What to Say on a Thank You Card for an HVAC Customer

Sending a handwritten card thank you card to your HVAC customer is an excellent way to win their long-term loyalty, but if you find yourself struggling to decide what to say, you’re in good company. Too much sales information will turn off a customer and make the card seem insincere, but not including any information about your services seems like a missed opportunity.

Today, we’ll show you how to navigate this challenge and the other challenges of writing thank you cards for your customers.

Please note that this article is about the best way to write, package, and send a thank you note for your customers. It is not just about Christmas cards, but some of the advice should still apply.

You might also be interested in: How to craft the perfect HVAC business card

Why and When are You Sending the Card?

Some HVAC businesses send out holiday thank you cards to anyone who purchased their services that year. Other HVAC businesses send out thank you notes a month or so after they’ve finished a job for a customer. Naturally, the the content of the thank you card should be different depending on whether it is a holiday card or not. There is also nothing stopping you from sending both, especially if the service was performed earlier in the year.

Seasonal Cards

Seasonal cards may be partly to remind customers of maintenance they should take in the New Year. Many HVAC contractors will remind customers to perform furnace maintenance in the fall, or air conditioner maintenance in the spring.

If this is your goal, it might be best to send out Easter or Thanksgiving cards instead of Christmas cards. When you do, include your reason why. You could say something like:

“We send Easter cards instead of Christmas cards because your air conditioner maintenance should be done in the spring. This is part of our commitment to serve customers when it’s most convenient for them.”

Keep promotional messages short so that they feel sincere. We recommend making it no more than 25% of the entire message.

After Service Thank You Cards

Those HVAC companies who choose to send out thank you cards a month or so after they finished the job have more flexibility when it comes to the subject of their cards. Typically, you’ll want to ask the customer to let you know how their HVAC system is running now and remind them to schedule maintenance. Suggest a specific date so that they are more likely to schedule the work.

An after-service card is also a good opportunity to ask customers for a testimonial or to rate you on Google, Yelp, or their preferred review site.

While an after service thank you card serves a few specific business goals, focus on saying thank you first. A thoughtful, well-written thank you note is a great way to show your clients that you really appreciate their business, and you’re grateful that they chose your company. You’ll find that even a little kindness can go a very long way. 

Be Specific

No matter which kind of card you’re sending, it pays to be specific to the customer’s needs. For example, there is no use telling customers who purchased a gas furnace from you that you now have a sale on gas furnaces. Instead, include details in the card that will be relevant to each customer.

The more comprehensive your records of a customer’s history with you, the more specific you can be. Keep notes of what equipment and models your customers chose, when they should get maintenance, and the top questions or concerns they expressed while you worked with them.

The best, most specific card might include a line like this:

“Your technician, James, told us you were concerned about dust and allergen build-up in your new furnace filter. When you get time, reach out to us for a maintenance call so we can come check up on it for you.”

If you happened to small talk during their service appointment, you can always refer back to that as well. If your kids went to the same school, or you root for the same sports team, or you remembered their dog’s name, call back to it. Pretty much all customers love receiving special attention, and sometimes that’s all it takes.

If you still can’t decide what to say on a thank you card to an HVAC customer, keep it short and focus on expressing gratitude for their business. You can’t go wrong with sincere appreciation.

Don’t Oversell

It’s tempting to treat customer thank-you cards as a sales tactic, but don’t come on too strong. Building good will can benefit you and your company in a lot of ways, like referrals and earning reviews. Trying to push for a sale at every opportunity can spoil that good will and make you look like a shameless opportunist.

Instead, focus on connecting with your customer, not trying to sell them on new services or bragging about your business. You’ll find that a lot of customers will be floored by a personal touch, and even a little bit goes a long way.

Consider the Stationary

Thanking your customers using a clearly templated piece of stationary can undercut your message, or it can help sell the impression that your company is large and well established. On the other hand, using unbranded stationary can make the message come across as more sincere, and less business as usual.

With that in mind, decide what approach works better for your brand and capacity. While it’s hard to beat a hand written thank you message, it can be prohibitively time consuming if you have a lot of customers to thank.

Need More Help with Your HVAC Customers?

Our HVAC answering services are great for companies that need help serving their customers over the phone, but without the cost of a full time employee. We also offer virtual receptionist and virtual office manager services for HVAC contractors with additional needs, such as scheduling, dispatching, and even bookkeeping. Call now to learn more or get started.