Is it time to flush the myth of Brown Friday?
That’s the belief that the day after Thanksgiving is one of the busiest of the year for plumbers, what with the consumption of 792-pound turkeys and all the relatives using the same drains and potties.
» Want to grow your business? Click here to get a demo.
In this case, though, the whole Brown Friday thing seems more urban legend than truth. A ServiceTitan analysis of three years of data found information that plumbing contractors should heed as they plan for the holidays and staff around them: The Monday before and Monday after Thanksgiving are far busier than Brown Friday in terms of calls, revenues and jobs.
“(Brown) Friday itself is not among the busiest days of the year for plumbers,” the study’s conclusion read. “Brown Friday has some of the lowest call, job and revenue numbers for the weekdays in November.”
One contractor in the San Diego area supports the conclusion about the day after the big meal.
“The Monday before and after Thanksgiving are busier than Brown Friday,” Mary Jean Anderson, President and CEO of Anderson Plumbing, Heating & Air, said via e-mail. “In general, we’re usually pretty busy on Mondays, but it’s surrounding that holiday that we are busier than usual.”
What is Brown Friday?
The issues and reason for the name Brown Friday are obvious: All the grease and giblets and stuffing and turkey slices and potato peels and cooking oils and green beans and poultry skins and extra guests can lead to blockages of the garbage disposals, sink drains and toilets of the homeowners of America. (Suggestions: Don't substitute wet wipes for toilet paper, don't use hot water in the sink drain, and compost potato peels.)
Yes, Thanksgiving feasts can lead to fowl results in the holiday season.
That created the idea that Friday brings a cluster of calls to the local plumbing company about pipe backups. ServiceTitan decided to go past the wattle and conduct a real-life check based on real numbers.
The study looked at data for more than 350 contractors who have been ServiceTitan customers since at least January of 2018. The study evaluated calls, new jobs and revenue starting with January of ’18 and ending with December of 2020. Because calls could not be individualized, they include calls for electrical, HVAC or other work the individual plumbing businesses may do. Data for new jobs and revenue were for plumbing only.
Trending toward Mondays
Even though 2020 was the year of Covid and limited family gatherings, ServiceTitan’s data analysis shows a trend:
In each of the past three years, both the Monday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after were among the top 10 days of the year in call volume.
Twice in three years, the Monday before and after the holiday were among the top 10 days with the highest number of new jobs scheduled.
And in 2018, the Monday after Thanksgiving brought in the highest daily revenue of the entire year – with numbers related to plumbing only.
At the risk of roasting a myth – no need for anyone to turn over in their gravy -- the data shows that Brown Friday has some of the lowest numbers for calls, jobs and revenue for weekdays in November.
There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that contractors believe Brown Friday, aka Black Friday to shoppers, is one of their busiest days. A contractor in Cleveland said his calls go from 15-to-20 to more than 60. Mr. Rooter Plumbing reported a 50% jump in service calls on Brown Friday.
But that’s anecdotal. Weather is a far greater predictor of work volume – think the Texas freeze or 2021 heat waves – than the 24-hour period after the holiday.
Start making data-backed decisions — see how
So, is Brown Friday real?
That idea of Brown Friday may in fact be more gobble-de-gook than reality.
In terms of calls, the Monday before and after Thanksgiving were about 80% and 85% higher, respectively, than Brown Friday. Even a typical weekday in November had about 50% higher call volume than Brown Friday.
Calls and Revenue on Brown Friday vs. Other Days in November
While Brown Friday was close to the norm in terms of new jobs created on all November days (including weekends), there were more than two-thirds as many new jobs created on the Monday before and after Thanksgiving. Preparation and leftovers clearly matter when it comes to drippings, clogs and the kitchen sink.
Daily revenue may tell the most important tale: The revenue on the Monday after Thanksgiving doubled Brown Friday, and the Monday before was over two-thirds higher than Brown Friday. For a plumbing shop with average weekday revenue of $10,000 in November, Brown Friday brings only about $7,000 while Monday after Thanksgiving results in about $14,000.
The Monday after Thanksgiving and Monday before consistently appeared in the nine “top” categories (calls, jobs, revenue in each of three years); Brown Friday did not.
It’s not time to go cold turkey on Brown Friday (we’ll stop now). There are customers that will need help on that day. But it may be time to reassess the conventional wisdom.
“On Brown Friday I wouldn’t say we’re slow by any means,” Anderson said, “but we aren’t busier than usual.”
Methodology: New jobs and revenue includes plumbing jobs only; calls include all incoming calls to the plumbing contractor. New jobs are defined as jobs booked on a given day, regardless of when finished, and the revenue reflects the sum of invoices from those jobs. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5%.
ServiceTitan Software
ServiceTitan is a comprehensive software solution built specifically to help service companies streamline their operations, boost revenue, and substantially elevate the trajectory of their business. Our comprehensive, cloud-based platform is used by thousands of electrical, HVAC, plumbing, garage door, and chimney sweep shops across the country—and has increased their revenue by an average of 25% in just their first year with us.
