive impact on your reputation and reliability. Even recommending another heating engineer can often be warmly received by your customer in emergency situations where you are not available.

Member status

Customers actively seek engineers who are part of an official body such as the Gas Safe Register. Not only is it a legal requirement for engineers working on heating systems, it also gives the customer confidence that the engineer has been trained to the correct standard and understands the industry.

On arrival, always make sure you show your Gas Safe card, because building a high level of trust and rapport is vital in today’s competitive marketplace. 

Making sure that you help your customers keep on top of their heating system maintenance is just one of the ways you can establish yourself in your area