Past-Customer Texts That Bring Repeat Work

Text past customers a short, useful message tied to a real reason: a seasonal check-up, a maintenance reminder, or an open spot on your schedule. Use their name, say who you are, offer one easy next step, and stop when they say STOP. Two to four messages a year is plenty.

Your best next customer might be someone you already worked for. They know you, they have your number, and they may have a job coming up that they have not gotten around to.

The problem is timing. They are not thinking about you until something breaks or needs doing. A short, well-timed text puts you back in their head at the right moment.

Why text past customers at all?

Because most people do not keep a contractor’s number ready, and they do not always remember the name. If they had a good experience, the easiest thing you can do is remind them you exist.

You are not trying to sell. You are trying to be the obvious person to call when the need comes up.

Imagine a landscaper with 120 past customers. If a short spring text books just six of them for a mulch and cleanup job at $400 each, that is $2,400 from about an hour of work. That is a hypothetical to show the math, not a result to expect. The point is that a small list can carry real revenue.

What makes a past-customer text work?

Five things, in this order:

1. They know who you are. Use your business name and their first name.
2. There is a real reason. Season change, maintenance interval, warranty, open schedule.
3. It is short. Two or three sentences, readable on a lock screen.
4. There is one easy next step. Reply YES, or call this number. Not three options.
5. They can opt out. Honor STOP immediately.

Skip fake urgency, ALL CAPS, and long paragraphs. If it looks like a mass promo, it gets deleted.

Copy-paste past customer text messages

Fill in the brackets and keep the tone the way you actually talk.

Seasonal check-in

Hi [Name], it’s [Your Name] with [Business]. We did your [job] a while back. Fall is a good time to look things over before winter. Want me to swing by and take a look? Reply YES and I’ll send times.

Maintenance reminder

Hi [Name], [Your Name] from [Business]. It has been about a year since your [system] service. Want to get on the schedule for a tune-up? Reply here or call [phone].

Open spots on your calendar

Hi [Name], [Your Name] at [Business]. I have a couple of openings next week. If you have something small you’ve been meaning to get done, I can fit it in. Reply with what you’re thinking.

Just checking in after a big job

Hi [Name], [Your Name] from [Business]. Checking in on the [finished project]. Everything still holding up the way you hoped? If anything needs a touch-up, let me know and I’ll take care of it.

Photo-based nudge

Hi [Name], [Your Name] from [Business]. We finished a job a few streets from you this week and it made me think of yours. If you have a project coming up, I’d be glad to give you a price. Reply here anytime.

Rules and carrier requirements for business texting change and depend on how you send, so confirm the current requirements for your setup. As operating habits: only text people who gave you their number through a real job, send from a number that is registered where your carrier requires it, identify your business in every message, honor STOP right away, and keep every message useful to the person receiving it.

When should you send them?

Match the message to a reason the customer would actually care about. Here is how the timing looks by trade:

Trade	Natural reasons to text
HVAC	Spring and fall tune-up windows, filter changes, before the first hot or cold week
Roofing	After a big storm hits your area, or for a yearly look after the first year
Landscaping	Start of spring cleanup, fall leaf and aeration season, irrigation start-up and winterizing
Plumbing	Before freezing weather, water heater age check, annual inspection
Painting	Late winter for exterior spring bookings, “still want the trim done?” follow-ups
Electrical	Before holiday lighting season, panel or outlet checks after a home purchase
Pressure washing	Spring and just before the holidays, deck refresh reminders

Pick two or three windows a year and stick to them. Put a reminder on your calendar so you do not depend on memory.

How do you keep a customer list you can text?

You do not need a fancy system to start:

• A spreadsheet. Name, phone, job type, date, and a column for “asked to stop.”
• Your phone’s contacts. Add the job type and year in the contact name, like “Dana Lee, siding 2025.”
• An invoice export. If you use accounting software, export customers with phone numbers.

Update it after each job. A list you add to every week is worth far more than a big list you built once and forgot.

What should you not do?

• Do not send the same message to everyone at 7 a.m. on a Sunday.
• Do not buy a list and text strangers. Past customers are people who know you.
• Do not ask for a Google review in the same message as a sales pitch. Keep those separate. See how to ask for Google reviews.
• Do not reply with a sales pitch to someone who said STOP.
• Do not text late at night.

What happens when they reply?

Reply the same day, ideally within minutes. A customer who answers a text is telling you they might be ready. If they ask a question you can answer in a sentence, answer it. If it needs a look at the job, offer two time slots.

Not every reply will be a booking. Some will be “not right now,” and that is fine. Keep them on the list for the next window. Also compare this with your estimate follow-up texts, since a past customer with an open quote is a different conversation than a past customer with no job in mind.

If you would rather not run this by hand, repeat work in one click is part of the Builders Presence plan, so a seasonal text can go to a list without you copying and pasting each one.

Common questions

How often should I text past customers?

Two to four times a year is a reasonable ceiling for most trades, timed to real reasons like a change of season or a maintenance interval. If someone replies or books, that starts a normal conversation. If they do not reply, do not chase them with three follow-ups. One good message per reason is enough.

Who counts as a past customer worth texting?

People you actually did paid work for, who gave you their number for the job. Start with customers from the last two or three years, since they still remember you. Leave out anyone who asked you to stop, anyone in a dispute, and anyone you would not want to work for again.

What if a past customer replies STOP?

Stop texting that number right away and mark it in your list so it does not get sent again. Do not reply with a sales message. If you use a texting tool, make sure it handles STOP automatically. Honoring opt-outs quickly protects your reputation and your number.

Should I include a discount in past-customer texts?

Not necessarily. A reason to call usually works better than a coupon. A discount can make sense for filling a slow week, but if you use one, keep it real and time-limited. Constant discounts teach customers to wait for the next sale.