The Recurring Cash System
Client identity withheld.
Results
72% → 83%
Maintenance plan renewal rate
21 of 32
Failed membership payments recovered
170 → 203
Active maintenance plan members
$39K
Booked and signed revenue in 90 days, counted separately from renewals
$31K
Overdue invoices collected, reported separately
54
Tune-ups and repairs booked from past customers
Company Profile
Company
Residential HVAC shop. ~$1.1M revenue, 4 service techs, the owner, and 1 office manager. ~1,800 past customers and 170 maintenance plan members.
Stack
Field-service management software, accounting software, a payment processor with cards on file, online payment links.
Operating Need
Make recurring income and cash flow predictable, and keep the schedule full between seasons.
The Challenge
The shop's income should have been steadier than it was. Members lapsed when cards failed, renewals depended on the office manager's spare time, and invoices sat unpaid for weeks because nobody followed up. Between peak seasons, the schedule thinned out, even though the shop had 1,800 past customers who would have booked if asked.
The Audit
We reviewed 12 months of membership payments, invoices and the customer list.
Patterns Found
- 32 failed membership payments in the past year had never been followed up
- Renewal rate was 72%, with most lapses tied to payment failures
- Non-members were rarely offered the plan
- $31K in invoices were more than 30 days overdue, and most had one reminder or none
- About 900 past customers hadn't been contacted in over a year
- About 230 homes had systems 15+ years old
The shop's income wasn't unpredictable. Its follow-up was, on memberships, invoices and past customers alike.
The Architecture
Three systems working as six parts, built around predictable income.
Failed-Card Rescue
Retries failed payments where the processor allows, then texts a card-update link the same day.
Renewals and Plan Offer
Reminders 30 and 7 days before renewal, and one plan offer to every non-member after a visit.
Invoice Reminders
Polite reminders on the due date and at 7, 14 and 30 days late, each with a one-tap payment link.
Reply Handler
Handles "I already paid," "Can I split this?" and "I never got the bill," checking records first.
Past-Customer Wake-Up
Cleaned 1,800 customers to 1,550 reachable numbers and texted overdue tune-ups, past repairs and older systems in batches sized to open slots.
Monday Recovered Revenue Report
One page every Monday with renewals, money collected, bookings and money still owed.
How the System Operates
The system rescues, reminds and books. The owner decides on late accounts, cancellations and payment exceptions.
- The system never threatens, adds late fees or sends accounts to collections
- Cancellation requests always go to the office
- Outreach never exceeds open capacity
How It Flows
- 1A payment fails, a renewal or invoice comes due, or a slot opens
- 2The right link, reminder or wake-up text goes out
- 3Cards are updated, invoices are paid, and visits are booked
- 4Every result is logged on the Monday report
Very late accounts go to the owner with full history before any next step.
Implementation
| Stage | Focus | Key Results |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | Income audit | 32 failed payments and $31K in overdue invoices found |
| Stage 2 | Setup and approval | Payment processor connected; reminder and wake-up messages approved |
| Stage 3 | Membership and collections | Failed-card rescue, renewals and invoice reminders live |
| Stage 4 | Database | Past-Customer Wake-Up delivered within 21 days; Monday reports every week |
Ownership
The shop's recurring income now runs on a process it owns.
A live member list with renewals and payment status
A receivables view of what's owed and how late
A cleaned customer list sorted by system age
Every Monday report
Operational Impact
Members stay through card changes, invoices get paid weeks sooner, and the schedule stays fuller between seasons. The owner now sees his recurring income and cash position every Monday, and both have stopped surprising him.