The week between Christmas and New Year's feels strange in a service company. Some technicians are on vacation, routine calls drop, but emergencies keep coming because houses are full of guests, furnaces work hard and drains clog after big meals. Many owners treat it as a lost week. Companies that plan it fill the open slots, cover emergencies well and use the quiet hours to start January ahead.
In this article
Decide who works
Set the holiday schedule by early December. Rotate time off fairly, so the same people do not work every year, and confirm on-call coverage for every night. Publish the schedule to the team and update your hours on Google and your website.
Cover emergencies
- keep at least one technician on call per trade every day;
- stock vans with common parts before Christmas, because suppliers close or open late;
- set an answering service or overflow line for after-hours calls;
- tell callers honestly when you can be there.
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Fill the open slots
Many customers are home and have time. Text your list:
"We have openings between Dec 27 and Dec 30. Want to get your tune-up, drain cleaning or water heater flush done before the new year?"
Jobs customers want that week
- drain cleaning after holiday cooking;
- furnace and boiler checks during cold weather;
- water heater service after a house full of guests;
- small repairs people noticed while hosting.
Office tasks for the quiet hours
- call unpaid invoices before the year closes;
- clean customer records and update phone numbers and emails;
- review maintenance plan renewals due in January and February;
- send the year-end thank-you message to customers.
Training and vehicles
Use slow afternoons for short training sessions, van cleanouts, inventory counts and vehicle maintenance. Technicians start January with clean, stocked trucks.
Close the books and plan January
Work with your bookkeeper on year-end numbers and look at the year: revenue by service, average ticket, close rate and calls by source. Set January goals and book the first two weeks before the team comes back.
An example
A plumbing and HVAC company in Pennsylvania kept four of its eleven technicians working between Christmas and New Year's, with one on call each night. It texted 1,900 customers about open slots, booked 63 jobs, ran 38 emergencies and collected $21,000 in overdue invoices.
Common mistakes
Deciding the schedule at the last minute, no on-call coverage, vans without parts, letting open slots sit empty, ignoring overdue invoices and starting January with no plan.
Price every call so it pays.
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Frequently asked questions
Should a service company close between Christmas and New Year's?
Most home service companies should not close completely. Emergencies like no heat, frozen pipes and clogged drains happen that week, and customers remember who answered. A common setup is a reduced crew for scheduled work, an on-call technician for emergencies and the office working shorter hours.