struggling to upsell water heater upgrades on service calls

man, im 12 years into plumbing and upselling is still a crapshoot. had a customer last week with a leaky faucet, fixed it quick but when i mentioned their old tank was on its last legs and suggested a Rheem tankless, they shut down hard. feels like every time i try to point out the long-term savings on energy, they just nod and say they'll think about it. watched a Roger Wakefield video on his tiktok where he demos the install and it looks so straightforward, but in real life, homeowners get sticker shock before i even quote. anyone else feel like social media reels make it look easier than it is? saw a similar rant in the Plumbers United group, guys saying they only push upgrades on repeat clients. gonna have to tweak my pitch, maybe show before and after pics from my phone.

just start calling it a 'leak preventer' instead of upgrade, sold three Rheems last month that way lol.

i feel you, brother. same thing happens to me all the time on drain cleanings.

upselling is BS, just do the minimum and move on. homeowners know when you're pushing.

don't chase, let them come back when it floods. seen it a dozen times.

ugh, same here on every service call. it's exhausting.

try offering a free water quality test with the upsell, gets them thinking about whole house filters.

bundle it with a softener install, upsell rate jumps 30% if you frame it as a package.

goddamn customers never listen, had a guy ignore my advice and his basement flooded two weeks later.

totally get it, feels like talking to a wall sometimes.

fuck these cheapos who only fix what's broken, then complain later.

show them the code violations on old installs, scares em into upgrading.

yeah man, upselling drains my soul after a long day.

i hear ya, been there too many times.

totally relatable, especially on older homes.

we all feel that pain, keep grinding.

use instagram stories to show quick wins, post your own jobs and tag local groups.

pisses me off when they ghost after a solid pitch.

screw the homeowners who undervalue pro work, they deserve the diy disasters.

haha, upsell fails are the best stories at the bar.

drives me nuts, lost a potential $5k job last week over it.

yep, been there, feels bad every time.

just laugh it off and hit the next call, upsells will come.

pro tip: upsell during the diagnostic, not after the fix.

those facebook groups are gold for tips, saw one on upselling pex yesterday.

damn straight, insurers are jacking rates because of shoddy upsell jobs gone wrong.

we're all getting screwed by these picky clients.

collective sigh, the trade is tough enough without the sales BS.

fuck the system that makes us beg for upgrades.

had a customer yesterday who said no to everything, then called back panicking.

i feel your frustration, man. hang in there.