As Fall approaches, it may be time to slow down a bit to catch your breath. Take some steps to ensure you, your team, and your company are ready to meet the upcoming heating needs of your customers.

So, first and foremost is the need to give your team a break since this summer has been weirdly hot. That means your technical staff most likely was running in supercharge mode to keep up with the demand. Of course, this is the time to let them plan some downtime to recharge. Likewise, the same applies for you. Slowing down helps you reduce stress, increase productivity and more. It helps to get you ready for the next season’s worth of challenges.

Indeed, as you “come back online,” think about some strategies that can help you in the near future. Here are just a few ideas to consider:

1 – Plan for staff vacations — Be sure to schedule vacations in a way that enables everyone to take some time off to recharge without interfering with company operations.

2 – Staff Training and Scheduling — From a fall training standpoint, shoulder seasons are ideal for getting your techs up-to-speed on the latest equipment and technologies. Fall is especially a good time to focus on heating system training, procedures, and products.

From a scheduling standpoint, fall is excellent to adjust staffing schedules from the fast paced of summer emergencies and installations, to increased demand for maintenance and repairs.

3 – Promotions — Fall is also the perfect time to revisit promotional discounts on maintenance services to encourage appointments and recharge your business.

Create bundled service packages that include things like inspections, equipment cleanings, and minor repairs to help customers get ready for winter. This could include system checks and upgrades.

Don’t forget about your marketing and advertising campaigns. This includes planning for and attending local home shows.

4 – Customer Outreach — Prepare and send emails or newsletters to remind customers about the importance of fall maintenance. You can include any promotions in these communication pieces as well.

5 – Customer Education — Educating customers is a good idea. You can organize workshops and seminars for free on the importance of system maintenance, testing and measuring system performance, and even energy savings tips for fall and winter. Don’t forget about home shows!

6 – Emergency Preparedness — This is something that more contractors should think about. Do you advertise your emergency services and is your staff ready to handle calls during unexpected cold snaps?

In addition, consider backup plans for supply chain disruptions (remember the COVID pandemic) or unexpected spikes in service demand. Do you have such plans?

7 – Inventory Management — Make sure you restock common replacement items like filters, thermostats, and furnace components. Furthermore, Fall is a great time to spend more time with your suppliers to strengthen relationships.

8 – Branding and Process Reviews — September is a great time to review with your team AND customers your internal process and work together to improve them. This helps keep your brand and culture sharply in focus.

Slowing down to recharge will help you proactively prepare for fall and winter. It’s a time to fine-tune and get ready to meet customer needs, improve customer satisfaction, and keep your team energized. Are you ready?