The Email Cadence That Reactivates Past Customers

Winning a new customer costs 5–7x more than reactivating an old one. Yet most trades email their past customer list once a year, a generic holiday card, and call it good.

Here's the cadence that consistently produces 6–10x what you got back on our clients' past customer lists.

Month 1 after a job, a thank-you email with a review ask and a referral offer ($100 credit toward their next service when a referral books).

Month 6, a seasonal tune-up reminder tied to the original service. 'It's been six months since we replaced your water heater. Quick maintenance checklist inside.'

Month 12, an anniversary email with an offer for a related service. Roofing customers get a gutter inspection offer. HVAC customers get a duct cleaning offer.

Quarterly, a value-only newsletter. One tip, one project highlight, one team update. No ask. Keeps you top of mind for when they need you next.

Use a simple tool like MailerLite or ActiveCampaign. Both have free tiers that handle thousands of contacts.

Run consistently, this 5-touch cycle reactivates 8–12% of past customers a year. For a 1,000-customer list, that's 80–120 free jobs a year.