The hot housing market has priced many people out of being able to buy a new home or move to a larger one. For those in the  HVAC business, this means people are more likely to stay in their current homes.

That opens the door to increased opportunities as equipment ages or homeowners want to improve the HVAC systems.

What Does Today’s Average Homeowner Look Like?

Let's look at the latest HVAC market statistics. The average homeowner is 55 years old, according to a survey of the country’s 50 largest metro areas. (LendingTree)

People are also staying in their homes much longer these days, too. A record 25.1% of US homeowners have lived in the same house for more than 20 years — that’s up from 14.3% in 2010. This means the average homeowner has lived in the same home for 13 years, long enough to be an HVAC customer target.

There is a larger pool of potential heating and air conditioning customers available right now and, because the average homeowner is older, they are more likely to have disposable income to become a high-value HVAC customer.

Today, however, customers expect a high-quality customer service experience.

Why Quality HVAC Companies Are in Demand Right Now

Quality HVAC companies are in high demand right now. The key word in that sentence, though, is quality.

The HVAC industry is facing an intense shortage of HVAC technicians. This makes it more difficult to find a quality provider that has experienced an HVAC technician available to get jobs done properly and promptly. This has degraded the HVAC customer service significantly.

How important is great HVAC customer service in 2021?

• The majority of customers report they have decided not to complete a purchase because of a poor customer service experience. (Nextiva)
• 65% of customers report switching to a different brand or company because they had a poor customer experience. (Helpscout)

When customer service is good, the picture changes completely:

• 73% of customers say they remain loyal to companies when there’s strong (and friendly) customer service. Loyalty equates to repeat business and more revenue opportunities. (Hubspot)
• If customers experience excellent customer service, 94% of customers say they are likely to make repeat purchases and 78% of customers will do business with you again even if you make a mistake.

So, the question becomes what do customers define as good HVAC customer service?

At the top of the list for most HVAC customers is a rapid response. If a customer’s heating and air conditioning system isn’t working properly, they want it serviced ASAP. If you are unable to provide that, you are likely to lose a customer, especially if a competitor can handle it. If they provide exceptional customer service, you may lose a customer for life.

Speed isn’t just about how fast you can get to a customer’s home and repair their HVAC systems, either. It’s also about how quickly you respond when they contact you. If you can’t acknowledge an HVAC customer’s inquiry within a few hours, you’re missing out on work and leaving a bad impression. Customers today expect an immediate response whether they have called, emailed, texted, or connected via social media.

While a prompt response is important, great customer service doesn’t stop there. It requires a professional experience from the first contact until after the job is done. Customers expect to get consistent communication about scheduling and when an HVAC technician will show up. If you’re still offering 4-hour windows for service appointments and not updating customers on arrival times, you’re taking a risk.

HVAC customers expect an experienced HVAC technician to show up on time, act professionally during the visit, answer their questions, get the job done right the first time, and do it efficiently.

If they are getting an estimate, they expect it to be done promptly.

After the service call, they expect a follow-up to make sure the work was done to the customer’s satisfaction.

What Are the Best Ways to Get Customers in 2021?

A customer mindset needs to permeate every area of your business from the first contact to the last. That extends to the way you attract HVAC customers to your business, too.

Billboards, emails, direct mail, and word of mouth only go so far these days. The Yellow Pages?   Forget it. When customers are searching for someone to take care of their heating and air conditioning problems, they’re online.

90% of customers use the internet to find local businesses. 62% search online for HVAC repair services.

Here’s an important question you need to answer:  when HVAC customers search for you online, what do they find?  Despite any advertising or marketing you’ve done, 84% of HVAC customers say they did not have a particular company in mind when searching. So, even if you’ve worked with someone before, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll get their next call.

Your online presence can determine whether you get that call or not. Customers form an impression of your business before you even get a chance to talk to them. And the old saying “out of sight, out of mind” applies more than ever in today’s on-demand and connected world.

So, how do you get more customers from your HVAC marketing?

• Show up high in organic search results
• Build content for today’s customer and tomorrow’s HVAC customer
• Improve the quality and quantity of your customer reviews
• Create a unified marketing solution
• Implement a system with all the tools your sales and marketing teams needs
• Use Google search ads, but don’t rely solely on them
• Constantly analyze your marketing and invest in what works

These are just a few of the strategies the top performers in the HVAC industry are using to expand and grow their business. You can get details on each of these approaches and more by checking our free Guide to Get More Results from Your HVAC Marketing.

At Rizen, we’ve been helping HVAC companies and home service providers grow their customer base and revenue for years. We’ve developed innovative strategies and proven tactics that work.

Whether you need help with your inbound marketing strategy, sales enablement, paid search marketing, training, marketing integration, or just want to talk about a new way to expand your business, contact the HVAC industry marketing experts at Rizen today. Let’s grow together!