A plan member who renews is the cheapest customer a boiler company will ever have: no ads, no estimate, no persuasion. Yet many companies only notice a lapsed member when that household books with a competitor. We put a simple routine around renewals so that each member gets a timely reminder, a second chance and, if they leave, a short question about why. Your office stays in charge of the relationship; we run the system that supports it.
What the service is
Short answer: a renewal sequence, a lapsed-member routine and a quarterly retention review.
The renewal sequence
A short set of messages to each member, starting roughly 45–60 days before their renewal date: a heads-up, a reminder with the renewal amount and terms, and a final notice. Messages go by the channels each member agreed to, from your accounts, with clear sender details and an easy opt-out, in line with the general expectations described in the CRTC's anti-spam guidance.
The lapsed-member routine
A weekly list for your office of members whose plan has just lapsed, with a short phone guide. A call from someone who knows the household often recovers members that emails never will.
The retention review
Every quarter, we look at who left, when and after what kind of visit. Patterns usually appear: members who never got their visit scheduled, members who had a repair that felt expensive, or members who moved.
Who it's for
Short answer: boiler companies with an existing plan, ideally a hundred or more members, that don't track renewals closely.
If you have no plan yet, start with plan design. If you have a plan but can't easily see each member's renewal date, start with service data and reporting.
What's included
Short answer: messages, office tools, reporting and a quarterly conversation.
- renewal message sequence for text, email and post, using placeholders such as [First name] and [Renewal date]
- automation setup in your CRM or field-service tool
- weekly lapsed-member call list and phone guide
- a short "why are you leaving?" question for cancelling members
- monthly renewal rate on your scorecard
- quarterly retention review with recommended changes
Timeline
Short answer: four to six weeks to set up, then ongoing.
The first two weeks go to mapping renewal dates and checking contact permissions. Weeks three and four cover writing and setting up the sequence. The lapsed-member routine starts as soon as the first list can be produced. The first quarterly review happens three months after launch, once there is enough data to read.
How results are measured
Short answer: renewal rate, recovered lapses and the reasons members leave.
Renewal rate is the members who renewed divided by the members who came due, measured monthly. We also report how many lapsed members your office recovered by phone and the top reasons given for leaving. Here is a worked example with hypothetical numbers: if 60 members come due in a month and 45 renew, the renewal rate is 75%. If the office then recovers 5 of the 15 who lapsed, effective retention rises to 83%. Our plan economics guide shows what those points are worth over three years.
Mistakes to avoid
Short answer: waiting until the plan has expired, hiding the renewal price and ignoring missed visits.
- Sending the first notice on the expiry date. By then many members have already decided. Start early.
- Surprising members with a higher price. If the price is changing, say so clearly in the first notice.
- Members who never received their visit. Nothing kills a renewal faster than paying for a service that didn't happen. Check that every member's visit was booked and completed before the renewal notice goes out.
- Treating cancellations as final. Some members leave for fixable reasons. Ask, listen and record the answer.
- No owner for the list. Someone in the office must own the lapsed-member calls each week. Our FAQ covers how we split the work with your team.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good renewal rate for a boiler plan?
There is no published Canadian benchmark we can verify, so we don't quote one. What matters is your own rate, measured the same way every month, and whether it is rising.
Should plans renew automatically?
Automatic renewal reduces lapses, but customers must clearly understand and agree to it. Your lawyer should review the terms, and every renewal notice should explain how to cancel.
How early should renewal reminders start?
About 45 to 60 days before the renewal date, so there is time for a follow-up and a phone call before the plan lapses.
Do you call our members?
No. Your office makes any phone calls. We write the call guide, build the list of who to call and track the outcome.