Takeaways
- Your customers don’t want any more risk in their world.
- They want – and will pay for – peace of mind. Explain the why behind your service plan commitments and give them the ‘EASY button.’
- Dealers say service packages are successful for both growing revenue while reducing tech burnout.
A local snow-plow service company sent a letter last week to all of its customers ahead of snow season informing customers that they’ll need to commit now to remain on the prioritized service list for the coming season (it’s mid-October … that could be as soon as the end of the month in Southeastern Wisconsin).
Not only are they requiring commitment, but hey also want a pre-payment (at a discounted rate) to manage their risk. According to the letter, they’ve got overhead to manage whether the service (controlled by Mother Nature) is needed or not. Their suburban customers (including Lessiter Media staffers) say they’re going to do it for the peace of mind of knowing they’ll have the help if they need it.
The scenario got me thinking about precision service packages, a topic that comes up every year at the Precision Farming Dealer Summit in some form or another. While we all know it can be hard for precision specialists to say no to a customer in need, boundaries are also needed. And without parameters in place, we’ll quickly find ourselves talking about burnout.
So if suburban folk like those around these parts can commit to a “peace of mind” and convenience for something that may be needed only a few times per year, surely grain producers can be convinced of the need to commit to their trusted dealership techs – and to get front-of-the-line service to remain productive.
Service Plans are a Win-Win
As we’ve heard from dealers who have successfully implemented service plans, when both the dealer and customer commit to each other it’s a win all around.
HTS Ag, Precision Farming Dealer’s 2024 Most Valuable Dealership (MVD), started offering service plans in 2007 when president and general manager Adam Gittins realized they could eliminate at least half of the phone calls during busy season. Only 3 customers signed up that first year, but now around 100 customers sign up annually.
“Our service plans alone generate enough revenue to cover a full technician’s salary for the year,” Gittins says. “We let our customers know that if they want access to our team after hours, they must have a service plan.”
Gittins is speaking at the 2026 Precision Farming Dealer Summit this January.
When Swiderski Equipment added mandatory planter inspections, Abby Weltzien, precision solutions service and parts manager, wasn’t sure how customers would respond. But she did know ithe dealership had to do it or risked losing good people to burnout.
“Inspections actually skyrocketed,” Weltzien says. “They went from 21% in 2022 to 84% in 2023. It resulted in fewer service calls after hours and on Sundays. We fixed more potential failures than ever before.”
Back to the snow removal service. The company laid out the details, explaining what customers would see in return for the prepaid package, what it would cost if more than services were needed and the costs of NOT taking advantage of the pre-payment option, should the company have time to take care of those not on the list. Regardless of the option chosen, all are required to commit a fixed cost fee and a colleague's wife — the most frugal of consumers – has already agreed to it as a fair deal for peace of mind alone.
What do you communicate in your precision package offering that lets your farm customers know the how and why in signing up for the best possible service — when they need it? We’d love to see your packages as we provide more on this subject. Please email me your program at [email protected].
Registrations for the 2026 Precision Farming Dealer Summit, Jan 5-6 in St. Louis, have been pouring in. Make sure you reserve your seat now to learn about planting, spraying and harvesting packages. View the program and register here.
