Summer boiler servicing is a win-win, says Baxi

Now is a great time to encourage your customers to get their boilers serviced and take advantage of the quieter summer months, says Baxi. The company says online searches for ‘boiler service’ peaked at 40,000 last October, compared with an annual low of 12,000 last June.

Ian Trott, head of UK Training Solutions, says actively encouraging a service during the industry’s ‘off-peak’ period of spring and could be a real win-win for installers and their customers, especially given growing price-sensitivity among homeowners.

“It is common knowledge that most boiler service appointments will be booked just ahead of the heating season when customers are preparing to turn on their heating for the first time in months,” he says. “Some might even choose to delay even further to the point when the system is back up and running and showing signs of a fault. But as we know, leaving servicing to the autumn, one of the busiest periods of the year for heating engineers, could leave householders having to wait weeks for an appointment.

“The benefits to customers of a spring or summer service are clear. Ensuring that the heating system operates safely and efficiently before the start of the heating season gives the homeowner welcome peace of mind of trouble-free service in the colder months.

“We are also all familiar with instances where a customer requests a service when in fact the boiler has actually broken down. And as we know, when it reaches this point, the cost of a repair is likely to be much higher than that of an annual service.

“Installers will also benefit greatly from encouraging a service during those earlier months of the year as it will avoid the bottleneck in September and October and allow them to spread their workload more evenly.”

One way to buck the yearly trend, he adds, is to send service reminders. This also helps to build relationships. And leaving a physical checklist or certificate with the customer when you’ve finished a service also underlines its value.

You can use the Baxi Toolbelt app to register newly installed systems and set up annual service reminders to encourage repeat business.