The short answer. Call new leads as soon as they come in, keep calling and texting for several days, and confirm every estimate before the visit. Research on online leads found that companies that responded within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify the lead as those that waited longer (Harvard Business Review, 2011). Most lost HVAC leads aren't bad leads. They're leads nobody reached in time.
What happens to a lead that waits
Someone fills in a form at 9 at night. Nobody's in the office. By the time anyone calls back the next afternoon, they've booked another company, or they've stopped answering unknown numbers. Six of the eight owners doing $1.5M+ we spoke to this year raised exactly this: leads arriving when there's nobody to call them.
How fast is fast enough?
As fast as you can during calling hours. The Harvard Business Review study found that companies who tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to have a real conversation with the decision maker as those who waited longer. For a homeowner pricing a new system, the first company that gets through is in a strong position.
How many times should you call an HVAC lead?
More than once. Our booking team calls each new lead every day for the first five days, alongside texts for anyone who agreed to them, then keeps following up every week after that. People miss calls for ordinary reasons: they're at work, driving, or don't pick up unknown numbers. One missed call is not a no.
What about leads that come in after hours?
You have two honest options. A 24/7 answering service picks up phone calls at night, but most Facebook and web leads arrive as forms, not calls. The other option is to make sure every overnight lead is first on the list when calling starts. Our team calls Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm in your local time, so a lead that comes in at night is called first thing next morning.
Confirm every estimate
Booking is half the job. Send a confirmation the moment the estimate is booked, reminders a few days and a day before, and ask the customer to reply to confirm a few hours ahead. Anyone who doesn't show gets a call to rebook, not silence.
Who should do the calling?
Usually not the office. The people answering your phones are also dispatching, taking service calls and handling customers. New leads are the first thing to slip when it gets busy. A team that does nothing but call, qualify and book leads won't be pulled away by a busy morning.
Frequently asked questions
Should I text or call a new lead first?
Call. A text can follow, but only send texts to people who agreed to receive them. A conversation is the quickest way to qualify the customer and book the estimate.
What if a lead never answers?
Keep trying for several days, then move them to a slower weekly follow-up. A lead who misses the first few calls can still book on a later one.
Do you call on Sundays?
No. Our booking team calls Monday to Saturday, 8am to 8pm in your local time.
Which leads do you call?
The leads from the ads we run for your company. We call, qualify and book them onto your calendar.
See how the whole process fits together on how it works.