The Sale Doesn’t End When You Pack Up Your Tools
Here’s a hard truth that most trades businesses refuse to accept: the money isn’t in the job you just finished—it’s in all the jobs that come after.
You spent money on marketing to get that customer. You invested time building trust. You solved their problem professionally. You did great work. And then what? You pack up your tools, collect payment, and never talk to them again.
That’s insane.
You just walked away from the most valuable asset in your business: a satisfied customer who knows, likes, and trusts you. Meanwhile, your competition is spending thousands on ads trying to find new customers, while you’re ignoring the goldmine sitting in your completed job files.
The biggest mistake in the trades isn’t bad work—it’s having no process to follow up.
Why Most Follow-Up Fails (Or Never Happens)
Let’s be honest about why follow-up doesn’t happen in most trades businesses:
“We’re too busy.” You finish one job and immediately rush to the next. Follow-up feels like extra work when you’re already overwhelmed.
“Customers don’t want to be bothered.” You assume that once the job is done, customers want you to disappear. Some do, but most appreciate genuine care.
“We don’t know what to say.” Without a process, follow-up feels awkward and sales-y.
“We’ll get to it later.” Without systems, “later” never comes. That satisfied customer becomes a distant memory.
“One job at a time mentality.” You think transactionally instead of relationship-building. Each job is separate instead of part of an ongoing relationship.
But here’s what happens when you don’t follow up:
- Satisfied customers forget about you when problems arise
- Small issues become big problems that could have been prevented
- You miss opportunities for additional work
- Customers don’t think to refer you because you’re out of sight, out of mind
- You’re constantly hunting for new customers instead of nurturing existing relationships
The Debrief: Your Follow-Up Starts Before You Leave
Good follow-up starts with good intelligence. Before you can create an effective follow-up process, you need to understand how each job actually went. That’s where the debrief comes in.
Here’s what your CSR or dispatch should ask your tech after every job:
“How did the customer seem when you left?”
- Happy and satisfied?
- Concerned about something?
- Confused about the solution?
- Stressed about the cost?
“Did they understand what you did and why?”
- Did you explain the problem clearly?
- Do they understand how to prevent it in the future?
- Are they confident in the solution?
“Were there any concerns they mentioned?”
- Worried about warranty coverage?
- Questions about maintenance?
- Other issues they noticed but didn’t address?
“What’s the follow-up priority?”
- High: Customer seemed unsure or had concerns
- Medium: Standard satisfaction check
- Low: Customer was thrilled and confident
This intelligence determines your follow-up approach. A customer who seemed worried needs a phone call within a few days. A customer who was completely satisfied might get a 30-day check-in.
Follow-Up by Job Type: Different Jobs, Different Approaches
Emergency Repairs (Follow up within 1 week) “Hi [Name], this is [Your Name] from [Company]. I wanted to check in on that emergency repair we did last week. Is everything still working properly? Any concerns at all?”
Emergency customers are often stressed when you’re there. Following up shows you care about more than just getting paid and getting out.
Installation Jobs (Follow up at 30 days) “Hi [Name], it’s been about a month since we installed your new water heater. How’s it been working for you? Any questions about the operation or maintenance?”
New installations need time to prove themselves. 30 days gives customers enough experience to know if they’re happy.
Routine Maintenance (Follow up seasonally) “Hi [Name], with winter coming up, I wanted to remind you that your HVAC system is due for its annual maintenance. We can get you scheduled before the busy season hits.”
Maintenance customers are your bread and butter for recurring revenue. Seasonal reminders keep you top of mind.
Warranty Work (Follow up in 2 weeks) “Hi [Name], I wanted to check in on that warranty repair we completed. Everything still working perfectly? I want to make sure we got that issue completely resolved.”
Warranty work needs close attention. You want to catch any remaining issues before they become bigger problems.
Making Raving Fans: It’s About Genuine Care, Not Scripts
The goal isn’t to follow up—it’s to create raving fans. People who are so impressed with your service that they can’t help but tell their friends.
Here’s how to do it:
Listen more than you talk. Ask how things are going and actually listen to the answer. If they mention they’re happy, great. If they have concerns, address them immediately.
Be conversational, not corporate. Talk like you’re checking in on a friend, not reading from a script. “Hey, how’s that new water heater treating you?” feels different than “This is a customer satisfaction follow-up call.”
Remember personal details. If they mentioned their daughter’s wedding or a upcoming vacation, ask about it. “How was Sarah’s wedding? I hope the plumbing behaved itself!”
Go above and beyond when it matters. If there’s a storm coming and you know they had drainage issues, call to make sure they’re prepared. If it’s unusually hot and you recently worked on their AC, check in.
Don’t just follow up—follow through. If they mention a small concern, handle it immediately. Don’t let little issues become big problems.
Phone Calls Still Matter (More Than You Think)
In a world of texts and emails, phone calls show you really care. Anyone can send an automated email. Taking time to actually call shows genuine concern for their satisfaction.
