Why your HVAC leads go cold (and how to fix it in five minutes)

5 minute read

When a homeowner’s AC stops working on a hot afternoon, they don’t fill in one form. They contact two or three companies, and the first one to answer usually gets the job. That makes speed your cheapest competitive advantage.

Where the time goes

Most leads don’t go cold because of price. They go cold in the gaps: a call comes in while the technician is on a job, a web form lands in an inbox nobody checks until evening, a quote is sent and never followed up.

Three fixes you can set up this week

1. Missed-call text-back. When you can’t pick up, send an automatic text: “Sorry we missed you, how can we help?” Most callers reply instead of dialling the next company.
2. Instant form reply. Every web or Facebook lead gets a text within a minute with a link to book a visit.
3. Estimate follow-up. A short message on day 1, 3 and 7 after a quote. Many jobs are won by the company that simply asked again.

Measure it

Track one number for a month: the time between a lead arriving and your first reply. If it’s more than five minutes, you’re losing jobs you already paid for.

Want to know what slow replies are costing you? Try our Lead Leak Calculator, or ask for a free audit.