How can I bring back HVAC customers who haven't booked in over a year?
Your past customers already know you. Most just need a reason and an easy way to book.
- How do I contact old customers without being annoying?
- Who should I contact first?
- Is texting old customers allowed?
Pull a list of customers with no visit in 12 to 24 months from your field service software, group them by what they likely need, such as a tune-up, a filter change or a replacement check, and send a short, relevant offer with a booking link. Follow up once, then stop. Check consent before texting, and use mail for customers you can't text.
Build the list
- Customers with no visit in 12 to 24 months.
- Former maintenance members who did not renew.
- Customers with equipment over 12 years old.
- Exclude anyone who asked not to be contacted or had a complaint still open.
Match the message to the group
A lapsed member gets a re-join offer. A past repair customer gets a tune-up reminder before the season. Old equipment gets a free replacement assessment. AI can help draft these variations and choose the group based on job history.
Consent and channel
Under CASL, implied consent from a purchase generally lasts two years, so customers inside that window can usually receive commercial email or texts with an unsubscribe option. Beyond two years, use direct mail or ask for consent. In the US, follow TCPA consent rules for marketing texts. This is general information, not legal advice.
How we look at it at ShoutEx
We run win-back campaigns in shoulder seasons and measure booked jobs from the list against a holdout group that did not get messages, so you know what the campaign actually added.
- Texting everyone in the database regardless of consent.
- The same discount for every customer.
- Contacting customers with open complaints.
- No stop rule.
- A clean, grouped list.
- A message that fits each group.
- Mail for older contacts.
- A holdout group to measure results.
What HVAC owners and researchers say
Here is what owners and regulators say.
Commercial messages need consent, sender details and an unsubscribe option. Implied consent from a purchase is generally limited to two years.
Read the CRTC overview →Owners share win-back ideas: tune-up reminders, postcards and calls to old members. Simple, relevant offers do best.
Browse the threads →Service business owners discuss re-engaging lapsed customers and the risk of over-messaging.
Browse the threads →Community summaries describe recurring themes in public threads, not individual posts. Vendor pages describe vendor claims, so test them on your own calls.
Read next
Go deeper in the ShoutEx guides, or check the sources behind this answer.
We'll build your win-back list and campaign, and measure what it adds.
Book a call →Follow-up questions
How often can I contact past customers?
One offer and one follow-up per campaign, a few times a year, is a reasonable limit.
Is direct mail worth it for win-back?
Often, for older customers and replacement offers, especially when you can't text them.
Should I call them instead?
For high-value groups, such as old commercial accounts, a call from a person works well.