Phone calls also give you information you can’t get from other channels:
- Tone of voice reveals satisfaction levels
- You can address concerns in real-time
- You can uncover additional needs or problems
- It’s more personal and memorable
When to call vs. when to text/email:
Call for:
- High-priority follow-ups (customer had concerns)
- Emergency repairs (make sure the fix is holding)
- Expensive installations (significant investment deserves personal attention)
- Warranty issues (need to ensure complete resolution)
Text/Email for:
- Routine maintenance reminders
- Simple satisfaction checks
- Seasonal reminders
- Review requests
Building a Referral System That Actually Works
The best referral system is exceptional service that people can’t wait to talk about. But you can’t just hope referrals happen—you need to make it easy and rewarding.
Ask directly, but strategically: “[Name], we’re a small, local business that depends on referrals. If you know anyone dealing with plumbing issues, we’d love to help them the same way we helped you.”
Time it right:
- After successful follow-up calls
- When customers express satisfaction
- After resolving warranty issues quickly
- During routine maintenance when relationship is strong
Make it easy:
- Give them business cards to pass along
- Create a simple referral form they can share
- Make sure your contact info is memorable and easy to find
Incentivize appropriately:
- “$50 credit for every referral that becomes a customer”
- “Free annual maintenance for 3 successful referrals”
- “Refer 5 customers, get $250 off your next major repair”
Don’t be pushy: If exceptional service doesn’t naturally lead to referrals, pushing harder won’t help. Focus on improving the experience, not the ask.
Maintenance Reminders: Recurring Revenue and Prevention
Maintenance reminders serve two purposes: they generate recurring revenue and prevent emergency calls that hurt customer relationships.
Seasonal reminders work best:
- Spring: “Time for your annual HVAC tune-up before summer hits”
- Fall: “Let’s get your heating system ready for winter”
- Summer: “Time to clean those gutters before storm season”
Make it about them, not you: “We want to help you avoid emergency repairs during the holidays when everyone’s busy and costs are higher.”
Build maintenance packages:
- Annual HVAC service plans
- Quarterly drain cleaning
- Bi-annual electrical safety inspections
Use your slow periods strategically: Schedule maintenance reminders to fill your calendar during traditionally slow times. This smooths out your revenue and keeps your team busy year-round.
Tools That Actually Help (Without Overcomplicating Things)
You don’t need fancy software to follow up—you need a system. Start simple and add tools as you grow.
Basic level: Use your phone’s calendar or a simple spreadsheet to track follow-up dates. Set reminders for 1 week, 30 days, and seasonal check-ins.
Intermediate level: Customer relationship management (CRM) tools like:
- ServiceTitan: Built for home services, integrates with your scheduling
- Housecall Pro: Simple interface, good for smaller businesses
- Jobber: Affordable option with solid follow-up features
Advanced level: Automation tools like:
- Chirp: Specifically designed for trades businesses, automates follow-up sequences
- HubSpot: More complex but powerful for larger operations
- ActiveCampaign: Great for email automation and customer segmentation
Remember: The tool doesn’t make the system work—consistency does. A simple calendar reminder that you actually use beats expensive software that sits unused.
Handling the Difficult Follow-Ups
Not every follow-up will be sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes you’ll call and find out the customer isn’t happy. That’s not a failure—it’s an opportunity.
When customers seem annoyed by follow-up: “I don’t want to take up your time, but I want to make sure you’re completely satisfied. Is there anything we could do better?”
When you discover problems:
- Don’t get defensive
- Listen to understand, not to argue
- Offer solutions immediately
- Escalate to ownership/management if needed
- Follow up again to ensure resolution
When customers have additional needs: “While I have you on the phone, is there anything else around the house that’s been giving you trouble?”
The owner or general manager should handle escalated issues. When someone with authority gets involved, it shows the customer their satisfaction matters to the whole company.
The Follow-Up That Pays: Real Numbers
Here’s what good follow-up actually delivers:
The Real ROI of Follow-Up:
- Repeat business: Customers who receive follow-up calls are 3-5 times more likely to call you for future work
- Higher lifetime value: A customer who uses you once might be worth $500. A customer who uses you for 10 years could be worth $5,000+
- Referral multiplication: One satisfied customer who refers you can generate 3-5 additional customers over time
- Reduced marketing costs: It costs 5-10 times more to acquire a new customer than to keep an existing one
- Emergency prevention: Proactive maintenance reminders prevent costly emergency calls that strain your schedule and stress customers
The Bottom Line: Relationships Beat Transactions
You’re not just in the plumbing business or HVAC business or electrical business—you’re in the relationship business. The companies that understand this dominate their markets. The companies that don’t struggle to survive.
Stop thinking about jobs and start thinking about customers. Each completed job isn’t the end of a transaction—it’s the beginning of a relationship.
Follow up consistently. Care genuinely. Solve problems quickly. Make it easy to refer you. Build systems that ensure no customer falls through the cracks.
When you do that, the follow-up pays in ways you never imagined.
Your phone rings more. Your schedule fills up faster. Your customers become your biggest advocates. And your business becomes the one everyone in town talks about.
So stop packing up your tools and walking away from the goldmine. Start following up like your business depends on it—because it does.
