05.19.2008 — I took my car to a Jiffy Lube recently for a $29 oil change.

My husband warned me: Don't listen to them, they'll try to sell you a bunch of extra stuff.

I left the place having spent about $125.

Was I resentful? Not really. The items that "needed" fixing were in fact vital, if small, things: bad bulb in the license-place nook; bad bulb on the left blinker; and some other thing that also would have gotten me pulled over by an overzealous cop.

I don't know how much bulbs cost. I don't know how challenging it is to replace them myself. I do know that the last time I tried to replace my own windshield wiper, I had a heck of a time. So now I pay the guy an extra $20 or so and he swaps it out in about two minutes.

I did leave the place wondering about other service-oriented companies that ding you for an unexpected $100 or $200 extra, every time you (or they) come calling: rental car companies (insurance with that? GPS? Upgrade for $10 a day?), lawncare companies (extra-special super-duper weed killer?), furniture resellers (Scotchguard?) … and so on and so on.

So why doesn't our industry do that?

Security providers do a nice job of getting in the house with promises of a $250 installation, and then walking away with twice that amount, thanks to extra sensors, keyfobs, and other add-ons.

But I haven't met many home systems integrators that have an upsell strategy like that.

Regardless of what your customer buys, or what service they have ordered … there is always more that you can sell: better cables, line conditioners, new batteries, remote-control tweaks, calibration, and so on.

Do you have a checklist of upsells, the appropriate inventory on your van, and tools on your technicians?