As the temperatures drop and the radiators start clanging back to life, the silly season begins for plumbers and HVAC engineers. The phones won’t stop ringing, customers are in a panic because their heating has failed and suddenly every hour in the day feels spoken for.
It’s the busiest (and often most lucrative) time of year, but only if you manage it right. The challenge is keeping control of multiple jobs, maintaining customer satisfaction and ensuring that every call-out, repair and installation actually makes you money.
Here’s how to stay ahead of the chaos and make the most of the silly season without losing your mind (or your margins).
1. Get a Grip on Job Management
When the workload ramps up, managing multiple jobs at once becomes a juggling act. Without a proper system in place, things start to slip – parts go missing, customers get forgotten and engineers turn up to the wrong address.
Plan Your Days Efficiently
Start with a clear plan each morning. Prioritise urgent jobs (like breakdowns) but don’t let them derail pre-booked work. Create a schedule that allows flexibility for emergency callouts while keeping regular maintenance visits ticking along.
Using a job management system is a game-changer here. With digital scheduling, you can assign jobs to engineers, track progress and make real-time adjustments when things change.
Communicate Clearly with Your Team
In the rush of the season, miscommunication is the silent killer of efficiency. Make sure your engineers have all the job details upfront: address, contact number, job type, required parts and notes from the customer.
If you’re still sending out job details via WhatsApp or paper notes, it’s time to upgrade. Having a central system means everyone’s always on the same page, whether they’re in the office or on the road.
2. Keep Customers in the Loop
Winter brings out a different kind of customer, the anxious one. When the boiler breaks down in December, people expect lightning-fast responses and clear communication.
Be Transparent About Wait Times
If you’re fully booked for two days, say so. Customers appreciate honesty and being upfront prevents angry follow-up calls.
Use Automated Updates
Text or email notifications letting customers know when an engineer is on the way can massively improve satisfaction. It also cuts down on admin, fewer “just checking where you are” calls means more time getting actual work done.
3. Get Serious About Cost Estimating
It’s easy to assume you’re making a profit during the busy season simply because there’s so much work coming in. But without accurate estimating and cost tracking, you might be working harder, not smarter.
Understand Your True Costs
Every job has hidden costs, travel time, fuel, materials, admin, even your own time quoting and invoicing. These need to be factored into your pricing.
If you’re undercharging or failing to capture extras, those small gaps quickly eat into profits. A simple example: if you forget to charge for an hour’s labour on ten jobs a week, that’s a full day’s pay lost. Over a season, that’s thousands gone.
Track Labour and Materials
Keep a consistent record of how long jobs actually take versus how long you estimated. This feedback loop helps refine future estimates. If your engineers regularly run over the expected time, that’s valuable data, maybe the jobs are being underestimated, or perhaps there’s a workflow issue that needs sorting.
4. Streamline Your Invoicing and Payments
Nothing’s worse than finishing a flurry of jobs in December and realising half your invoices haven’t been sent. Late billing means late payment and when cash flow dries up, even profitable jobs can feel like losses.
Invoice Quickly, Get Paid Faster
Aim to invoice on the same day a job is completed. Using digital invoicing tools means you can generate and send an invoice straight from your phone or laptop, no more end-of-week paperwork marathons.
Offer Convenient Payment Options
Many customers prefer contactless or online payment. Providing easy payment methods can drastically cut down on delays (and awkward chasing).
5. Manage Stock and Suppliers Proactively
Winter is not the time to run out of key parts. Nothing derails productivity like waiting three days for a replacement pump or valve.
Keep an Eye on Inventory
Make a list of your most-used parts and make sure you’ve got backup stock on hand before the season hits.
Build Strong Supplier Relationships
Good suppliers are worth their weight in gold during busy times. Maintain strong relationships and clear communication, if they know you’re reliable, they’ll often go the extra mile when you need it most.
6. Take Care of Your Team (and Yourself)
It’s easy to burn out when you’re constantly on the go. Long hours, cold weather and demanding customers can take their toll.
Balance the Workload
Don’t overload your best engineers just because they’re the quickest. Spread the jobs evenly and keep an eye on fatigue levels, a tired team makes more mistakes, which cost money to fix.
Celebrate Small Wins
A quick coffee run or team breakfast can go a long way in keeping morale up. Remember, your crew are the backbone of your business, treat them well, and they’ll go the extra mile when it counts.
7. Use Technology to Stay in Control
When things get hectic, the right tools can make all the difference. That’s where Fergus comes in.
How Fergus Helps You Manage the Silly Season
Fergus is built for trades businesses that need to keep control when the jobs won’t stop coming. It helps you manage every part of your workflow, from the first quote to the final invoice – all in one place.
Job Scheduling and Tracking
You can schedule multiple jobs, assign them to engineers and track progress in real time. No more confusion about who’s where or what’s next, Fergus keeps everyone aligned and your jobs running smoothly.
Accurate Quoting and Cost Management
With Fergus’s estimating tools, you can create professional quotes that include accurate material and labour costs. It also helps you track actual spend versus your estimate, so you know exactly which jobs are profitable.
Invoicing and Payments Made Easy
Once the job’s done, generate and send an invoice in minutes, no more chasing paper trails. You can even automate reminders to customers, so payments come in quicker and your cash flow stays healthy.
Mobile App for On-the-Go Control
Whether you’re on-site, in the van, or at home, the Fergus mobile app keeps you connected to your business. You can update jobs, check schedules and even capture photos or notes directly in the app.
8. Finish the Season Strong
The silly season doesn’t have to mean chaos. With the right systems, clear communication and a good handle on your costs, it can be your most profitable time of year.
Think of it like this: every job is an opportunity, not just to earn, but to impress customers and build loyalty for the quieter months ahead.
So, plan ahead, keep things organised and don’t forget to take a breath every now and then.
And if you want to keep control of your business without losing your sanity this winter, give Fergus a go, because running your trades business shouldn’t feel like firefighting. It should feel like progress.
Start your 14-day free trial today and see if Fergus can help you to take control of your business: www.fergus.com