Getting Started with Overhead Garage Door Preventive Maintenance

Garage door preventative maintenance agreements can help your business establish a reliable source of recurring revenue.

Preventative maintenance contracts are good for your customers and good for your business. Many garage door installation and service companies have started to offer maintenance contracts for the doors they sell and install–your company should too. There are several advantages to getting involved with this type of work, both for your garage company and your customers.

The Market for Garage Door Maintenance Service Contracts is Huge

Roughly 66% of homes in the United States have a garage door, so garage door maintenance services have a massive market. Plus, many of those homes are on the older side. In fact, more than 7 out of 10 homes are at least 20 years old. Older homes tend to require more maintenance, including garage door maintenance.

Installing and Maintaining Garage Doors

Installing or replacing a garage door is not necessarily an expensive upgrade, especially when compared to something like windows or kitchens. The cost for the door itself can run as low as $500, and it only takes around five hours of labor to get the installation done. The end cost usually runs between $1,000 and $3,500 for the homeowner, but your involvement doesn’t have to end there. A service contract can give your company more regular garage maintenance work for years to come.

Offering Service Contracts

When you offer service contracts, you effectively agree to come by periodically, usually 1-2 times a year (the exact frequency of visits will depend on the weather in your area, the nature of the contract, and the door itself). Some companies simply charge their technicians’ hourly rates and the cost of supplies, but other garage door services take it a step further. They offer a standard set of maintenance offerings on a payment schedule.

Benefits to Your Company

Service contracts help secure your company some consistent, recurring income. Each contract gives you regular payments and could help you level out the peaks and valleys of your year. By receiving some of your income in payments, you get a piece of the income you would have gotten in one lump sum spread throughout the year. In addition, maintenance contracts allow you to schedule more easily. Without this service offering, your techs generally only go out on calls when there are problems or customers want new installations. This can produce surges in the schedule so that your team ends up working overtime just to get it all done. When you offer maintenance contracts, you set the schedule. Your guys can have something to do on slow days.

Benefits to Your Customers

Service maintenance contracts give your customers peace of mind. They know that by having you lubricate and maintain their garage doors, they will prevent many of the issues that occur from a lack of maintenance. You fix problems before they arise. Also, service contracts can make garage door maintenance more affordable for many people. Often, garage door service companies offer convenient payment schedules, allowing their customers to pay in quarterly or even monthly installments. Furthermore, service maintenance contracts tend to provide customers with faster service and shorter turnaround times.

Maintenance Service Contract Management

The only real drawback to offering maintenance service contracts? Your company will need to keep records on the terms of the contracts. You will need to schedule your crew to fulfill your side of the deals as well as oversee the payment schedule that your customers have agreed to. Some companies simplify this by offering a standard plan and standard terms, but that approach is a disservice to your business. Different garage doors may require different levels of maintenance, additional time, or even special equipment to service properly. You don’t want to simply charge every customer the same amount simply because this makes things easier for you to monitor. Instead, you should use garage door service software to create different maintenance plans and schedules.

Using a Module to Manage Your Contracts

Smart Service offers a service agreement module, which is the best way to manage these garage door preventative maintenance arrangements. Smart Service was designed to support service agreements, giving contractors the flexibility this requires. The module will let you keep track of the different deals or payment terms you offer, as well as the service schedules you promised those customers. It will also remind you when you need to talk to your customers about renewing your contracts. Smart Service makes managing service agreements easy, allowing you to spend your (and your techs’) time focusing on serving your customers and earning money.

Overhead Garage Door Preventive Maintenance

Offering preventative maintenance contracts is a good thing for you and your customers. Your company gets to enjoy more predictable income and consistent scheduling. At the same time, your customers can make payments in amounts that are affordable for them and they’ll prevent major garage door problems. Garage door service contracts work well for everyone, but you have to manage those contracts well. The best way to offer maintenance services is to employ a service software like Smart Service. Contact Smart Service today to schedule a free demo.