Your furnace tune-up list is sitting in last year's invoices.
These are my stories and my fixes. An AI writes them up, and I check every fact and link before a post goes up.
The first cold week fills the phone with no-heat calls, and you run them all day. The customers who were due a tune-up before that week are sitting in last year's invoices.
The notes are already written, too: the flame sensor somebody cleaned, the customer who asked to be reminded this fall. Going through that stack takes an afternoon nobody has in October, so most years nobody does.
Some shops put the reminders on a schedule. Good Guy Plumbing (opens another site) in Torrance, California texts customers two days after a job with a review link, and again six months later with a water heater flush reminder. They're plumbers, but a furnace tune-up works the same way: the customer knows you, and the date is on the invoice.
So the list is yours already. What you're short of is the afternoon, and you can hand that part off. Plain rules sort the list, AI drafts a reminder from each invoice in your words, and you read them at lunch in the truck before anything goes out.
Work the list you already have
Automation sorts last year's customers by last visit and drops anyone who asked not to be texted; AI reads each invoice and drafts a reminder about what you did at their house. Only the ones you approve go out.
The rules it follows
- Only your own past customers, never a bought list.
- Anyone marked 'do not text' is left out.
- Each reminder mentions their own last visit, in plain words.
- Nothing goes out until you've read and approved it.
- A reply books a time, or comes straight to you.
The diagnosis and the replacement conversation are still yours; the reminder only gets you to the house.
Working demo
Ten customers from last year's invoices, one lunch break
Put your business name in, then step through it: last year's customers, sorted, a reminder for each, and only the ones you approve go out. Untick anyone you'd rather not text.
Business and customers are made up, and the AI's words were written in advance and play back in your browser. Nothing you type leaves this page.
It shows up in every reminder here, and never leaves this page.
Who does what
- Automation
- Rules you set, run the same way every time. No AI.
- AI
- Reads the invoice notes and the replies, drafts each reminder.
- You
- The export, every approval, and the replacement conversation.
-
Tuesday
In the truck at lunch, between no-heat calls, first cold week.
Last year's customers, out of your software
You pull last year's customers out of the software you invoice in. Ten rows, ten minutes of lunch left, and no-heat calls the rest of the day.
Last year's customers
Customer Last visit Invoice says Dale, Portland Sep 2025 Gas furnace, approx 12 yrs. Tune-up, cleaned dirty flame sensor. Rec yearly tune-up. Tammy, White House Aug 2025 Heat pump, approx 6 yrs. Tune-up. Cust asked for a reminder next fall. Walter, Westmoreland Sep 2024 Gas furnace, approx 20 yrs. Tune-up. Heat exchanger OK for age, keep an eye on it. Brooke, Hendersonville Jun 2026 Heat pump, approx 5 yrs. AC tune-up. Ray, Cross Plains Sep 2025 Gas furnace, approx 10 yrs. Replaced igniter. Linda, Gallatin Apr 2025 Gas furnace. Repair. DO NOT TEXT, per customer. Curtis, Springfield Oct 2025 Gas pack, approx 14 yrs. Tune-up. Filter months overdue, left a spare. Megan, Goodlettsville Mar 2026 Gas furnace, approx 6 yrs. Installed new thermostat. Harold, Greenbrier Feb 2025 Heat pump, approx 17 yrs. Repair. Rec replacing system soon, cust said not yet. Shannon, Cottontown Jul 2025 Gas furnace. Repair. Note: cust mentioned selling the house this year. -
Tuesday
Same truck, a minute later.
Sorted by plain rules
No AI here: rules you set sort the list by last visit and by who asked not to be texted.
Due for a tune-up 7
Last seen 12 months ago or more.
- Dale, Portland
- Tammy, White House
- Walter, Westmoreland
- Ray, Cross Plains
- Curtis, Springfield
- Harold, Greenbrier
- Shannon, Cottontown
Seen recently, leave alone 2
Seen in the last 12 months. No reminder yet.
- Brooke, Hendersonville
- Megan, Goodlettsville
Never text 1
Marked 'do not text' in your records.
- Linda, Gallatin
-
Tuesday
Still in the truck.
A reminder each, from their own invoice
The AI reads each invoice note and drafts a reminder the way you'd text it, about what you did last time. One it holds back for you to check, because of the note.
