You painted two rooms three years ago. The owner meant to call about the rest and forgot your company name.
Painting play · Past customer reactivation
Win back past painting customers with the next job they need.
Your past customers already trust your crews, and most of them have more rooms, an exterior, or cabinets you haven't painted yet. Spur takes your customer list, writes each one a card about their likely next project based on what you did last, and mails it at the right time.
Free forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
USPSFirst-Class
Jen Sorensen4815 Lake Ave SMinneapolis, MN 55419Scan to book your next project
Jen S. scanned your past customer card · 3 min ago
AI-written for this owner · Mailed in 2 days
Your listfrom ServiceTitan, Jobber, PaintScout, or a spreadsheet
Next jobwritten from what you did last time
Moved?Spur flags owners who sold the house
The problem
Past customers are your best leads, and most painters never mail them.
Customers don't know you do cabinets or interiors unless you tell them.
Some customers sold their homes. Mailing them wastes postage and misses the new owner.
How it works
From list to mailbox in one workflow.
Five steps from an old job list to repeat work.
app.usespur.com
See it in Spur
A past customer list in Spur
Sample Minneapolis customers with their last job and next likely project. Names are partly masked.
Your customer listLast job 1–6 yrs agoStill owner-occupiedExclude sold homes
- Jen S.4815 Lake Ave SLiving room + hall · 2021Next: other roomsExterior
- Marcus & Leah F.5102 Xerxes Ave SFull exterior · 2019Next: exterior refreshDue
- Pat O.3924 Upton Ave SKitchen cabinets · 2022Next: interiors
- Bill R.4410 Drew Ave SExterior · 2023Next: trim touch-upWarranty check
- Sold: new owner5530 Abbott Ave SInterior · 2020 · sold 2024Mail as new homeowner
AI draft for Jen S. · 4815 Lake Ave S
WE PAINTED YOUR LIVING ROOM IN 2021. HOW'S THE REST OF THE HOUSE?
Hi Jen, it's been about three years since our crew painted your living room and front hall on Lake Avenue. We hope the colors are still working for you.
If the kitchen, bedrooms, or exterior are next on your list, past customers get first pick of spring dates and the same crew lead when possible. We'll bring your color records so everything matches.
Scan the code to book a walk-through. And if a friend or neighbor needs a painter, we'd be grateful for the referral.
Twin Lakes Painting · MN Lic. BC#781203 · (612) 555-0117
Sample data for illustration. Your results depend on your market and filters.
Playbook
How to get repeat work from past painting customers
Painting is rarely a one-time purchase. A customer who had two rooms painted usually has others they want to change, the exterior will need work on its own schedule, and cabinets or trim often come next. They already know your crew and your prices, so a past customer is cheaper to win than any new lead.
Most painting companies never mail this list. Job records live in a CRM or a spreadsheet, and the only follow-up is a review request. A simple card two or three years after an interior job, or four to six years after an exterior, brings back work you'd otherwise lose to whoever the customer finds online.
Write about what you did. "We painted your living room in 2021" proves you remember them. Then suggest the logical next project: the rest of the interior, the exterior, cabinets, or a touch-up on trim that takes the most wear. Mention that you kept their color records, a small detail that saves them a decision.
Clean the list first. Some customers have sold their homes. Mailing them by name wastes postage, while mailing the new owner with a welcome-style message is an opportunity. Spur flags addresses that have sold since your job.
Use mail, then follow up by phone with care. Many old customer lists don't have documented consent for marketing texts, and the TCPA allows damages per message. A card lets the customer come back to you first.
Ask for referrals in the same card. Past customers who were happy with the work are your best source of new customers, and many will pass along a name if asked. A short line at the end of the card, plus a way to scan and share, turns a reactivation campaign into a referral campaign at no extra cost.
Keep good records from now on. Note the colors, sheen, and paint line used in each room, the condition of the trim and siding, and when the next job is likely to be due. Those notes make every future card more specific, and they make the next estimate faster because you already know the house.
11×return on a year of Spur Team from two $3,200 repeat jobs
Your customer list is already paid for.
- Spur Team: $49/mo billed annually = $588/yr
- 500 past customers × 2 cards on Team at $0.94 each = $940
- Two $3,200 repeat jobs = $6,400, about 11× your subscription
Example math. Repeat rates depend on how long you've been in business and how well you've kept records. Run your own numbers →
One tool, not four
Spur vs. the usual past customer follow-up
What you needThe usual waySpur
A card about their next likely projectA generic newsletter, if anything✓ Built in
Timed to the age of the last jobWhenever someone remembers✓ Built in
Sold homes flagged automaticallyMailing people who moved✓ Built in
Scans alert the officeWaiting for them to call✓ Built in
Repeat revenue tracked by yearNo idea what came back✓ Built in
Past Customers by the numbers
Why mail is the right channel for old customer lists
Written consent
is generally required before sending marketing texts, so many old customer lists can't be texted
Opt-out
commercial email must include a working unsubscribe and honor it within 10 business days
11×
return on a year of Spur Team from two $3,200 repeat jobs
FAQ
Past customer reactivation questions
How do painters get repeat customers?
Mail past customers about their next likely project, timed to the age of their last job: other rooms or the exterior for interior clients, and trim touch-ups or interiors for exterior clients.
How often should I contact past painting customers?
Once or twice a year is enough. Time the main offer to the job's age: two to three years after an interior, four to six after an exterior.
Can I upload my customer list from my CRM?
Yes. Export a CSV from ServiceTitan, Jobber, PaintScout, Housecall Pro, or a spreadsheet and upload it. Spur matches addresses and flags sold homes.
What if a past customer sold the house?
Spur flags it. Mail the new owner a welcome card instead. You painted their house, which is a strong opening.
Keep exploring
Related plays and guides
Start in minutes. No card required.
Bring past customers back for the next room.
Upload your job history, let Spur write each customer a card about what's next, and mail it at the right time. Free to start.
Reactivate my past customers — freeFree forever plan · No card · 20 property searches a month
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