A family calls a heating engineer when their boiler breaks one winter. The engineer fixes it, then services it every year for the next nine years, carries out two repairs and eventually installs a new boiler. The family recommend the engineer to their neighbours. The first call-out was a modest job. The customer was worth a great deal more.
Heating customers who stay are the backbone of a heating business.
The long-term value
Over ten winters, a loyal heating customer might have annual services, occasional repairs, a boiler replacement, perhaps a new thermostat or radiators, and recommend the company to others. Membership businesses think about value in the same long-term way, as described in the cost of a lost gym membership lead.
An example to work through
The numbers below are purely illustrative.
A heating company receives 30 breakdown and service enquiries a month. If slow replies lose a fifth of them, that is six lost customers a month, or 72 a year.
If a third of those would have become long-term customers, that is 24 loyal customers lost each year. Each might have brought ten years of services, a few repairs and a replacement boiler. Across 24 customers, the lost lifetime value is very large. Use the chatbot ROI calculator to model your own.
The value of one captured enquiry
The general principle is explored in value of one captured enquiry.
Where customers are lost
Customers are lost at the first enquiry, often on cold evenings when breakdowns peak, as described in heating breakdowns that arrive on the coldest nights. They are also lost later, when service reminders are forgotten, as covered in boiler service reminders and repeat customers.
Why heating customers stay loyal
Heating customers value reliability above almost everything. Once they find an engineer who turns up when promised, explains things clearly and does not overcharge, they rarely switch. That loyalty is valuable, but it only begins if the first enquiry is answered well. A family whose boiler has just failed on a cold night will remember the engineer who helped them quickly.
Landlords and multiple properties
Landlords with several properties can be worth even more over time, with safety checks, services and repairs for each home. Capturing whether an enquiry comes from a landlord helps the company offer a suitable arrangement.
Upgrades and new technology
Long-term customers often upgrade over the years: smart thermostats, new radiators, perhaps a heat pump. A company that has looked after them well is the natural choice for that work.
Protecting the value
SpideyChat for HVAC companies answers questions from your own pages at any hour, shares gas safety information when needed and captures breakdown and service requests.
Word of mouth
Neighbours ask each other who they use. A loyal heating customer who recommends the company to two or three households over the years multiplies their own value several times over.
Comparing the cost
Compare the lifetime value of the customers you are losing with the cost of capturing every enquiry. Plans are on the pricing page.
Working out your own figure
Estimate how many years your typical customer stays, what they spend each year and how often they need a new boiler. Multiply by the customers you think you are losing. The result shows what faster first replies are worth.