TradeHelp Service Plans

The quick and simple solution to your Service Plan administration.

The Service Plans tool in TradeHelp Office lets you simply and quickly set up pay-monthly service plans for your customers, to help give you guaranteed recurring income all through the year.

If you have any questions which aren’t answered below, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01978 666887 or [email protected]. Our offices are open Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm.

Service Plan FAQ's

How do I get started?

Go into the Settings section of the main menu and first update your Company information so that your contact details, company name and logo appear on your plans. Next Register with GoCardless in the Service Plans section of Settings. This is free of charge and ensures that payments for your plans go to your bank account. Finally, edit your Service Plan settings with the prices you want to charge (these can be amended at any time). Then you are ready to input your customers and create your plans.

Can I start selling service plans today?

If you already have a GoCardless account, just link it in your Settings by clicking through to GoCardless and logging in with your usual credentials. Once this is done, you’re good to go.
If you are setting up a new GoCardless account, this can take anything from 3-10 working days, as GoCardless will need to review and verify your application. To do this, they may require additional documentation. Once approved by GoCardless you are ready to start signing up your customers to service plans.

Do I have to manage direct debits myself?

No, the TradeHelp platform (with its links to GoCardless) manages it for you. All you need to do is input your customer details and select and email the relevant plan. Your customer will then receive a digital contract and direct debit mandate to sign, and once completed, the money will be taken on the selected day of the month as per the signed agreement.

I don’t have time to add my customers into the system, can someone else do it?

You’re able to add and remove users from your account in the settings section, so you can ask someone in your team to input your customer information on your behalf.

Also, TradeHelp can bulk upload customer information if required – you just need to request an excel template from us if so.

What are the charges for the Service Plans tool?

After your 2 month free trial, if you want to continue to use the Service Plans tool you will need to subscribe to TradeHelp Office HeatPro, currently £25+vat per month.

This monthly subscription cost also gives you access to a fully editable version of the full TradeHelp Office software solution, plus the remote appointments tool, integrations with Quickbooks and Xero, and the Web Quote Tool for instant leads.

Additional charges for the Service Plans tool are by way of a small deduction from each monthly payment to cover admin fees. These charges are set out in your Service Plan Settings and when you create a new Plan, so that you can quickly and easily see the income you will receive after fees. TradeHelp charge 30-50p (inc vat) and GoCardless charge 1% plus £0.20+vat per plan per month.

What if I decide not to subscribe?

After your free trial, if you choose not to subscribe you will still be able to access the software and view any customers, service plans, direct debits and other documents you have already created. You will still be able to create and edit customers and appointments, but you will not be able to produce any new service plans unless you continue your full subscription.

What if someone stops paying before 12 months is up? Will I be out of pocket?

All service plans should be paying in advance for the next service, not paying for work you’ve already completed.
The t&cs of the plan provide that the customer may cancel their plan at any point but that, if they cancel their plan prior to their next service, they will receive no refund (refunds only being payable if a customer cancels within the first 14 days of a plan and no work has been carried out under the plan at that time).

The t&cs also provide that, if the customer cancels their plan within a 12 month period during which you have provided products/services under the plan, the cost of which hasn’t been covered by payments they have made, then you are entitled to bill them for the cost.

Is there anything I should be aware of when setting up a plan which includes boiler or system care?

Yes, you should only offer service plans which include boiler or heating care if you are happy that the customer’s heating system is in good working order – or at a time when you are preparing to visit the customer to ensure this is the case. The plan t&cs do protect you to an extent, in that they inform the customer that their boiler and heating system must be in good working order at the start of the plan and that (if they are not) you may need to undertake work at additional cost to them, to bring the system up to the required standard. However, you should ensure that you reiterate this to your customers where relevant.

I complete work for a landlord with multiple properties, can they sign-up to a service plan?

Yes, you can assign multiple service plans to one customer, so they can sign-up to a service plan per property to spread the cost of their maintenance.

If I need to complete a gas safety certificate for a rental property do I need a separate agreement?

No, this can be added to any service plan as an extra, so you can offer a complete plan for your landlord customers. (Gas cookers, fires and cylinders can also be added as extras to any plan).

Does TradeHelp use my customer data?

No. TradeHelp only process your customer data securely for you within the software. Your customers remain yours and would never be contacted by TradeHelp, other than through the automatic emails within the software.

What are Honeywell Home Comfort Plans?

Honeywell Home Comfort Plans are an opportunity for you to upsell your customers onto an upgraded plan, by communicating to them the benefits of using Honeywell Home products to efficiently and effectively control their heating system. These plans can be used alongside Honeywell Home controls.