Maintenance Agreements That Actually Make Money

Maintenance plans fill the shoulder seasons and create repair opportunities. They also fill the board with underpriced tune-ups if the annual fee never covered two visits, filters, trip cost, and the discounts you promised. A membership is a product. Cost it like one.

List every promise in the plan

• Number of visits and average onsite + travel hours each
• Included parts (filters, caps, flush chemicals) at your cost
• Waived trip fees on repairs — estimate how often members use them
• Repair discounts (10–15% off) — that is margin given away on future tickets
• Priority scheduling cost during peak

Price from delivery cost, then add value

Cost two (or however many) full visits in the job profitability calculator. Add expected included materials and a share of waived trip fees. That subtotal is the floor for annual dues before profit and before repair-discount leakage.

Many shops price plans to "get members" at a loss, hoping repairs save them. Sometimes they do. Often the plan holder only takes the free visits. Model both scenarios.

Design for density

Route membership visits by zip and season. A plan that pays $18/hour after travel because techs zig-zag the metro is a scheduling problem, not a marketing win. Cluster windows so profit per hour on tune-ups stays in your healthy band.

Track plan P&L, not just count

Monthly: dues collected, visit costs delivered, discounts given, repair revenue from members. If visits + discounts exceed dues and incremental repair profit, raise dues, trim benefits, or stop selling that tier.

Frequently asked questions