How HVAC Contractors Can Stay Busy in the Shoulder Season

1. Mine your database 

2. Outbound calling 

3. Aggressive offers or discounts 

4. Maintenance 

5. Referrals 

Step 1: Your Existing Customers Are Gold: Mine Your Database 

You are sitting on a gold mine of leads right there in your office. It’s time to sift through your database and identify opportunities. If you use a CRM such as Housecall Pro, ServiceTitan, FieldEdge, or Payzerware, you should be able to run multiple customer reports. Here are some that can drive immediate revenue. 

• Customers that skipped or did not get their a/c maintenance scheduled — start scheduling fall maintenance appointments for them. 

• Who has systems 12 years old, 15 years and older, etc. 

• Who’s had multiple repairs in the last two years. 

Step 2: Outbound Calling 

It’s time to pick up that phone and start dialing. Call volume drops off significantly in September for most HVAC companies, so let’s put those fingers to work. CSRs have more free time in shoulder season, so let’s capitalize on that! Here’s who we are looking for. 

• Open repair or replacement estimates from the previous months. 

• Customers that did not get their a/c maintenance completed this summer. 

• Maintenance customers that did not renew in 2026 

• Review recommendations that were made on previous calls that the customer did not act on (duct modifications or new duct systems, IAQ products, part replacements, etc.) 

Step 3: Aggressive Offers and Discounts 

Is there a good time to buy heating and air conditioning? Yes, that time is right now! Let’s be honest with our current or even new customers. Let them know that this is our slow time, and they can take advantage of that. Remember, retail businesses offer discounts and specials all the time. We are retailers too, so let’s act like it. 

• Offer Discounts on New Equipment Installations – Many of the manufacturers are offering rebates during the shoulder season. Your company can even offer a small discount — 10% off works great. This is where your database really comes into play. Can you run a report that tells you the age of each system? The number of repairs and the dollar amount by customer? These details greatly help in creating custom offers. Example:Send a letter, an email, and even call the customers with systems that are 10 years and older that have had several repairs in the last couple of years. Let them know you will discount the new installation if they do it now. Try it. It works! 

• Financing Is HUGE in 2026 – I know many companies that are offering 0% financing on repairs and replacements. This could be the gentle push to get someone to buy. 

• Pre-Season Tune-Up Special – Provide them a September-only discounted rate on your fall heating tune-up: “Normally $149, Fall Special $99.” 

Step 4: Maintenance Leads To a Profitable Fall 

Maintenance agreements are the gift that keeps on giving. Maintenance is the lifeblood of any strong residential HVAC business, and you really can’t have too many agreements. They can help insulate your company during the shoulder seasons. Remember, the industry KPI is 500 agreements per service technician. In an ideal world, that works out to four calls per day per technician: two maintenance calls and two demand-service calls. That equals 10 maintenance visits per week, times 50 weeks, for 500 agreements per technician, minus two weeks for vacation. Maintenance visits provide: 

• Recurring Revenue, especially when you need it in September and October. 

• Opportunities for Upsells – Moving in fall and winter, IAQ items such as, humidifiers, UV lights. (Phenomenal Aire provides a great product that reduces static electricity in the winter. I have one in my home.) 

• Workforce Stability – As demand drops off, these keep your team busy. 

• Customer Retention – Stay top of mind with your base. You must keep the blinders on your customers, so they do not look elsewhere for services. 

Maintenance creates a long-lasting relationship. Think about it like this: The more often you interact with your customer, the stronger the relationship becomes. So, twice each year, you get to visit their home to evaluate their system(s). You get to listen to their needs, which you can provide solutions for, but you’re really building that unbreakable bond. If possible, the same technician should visit the same customer on every visit. Trust me, it strengthens the relationship. 

Step 5: Referrals and Referral Programs 

Referrals should be asked for year-round, but they are even more important in the shoulder season. Think about your own personal life, do you ask friends and family for referrals? I know I do it all the time. They come from a trusted source, so shouldn’t your heating and air company be a trusted source? Of course it should be. Capitalize on the relationships you already have with your current customers. If the relationship is strong, your customer should not mind referring you to friends and family. 

Creating a Referral Program 

First things first, do you have a referral program? If not, it is easy to create one. Make it easy for your team, nothing too complicated. Your team members can add it to the backs of their business cards; create a simple ID code for each team member and reward them for referrals. When the new customer presents the referral, ask for the code on the card. You should require your team to ask for referrals on every service, maintenance, or installation call. 

Setting Up the Program 

1. Make It Easy – Have simple rules for the referrer and referral  

2. Make It Worthwhile – Reward both parties (for example, the referral gets a set discount amount on a repair or installation. The referrer gets a set amount off their next service from your company.) 

3. Make It Part of Your Culture – Everyone in your company is responsible for referrals. Reward your team members for referrals.  

Make the Shoulder Your Best Season 

We all want to take a deep breath and relax a little after summer. You should; you’ve earned it. Follow these steps, and it will help drive more consistent revenue when the weather is mild. You and your team will reap the rewards.