arrow_down arrow Cash in hand Certificate cross house people_2 people Percent Phone Plus Phone and Tablet phone Pound Facebook Google Plus Instagram LinkedIn Twitter YouTube

Sentinel ServiceBoost Plans

The quick and simple solution to your Service Plan administration, powered by TradeHelp.

ServiceBoost Plan FAQs

The ServiceBoost Plans Dashboard 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. This software is provided by TradeHelp Ltd, with the support of Sentinel.

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.

How do I get started?
Go into the Personalise Your Account section of the Dashboard to update your company information, so that your contact details, company name and logo appear on your plans. Next Setup your Direct Debit with GoCardless. This is free of charge and ensures that payments for your plans come to your bank account. Finally, edit the plan costs to reflect the prices you want to charge (these can be re-amended at any time). Then you are ready to input your customers and create your plans.

What’s the difference between an Essential Plan and a Premium Plan?

Essential Plans are the simplest service plan – where the cost of the service is split over 12 months for your customer. The Essential Boiler and Heating System Plans include the service plus a small amount of maintenance, which would be expected to arise at the time.

Premium Plans additionally include a water analysis post-flush, and a powerflush and certification of clean system once every 5 years

Please se the full plan descriptions and customer t&cs, viewable on the “More Details” links in the Personalise Your Plans section of your software.

Do I have to manage direct debits myself? 

No, the Dashboard (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? 

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 ServiceBoost Plans tool?

Charges for the ServiceBoost Plans tool are by way of a small deduction from each monthly payment to cover admin fees. These charges are set out in the Personalise Your Account section and when you create a new Plan, so that you can quickly and easily see the income you will receive after fees. TradeHelp and Sentinel each charge 30-50p (inc vat) and GoCardless charge 1% plus £0.20+vat per plan per month.
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, gas fires and cylinders can also be added as extras to any plan).
Do Sentinel or TradeHelp use my customer data?

No. Sentinel do not see your customer data and TradeHelp only process your customer data securely for you within the software. Your customers remain yours and would never be contacted by either Sentinel or TradeHelp, other than through the automatic emails within the software.

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.

What other resources are included on the Dashboard?

There is an Installer Support area with links to useful documents, guides and videos, as well as the Sentinel shop. The Homeowner Help section includes resources for you to show to customers with more information about the Sentinel products you are using. The Dashboard also provides you with a link to your exclusive Loyalty Benefits.

What are my Loyalty Benefits?

Upload proof of purchase for your Sentinel products via the easy link in the Benefits page, and TradeHelp will convert these for you into points, which you can view from your Dashboard. If you want to cash these in at any time, just contact TradeHelp and request the items for which you wish to exchange your points.

If I have a query about my ServiceBoost Plans, who do I contact?

The service plans package is built and run by TradeHelp, who are able to provide all the support you need to make the most of the platform. You can contact them on 01978 666887 or [email protected]. Their offices are open Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm.