Revenue & Performance
What's a good average ticket for an HVAC service call?
There is no single good number we can give you for an average ticket. This is because it depends on what you count and how you count it. A blended number that mixes service calls, maintenance jobs, and full system replacements will not tell you much. What matters is whether your ticket is moving up, job type by job type, month over month.
Why one average ticket number does not work
Most shops run three very different kinds of jobs. A service/demand call, a maintenance call, and a full replacement all bring in very different tickets. If you average all three together, you get a number that describes nothing you use to make decisions.
Installation/Replacement jobs make up a relatively small share of your job count but a large share of your revenue. Service calls happen far more often but bring in much less per job. Maintenance calls may be even more numerous and bring in even less revenue than your average service call. Blend them and the number in the middle belongs to none of the type of jobs.
This is why two shops can post the same "average ticket" and be in completely different shape. One shop might run mostly service calls with a few big replacements mixed in. The other might run a heavy replacement schedule with fewer, smaller service calls and much more maintenance calls. Same average, very different business.
What we recommend instead
Stop asking "what should my average ticket be." Start asking "what does my ticket look like inside each job type." Track service calls on their own. Track maitenances on their own. Track replacements on their own.
Inside each job type, do not just watch the average ticket number. Sort your tickets from lowest to highest and look at three points. The ticket right in the middle tells you what a typical job looks like today. The tickets near the bottom and near the top tell you your spread and your outliers.
A wide spread is not automatically bad. It can mean your techs handle small calls well and still close big jobs when the chance is there. A narrow spread near the bottom means every job looks the same, and that usually means techs are not presenting options or not converting anything on the call.
How to build your own benchmark
- Pull every sold ticket from the last full quarter, split by job type/business unit.
- Sort each job type's tickets from lowest to highest, not by date.
- Find the ticket sitting in the middle of each list. That is your typical job for that job type today.
- Compare the bottom third of tickets to the top third to see your real spread.
- Repeat this by tech, not just by shop. A shop average can hide one or two techs pulling the number down.
- Bring this breakdown to your next coaching session before you compare it to any outside number.
What to do this week
Pull your ticket data by job type before you look at any published benchmark. A number without a stated job mix and a stated time frame will not help you make a decision. Your coach can help you read your own spread and set a real target for each job type, not one number for the whole shop.
Related questions
What is a good average ticket for an HVAC service call?
There is no single good number. A service-call-only ticket will always run lower than a blended number that includes replacements, so the two are not comparable. A good average ticket for an HVAC service call is going to address the immediate cause for the call, and other required maintenance items for the home.
Does average ticket include equipment replacements?
It depends on how the number is built. Always ask what job types are counted before you compare your ticket to anyone else's. Generally when we are talking about average tickets however, this does not include equipment replacements.
Why is my average ticket lower than the benchmark?
It is often a math problem, not a sales problem. If the benchmark you are reading blends service calls with replacements and yours does not, the gap is expected, not a red flag. However your average ticket could be low due to your technicians not converting their calls.
How do I raise average ticket without pushing techs to oversell?
Focus on presenting full options on every call, not on pushing one option harder. Conduct full performance and safety assessments of the customer's system. Track maintenance plan offers and repair options presented per call as part of your tech's KTI, and coach the gaps you find there.
