--- title: "Hour bank: what it is and how to manage it | attendo" description: "What a service hour bank is, why it works for both sides, the four rules to put in writing and the mistake of not showing the balance to the customer." url: "https://attendo.me/en/glossary/hour-bank" lang: "en" --- # Hour bank: how to avoid arguing at the end of the month Also known as: Prepaid hours · block of hours An hour bank is a block of service hours bought in advance that is drawn down as work is done. ## Why it works The customer pays up front and gets a predictable cost; you get recurring revenue and are paid before you work. Both sides come out ahead if the rules are clear. ## Four things to put in writing 1. **What draws down the bank and what does not.** Travel? A diagnosis that ends in “not our problem”? A five-minute call? 2. **The minimum billing increment.** If it is half an hour, a five-minute question uses half an hour. Say so before, not after. 3. **What happens to unused hours.** Do they expire? Do they roll over? For how long? 4. **Who sees the balance and how often.** ## The usual mistake Not showing the balance to the customer. If only you know how many hours are left, every renewal turns into an argument and the customer is suspicious even when you are right. ## In attendo Hours logged on each ticket or work order are automatically deducted from the [contract](https://attendo.me/en/modules/contracts-and-sla) hour bank. When it runs out, attendo alerts you, and the customer sees the balance on the [portal](https://attendo.me/en/modules/customer-portal) without having to ask. - [attendo Ticketing](https://attendo.me/en/ticketing) ## Where it is used in attendo ### Modules - [Contracts and SLA](https://attendo.me/en/modules/contracts-and-sla): Scope, SLA and hour bank, measured on every ticket - [Customer, supplier and partner portals](https://attendo.me/en/modules/customer-portal): Customers, subcontractors and partners reach their own, your brand - [Time tracking](https://attendo.me/en/modules/time-tracking): Time per document and working time records, where work happens ### Industries that use these modules - [IT services and MSPs](https://attendo.me/en/industries/it-services) - [Facility maintenance and services](https://attendo.me/en/industries/facility-maintenance) - [Contractors, construction and engineering](https://attendo.me/en/industries/contractors) - [Elevators and escalators](https://attendo.me/en/industries/elevators) - [And any other business](https://attendo.me/en/industries) ## Related terms Support and service ### SLA Service level agreement An SLA (service level agreement) is the written commitment, usually part of a contract, on how quickly you will respond to and resolve a customer’s tickets. Sales and customers ### Customer profitability Account profitability Customer profitability is the difference between what you bill an account and what it costs you to serve it. Support and service ### Customer portal Self-service portal A customer portal is the web space where your customers check and open their requests without having to call you. ### On the blog #### How to calculate the profitability of a service customer Almost every company knows how much it bills each customer. Far fewer know how much it costs to serve them. And the business lives in the gap between those two numbers. 3 min read [See all 53 glossary terms](https://attendo.me/en/glossary) ## Shall we look at it with your data? We will show you how what you just read works in attendo, with your own assets, tickets and customers. If it is not a fit, we will tell you. - With your operation, not a generic demo - A real person from our team replies - No cold calls afterwards Would you rather talk first? - Phone [+34 910 053 530](tel:+34910053530) - Email [sales@attendo.me](mailto:sales@attendo.me) - Monday to Thursday 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM and Friday 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM (Spain time)