upselling water heater upgrades is a joke with these cheapskate homeowners

man, i just finished a basic drain unclog in an old house in rural Ohio, and the customer starts bitching about hot water not lasting long enough. i mention the Rheem tank is 15 years old and could use upgrading to something efficient like a Navien tankless, but she shuts me down cold saying 'just fix the drain'. been in this game 10 years and upselling feels impossible these days, especially when folks watch those Roger Wakefield videos and think they know better. saw a similar rant in Plumbers United group last week about the same crap. im tired of leaving money on the table when i know the whole system needs work. anyone got tips for getting past that initial no? NGL, its frustrating as hell.

don't even bother upselling if they're already balking at the drain fee, you'll just waste your breath.

try showing them a quick pic on your phone of a failed anode rod eating the tank.

upsold a full repipe last month, felt like a boss.

bundle it with a free water test, makes the upgrade seem like a no-brainer.

homeowners are the worst, always thinking we're scamming on upsells.

PE firms ruining it for all of us with their pushy sales tactics.

screw the PE vultures, they're why everyone distrusts plumbers now.

been there, same frustration every call.

customer called me back crying after the tank burst, now they want the upgrade lol.

this is why I stick to service calls only, no more upselling drama.

SharkBite everything and call it a day, upsell optional.

PE assholes buying up small shops and jacking prices.

can't stand how they're consolidating the industry.

ruining local plumbers one acquisition at a time.

it's a takeover, we're all screwed if it continues.

echo that, my buddy's shop got rolled up last year.

same here, lost good competition to those sharks.

homeowners hate us because of those corporate tactics.

i feel your pain on those no-upsell jobs.

hang in there, not every call is a loss.

PE is killing the small guy vibe in plumbing.

yep, forcing us into sales we hate.

frustrated with the same BS every week.

customers ghosting after the quote is the real killer.

we're all in this upselling hell together.

try the 'what if' scenario, what if it fails next week?

i hear ya, upselling drains the soul.

PE firms are the devil, pushing aggressive upsells on everyone.

can't agree more, it's poisoning the well.

they're why rates are all over the place now.

proud of sticking to my guns without their crap.

hit 50 upsells this year, all organic no PE BS.

use Jobber for quotes, makes upselling seamless.

ServiceTitan here, but it's pricey as hell.

demo the old part on the spot, can't beat visual proof.

that's gold, upsell closed in minutes.

we've got this, independents forever.

proud to run my own show without corporate overlords.

quote the upgrade as a separate line item, no pressure.

smart, lets them opt in easy.

i feel the upselling burnout hard.

customer laughed in my face on a PEX upsell yesterday.

PE is turning plumbing into a circus.

hate how they're inflating everything.

we're doomed if they keep buying up.

same frustration, man.

SharkBites for upsells? Nah, push real copper.

boss tried forcing upsells, I quit.

PE vultures circling my area now.

sucks, stay independent if you can.