16 Helpful Tips To Handle Busy Winters With Your Heating Business

Winter is by far the busiest and most profitable season for a heating business. But while all this extra work is great news for the bank account, it can make things a lot more stressful and difficult to manage. 

Scheduling challenges, long working hours, last-minute phone calls from customers who’ve just turned on their radiators for the first time this year… Add some family time for Christmas onto that, and you’ve got a recipe for an incredibly busy few months. 

We asked heating & plumbing business owners how they make it through the heating season, and they gave some genuinely insightful tips. We’ve categorised them in this article.

You’re almost 40% busier in winter

We analysed over 6000 heating & plumbing businesses and found that heating and plumbing businesses are up to 39% busier in the colder months.

If you want to see how much busier your business gets, check out our free seasonality calculator. 

PLANNING YOUR CAPACITY

Tip #1: Call your customer the day before to confirm the appointment

Communication is key in the trades. Sometimes, customers forget about an appointment or, even worse, call another company that could get the job done quicker. A great way to avoid turning up and finding out they’re not home is to give them a quick ring the day before to confirm the appointment.

You can also send an appointment confirmation directly from your GES calendar. 

In winter, when your schedules are so packed and customers are left waiting longer than usual, having a no-show is especially painful and wastes precious time.

This tip was submitted anonymously. 

Tip #2: Schedule your jobs geographically

A great way to squeeze some extra time out of your day is to organise your diary so that all your jobs are close together. This will help minimise time spent driving and maximise how long you actually get paid for. 

Before booking a job, see if you’re going to be in the area at a certain time. Or, if you work as part of a team, check where each engineer lives and what’s closest to them. 

This tip was submitted anonymously.

Tip #3: Save the last slot of each day for breakdowns

If you finish early, you can also use the time to finish up some paperwork. 

This tip was submitted by Laura Eastham from Ignite Heating Services and Jason Finlay from JMF Heating and Plumbing Ltd.

Tip #4: Stay flexible and avoid committing to large projects

Breakdowns and emergency callouts are some of the most profitable jobs and customers really value a fast response. The only problem is when you’ve got a fully booked-up schedule and end up working overtime to do them. 

During the busy months, prioritising smaller jobs leaves you with a more flexible schedule. Larger jobs can mean you have to miss out on more urgent ones, which can then hurt the amount of repeat business you get in the long run. 

This tip was submitted by Peter Blake from Pipedreams Heating and Plumbing Limited.

Tip #5: Send your reminders out earlier than usual

If you have customers who need boilers serviced over winter, it can be a good idea to send your service reminders a little earlier. This gives you some extra time to schedule jobs and make sure things don’t get too hectic at the last minute.

You could even run a pre-winter push and use service reminders to pull demand forward so winter is less of a spike.

Here’s how to set up automated boiler service reminders with GES.

This tip was submitted by Laura Eastham from Ignite Heating Services.

GET PAID FASTER & PRICE FOR WINTER

Tip #6: Make getting paid quick & easy

One of the best ways to avoid late payments (which is a persistent issue in heating & plumbing…) is to make getting paid quick and easy, preferably on the spot.

There are plenty of modern & easy digital payment methods that help you do this, including card readers and even QR codes and payment links (these can be generated with GES invoices). If you’re still struggling with late payers, consider implementing an automated payment reminder system.

This tip was submitted by Richard from Marshall Gas Ltd. 

Tip #7: Set your prices for the type of customer you want to work for

Everyone has their own version of an ideal customer. Different types of customers will have different price ranges they’re comfortable with, and setting your prices accordingly will allow you to work for who you want.

This tip was submitted by @jonesthegas on Instagram.

Tip #8: Increase your prices

If your schedule is simply too busy to manage during the busy period, it could be a sign your prices are too low. Higher prices will naturally mean you win fewer quotes, but it’ll also mean you make more profit for your work. 

So, what and how should you charge? We’ve written in-depth articles about pricing that talk about the best pricing strategies as well as the average prices for jobs broken down by region here in the UK. You can access these here:

• Hourly vs Fixed Price: Why Most Gas Engineers Have Stopped Billing by the Hour
• Are You Charging Enough? Average Heating Business Prices
• How To Work Out Your Hourly Rate as a Gas Engineer

LEARN TO SAY NO

Tip #9: Don’t be scared to say “No” to new customers

Repeat business is incredibly valuable and very profitable for any heating & plumbing business. If you’ve got a loyal customer base already, don’t be afraid to turn down a new customer, even if it’s just for the winter months.

New customers can take a disproportionately large amount of your time, meaning you won’t have time to help all of your current customers. 

This tip was submitted by Laura Eastham from Ignite Heating Services.

FOCUS ON THE SMALL THINGS

Tip #11: Always turn up with a smile

This tip was submitted by @rebel.gaming.steve on Instagram.

CUT THE ADMIN & BE PREPARED

Tip #14: Keep your van well-stocked with spare parts

You never know when you need a specific spare part. Keep your van fully stocked with all the parts you can so you don’t need to rush to the merchants and return another day to finish the job. 

This tip was submitted by Rob from Plumbing Heating Drainage Services.