-
Dale, Portland
- Highland Rim Heating & AirHey Dale, this is Highland Rim Heating & Air. Did your furnace tune-up last fall, cleaned the flame sensor, said to do it yearly. Time for this year's before it gets cold? Text me a day that works.
-
Tammy, White House
- Highland Rim Heating & AirTammy, this is Highland Rim Heating & Air. Last fall you asked me to remind you about the heat pump tune-up, so here it is. Want it done before it gets cold? Let me know what day's good.
-
Walter, Westmoreland
- Highland Rim Heating & AirWalter, Highland Rim Heating & Air here. Been two years since I tuned up your furnace and said to keep an eye on it. Want a tune-up before it gets cold? Text me back with a day that works.
-
Ray, Cross Plains
- Highland Rim Heating & AirRay, this is Highland Rim Heating & Air. I put a new igniter in your furnace last fall. Want me to tune it up before it gets cold? Send me a day that works.
-
Curtis, Springfield
- Highland Rim Heating & AirHi Curtis, Highland Rim Heating & Air here. Tuned up your unit last October and left you a spare filter. Want this year's done before it gets cold? Text me a day that works and I'll bring another filter.
-
Harold, Greenbrier
- Highland Rim Heating & AirHarold, this is Highland Rim Heating & Air. When I fixed your heat pump last year we talked about replacing it. For now, want a tune-up before it gets cold? Let me know a day that works.
Held for you to check
- Shannon, Cottontown Note says they were selling the house, so they may have moved. Check before it goes.
-
-
Tuesday
Lunch over, back to the calls.
You send the ones you approve
You read every one, untick anyone you'd rather call yourself, and send the rest, 6 in all. The afternoon is no-heat calls, same as the morning.
-
Wednesday
Over the next two days, while you're on calls.
The replies come back
The AI reads each reply; plain automation books the tune-ups into your open times, and anything bigger comes straight to you. Only the customers you texted can reply.
-
Wednesday
- TammyThanks for the reminder! Thursday morning works for us.
Automation Booked Thursday 8-10, an open block on your calendar.
-
Wednesday
- DaleYes, go ahead and schedule it. Any afternoon next week is fine.
Automation Booked Monday 1-3, your first open afternoon next week.
-
Wednesday
- HaroldActually we've been thinking about replacing the whole system this year. Can you come look and talk options?
Text to you
Harold, Greenbrier. Wants to talk about replacing his heat pump this year. Call him.
-
Thursday
- WalterYes. Mornings before 10 are best for me.
Automation Booked Friday 8-10, the next open morning.
No replies, because none of the customers who'd have answered got a reminder.
-
What the unsent reminders cost you
Put in your average tune-up and how many a week the reminders would book, and the figures change with them.
The starting figure is an example. Change it to yours.
If the list books 50 in the fall and 50 in the spring, that's about 2 a week.
What you're losing
- A week
- $300
- A month
- $1,300
- A year
- $15,600
Rough math: each tune-up at your average, before any repair it finds, times 52 for the year, divided by 12 for the month. Nobody's published how many reminders book; count yours the first season.
How you'd work the list yourself
Five steps and no particular product; the same list works in spring for AC, and for water heaters, septic pumping or anything else yearly.
Export last year's customers
From the software you invoice in, export last year's customers with their last visit, equipment and the tech's notes. Before the list goes anywhere, take out anyone who asked not to be contacted.
Sort by last visit
Twelve months or more since you were there means they're due; under that, leave them alone until they are. A spreadsheet sort does this, and no AI is involved.
Have AI draft a reminder each
Use a business AI account with training on your data turned off (two questions I'd ask first). Paste in the list and ask for a reminder per customer about their last visit, written the way you text, no prices.
Read every one, then send
Read each draft and untick anyone you'd rather call. Send the rest from your business texting or email, with STOP taking them off the list. Replies come in as texts, and I'd have them answered on the job.
Count the replies
Write down how many went out, replied and booked. Nobody's published a number for this that I can find, so after one season you'll have your own, and a reason to do it again next fall (or not).
If you'd rather not do the export and the sorting yourself, I'll set it up on your own records and texting, and you approve every batch before it goes out.
