When your technicians are out there in the field performing repairs and service calls, they’re your eyes and ears into what’s going on in with the HVAC and plumbing in your customers’ homes. Are they finding opportunities for additional service and maintenance or leaving money on the table?
If they’re focusing only on the job at hand and not looking at the larger picture, they might be missing opportunities to talk with customers about other potential issues, upgrades, or preventative maintenance.
In a previous article, we touched on the issue of HVAC and plumbing techs not being comfortable with what amounts to sales roles out in the field. They’re not trained to upsell; they’re trained to perform service calls. But the fact is, this gap between service and sales could be costing you money.
The good news? You can turn it around.
Missed opportunities by the numbers
According to 2026 figures from Angi, the average HVAC service call generates roughly $75 to $300 per call. But if the techs upsell, that revenue can jump to $400 to $700 or more per call. The figures are similar for plumbing.
There’s a fine line of profitability between your techs getting in and out quickly and efficiently, and them staying around awhile to uncover issues that may require further service, maintenance, or upgrades.
Some common missed upselling opportunities include:
Not talking about the customer’s aging equipment
If your tech is there to repair an old HVAC system or boiler, or if they’re unclogging old pipes, it’s the prime time to talk about replacement.
Not sweating the small stuff
If they’re spotting minor issues that aren’t a problem now but could develop into a headache later, pointing them out isn’t simply upselling. It’s performing a service.
Avoiding “sales-y” topics
As we’ve mentioned, many field techs just aren’t comfortable with conversations they view as too sales-y. They didn’t get into this job to be salespeople.
But the upselling success rate for existing customers is 60% - 70%, according to AnswerForce. Why? They know you and they trust you. You’ve already given them good service.
So, your non-sales-y techs are missing a golden opportunity to increase your revenue.
The fix? Shift the mindset. It’s not selling. It’s service + education.
When you think about it, a customer calls you when something goes wrong because they don’t know how to fix it, right? If they could be installing their own PEX to replace those old, galvanized steel pipes, they’d do it themselves instead of paying you to do it. If they could diagnose why their AC unit isn’t pumping out cold air, they wouldn’t need you.
The same goes for spotting potential problems and issues. Your customers don’t know what they don’t know. Your techs? They’re the experts.
When a tech points something out, it’s not selling. It’s service. They’re informing your customers of issues that could become bigger problems.
Techniques for your techs
Bring up potential issues
Most of your techs already know to spot trouble before it starts, but sometimes they need a refresher. If they notice something else while doing the repair they were called to do, it’s best for them to bring it up to the homeowner.
Phrases to use
The way your techs phrase a comment can mean the difference between it sounding like upselling or education. Have them start the conversation with:
“Hey, I noticed something.”
“I want to make sure you’re aware.”
“You might want to watch for…”
Focus on education, not sales
Make sure your techs know it’s their job to communicate potential issues to your customers. It’s a service, not sales. They’re not there to pressure your customers to commit to additional work on the spot.
Make it an easy part of the job
Create a checklist for every service call
If you haven’t done this already, it makes sense for a multitude of reasons. Identifying new opportunities for sales and service should be on your checklist.
Reward leads, not final sales
Not every interaction is going to result in an upsell or a ticket for additional service. But it’s important your people in the field are making the effort. Create a program in which your tech gets a small incentive for, say, 10 leads per month. The reward structure can change for your best generators of new business — an extra day of PTO, tickets to a sporting event, whatever your people value.
Bottom line: Your techs are already in the customer’s home and have the customer’s attention and trust.
