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I've been noticing something fascinating in my conversations with service business owners lately...How three simple incentives turn every service call into a profit center
Most service business owners pay their techs hourly and hope for the best.
But the smartest operators? They're using small bonuses to drive behaviors that transform their margins.
Here's how you can use three simple incentives to add margin to every single service call...
#1: Maintenance Plan Sold (+$25 bonus)
The Goal: Attach maintenance plans to 20% of repair calls
Why It Works: A $200 annual maintenance plan generates recurring revenue and keeps customers in your ecosystem. Plus, customers on maintenance plans call you first when they need work.
The Math:
Tech gets $25 for each plan sold
Company generates $200 in immediate revenue
Customer lifetime value increases by 3-5X
Return on investment: 800%
The Script: "I'd recommend getting on our annual maintenance plan. For $200, we'll come out twice a year for cleaning and diagnostics. Most of our customers save money because we catch small issues before they become expensive repairs."
#2: Five-Star Review with Photo (+$15 bonus)
The Goal: Get reviews with photos from satisfied customers
Why It Works: Google weighs photo reviews much higher than text-only reviews. This directly impacts your local search rankings and customer acquisition cost.
The Math:
Tech gets $15 for each photo review
Photo reviews have 10X more impact than text reviews
Better rankings = more organic leads
Lower customer acquisition cost = higher margins
The Script: "If you're happy with the work, would you mind leaving us a review with a photo? It really helps other homeowners find us when they need reliable service."
#3: Zero Callbacks (+$30 bonus)
The Goal: Complete jobs right the first time
Why It Works: Callbacks destroy margins. A callback doesn't just cost you the return trip - it prevents your tech from completing a paying job that day.
The Math:
Tech gets $30 for zero callbacks on completed jobs
Eliminates $200-500 in callback costs per incident
Frees up capacity for additional revenue-generating jobs
Protects customer relationships and online reputation
The Results: Jobs that used to take multiple visits now get completed in one trip. Customer satisfaction increases. Schedule efficiency improves.
Why These Bonuses Work So Well
They're behavior-specific. Instead of vague goals like "be profitable," these target exact actions that drive margin.
They're immediate. Techs see the connection between their actions and their paycheck right away.
They're aligned. What's good for the tech is good for the company. No conflicts.
They compound. A tech who hits all three targets a job adds $70 to their paycheck while potentially generating thousands in additional value for the company.
The Real-World Impact
Here's what happens when you implement these three simple bonuses:
Month 1: Techs start paying attention to opportunities they used to ignore
Month 2: Maintenance plan attachment rates double
Month 3: Review velocity increases, local rankings improve
Month 6: Callback rates drop by 50%, schedule efficiency improves
Month 12: Customer lifetime value increases, margins expand by 5-8%
How to Implement Tomorrow
Start with clear communication: "We're adding performance bonuses to reward the behaviors that help our customers and grow our business."
Make tracking simple: Use a basic spreadsheet to track which techs earn which bonuses. Or if you want to level up, book a call and we’ll show you how to do this with ShareWillow.
Celebrate wins publicly: "Congratulations to Mike for earning $140 in performance bonuses this week!"
The Compound Effect
Here's what most owners miss: these incentives don't just add margin to individual jobs, yhey can transform your entire operation:
Higher customer retention (maintenance plans)
Lower acquisition costs (better reviews = more organic leads)
Improved efficiency (fewer callbacks = more billable hours)
Better team morale (techs making more money)
Predictable growth (recurring revenue from maintenance plans)
Beyond the Basic Three
Once these incentives become habit, you can add others:
Upsell bonus: +$50 for successfully spotting a repair job should be a replacement
On-time bonus: +$10 for arriving within scheduled window
Customer education bonus: +$15 for explaining preventive maintenance to customer and booking a call to discuss a service plan
The Investment That Pays for Itself
Let's say you have 5 techs completing 20 jobs each per month.
If just 30% of those jobs hit one incentive, you're paying out $750 in bonuses monthly.
But if those bonuses could drive:
20% maintenance plan attachment (20 new plans × $200 = $4,000)
50% more photo reviews (better rankings = reduced ad spend)
25% fewer callbacks (saved costs + additional billable time)
You've potentially generated $10,000+ in value from a $750 investment.
That's the power of aligned incentives.
Your Next Steps
Pick one incentive to start (reducing callbacks usually has the biggest impact)
Set clear expectations with your team
Track results weekly
Make bonuses clear and help your team understand how and when they get paid
Remember: You're not just paying bonuses. You're buying behaviors that compound into long-term competitive advantages.
Small incentives. Big results. Transformed margins.
At ShareWillow, we help service businesses design and manage performance pay systems that drive margin-improving behaviors. Ready to see how simple it can be to align your team's incentives with your profit goals?