Why Your Plumbing Customers Need to Remember Your Name

*Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use or have thoroughly vetted and confidently stand behind to help service business owners build structured, profitable companies.

When we were first in business, customers did not always remember our company name. They remembered pieces of us. They would call and ask if we were the plumbing company with the two kids running around screaming in the background. Sometimes, like clockwork, the kids would show up at that exact moment and start running around while I was on the phone.

Other customers would ask if we were the plumbing company with the father and son who had the same name. They remembered Pete and Peter. They remembered the family part of the business. But they did not always say, “Hi, is this Pete’s Plumbing & Heating?”

That always stayed with me because it showed me something important. People may like your company, trust your work, and remember your people, but that does not always mean they remember your business name when they need you again.

Customer Memory Is Part of Marketing

In a plumbing business, most customers do not need you every week. They may use you for a water heater, a faucet, a toilet, or a plumbing inspection, and then months or even years can go by before they need you again. That time gap matters because people forget names, even when they had a good experience.

This is why staying in touch with customers is such an important part of marketing. You want them to remember exactly who their plumber is. Not just “the plumber with the kids” or “the father and son plumbers,” but Pete’s Plumbing & Heating.

That name recognition matters when someone is standing at a party, talking to a neighbor, or sitting with a friend who says, “Does anyone know a good plumber?” It also matters when someone is buying a new home and needs a plumber to look things over. If your customer remembers your name in that moment, your business has a much better chance of getting that referral.

The Breaking Point Is Silence

The problem is that many service businesses finish the job and then disappear. The customer pays the invoice, the plumber leaves, and unless something goes wrong, that customer may not hear from the company again. That silence makes it easy for the customer to forget who helped them.

I learned that if we wanted customers to remember Pete’s Plumbing & Heating, we had to keep showing up in simple, helpful ways. That did not mean constantly selling to them. It meant staying in touch, educating them, thanking them, and reminding them that we were still there when they needed us.

A monthly newsletter is one of the easiest ways to do that. It gives you a reason to stay in front of your customers without making every message feel like a sales pitch. It keeps your company name familiar, and familiarity is what helps customers remember you when they need plumbing work again.

From One Job to an Ongoing Relationship

One of the best ways to stay in touch with customers is to send information they actually find useful. Homeowners like to learn how to protect their homes, prevent problems, and understand what to watch for before something becomes expensive. When your emails help them, they are more likely to open them and remember you.

For example, at the end of the summer, customers should be reminded to disconnect their hoses from their outside spigots before freezing weather comes. Every year, when the weather changes, plumbing companies get calls from homeowners saying their outside spigot is broken. Many of those problems can be prevented with a simple reminder at the right time.

That kind of newsletter does two things. It helps the customer avoid a problem, and it keeps your plumbing company’s name in their mind. You are not only asking for business. You are becoming the company that helps them think ahead.

Why Job Tracking Helps Your Marketing

This is where a system like Jobber becomes very helpful. When your jobs are organized, you can look back and see what type of work you are doing by month. You can see how many water heaters you installed, how many spigot calls came in, what services were common, and what patterns keep repeating.

That information gives you ideas for better customer communication. If you know certain jobs always happen during certain seasons, you can send newsletters that match what your customers are about to experience. Instead of guessing what to write about, you can use your own service history to guide your marketing.

This is one of the parts of business that many owners do not think about at first. Your job records are not only helpful for scheduling and invoicing. They can also show you what your customers need to hear from you next.

The Goal Is to Be Remembered

The goal of customer communication is not to overwhelm people with emails. The goal is to stay familiar enough that when they need a plumber, they know exactly who to call. It is also to make it easy for them to recommend you when someone else asks for a trusted plumbing company.

A thank-you message, a seasonal reminder, an educational email, or a simple monthly newsletter can all help with that. These small touches build recognition over time. They remind customers that your business is professional, organized, and still available when they need help.

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When customers remember your company name, it creates more opportunity. They are more likely to call you again, refer you to someone else, and trust your business when a new plumbing need comes up. That kind of steady visibility is part of building a stronger service business.

If you want your customers to remember you, start by organizing your customer information and job history in one place. A system like Jobber can help you track the work you do, understand seasonal patterns, and stay connected with customers in a more intentional way.

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*Affiliate Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you. I only recommend tools I personally use or have thoroughly vetted and confidently stand behind to help service business owners build structured, profitable companies.

Sandra Wallmann

35+ Year Service Business Owner | Founder of Sandra’s Business Guide

Sandra Wallmann has spent over 35 years running Pete’s Plumbing & Heating, building systems that support consistent revenue, strong client retention, and long-term growth. She is also the owner of Hit the Spot Treats, a corporate gifting business focused on client appreciation and retention.

Through Sandra’s Business Guide, she shares real-world strategies to help service business owners move from daily operations into true ownership.

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