HVAC Lead Follow-Up SOP

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The one rule that beats everything else

If you only remember one thing from this entire document, remember this.

Non-negotiable

Call within 5 minutes of the lead coming in.

MIT research: companies that call within 5 minutes are 100× more likely to make contact than those who wait 30 minutes. HVAC leads submit to 3–5 companies at once — you win by being first.

Reality check: If you're not calling in under 5 minutes, your ads are wasting money. Speed is the cheapest competitive advantage you have.

Lead pipeline stages (GHL)

Set up your pipeline with these exact stages. Move every lead to the correct stage after each touch — this keeps your pipeline honest and your reporting real.

Stage	What it means
New Lead	Just came in — call immediately
Attempting Contact	Called, no answer yet
Contacted	Spoke to them live
Appointment Set	Date and time confirmed
Appointment Confirmed	Called day before to confirm
Job Estimated	Tech was on-site, estimate sent
Closed / Won	Signed and scheduled
Closed / Lost	Chose another company
Dead — No Contact	Completed full sequence, never answered

The Sequence

The 7-day contact cadence

8 call attempts over 7 days. Most companies give up after 1–2 calls. That persistence gap is exactly where you win.

Day 1 — Strike while it's hot

Time	Action
0–5 min after lead	Call Attempt 1 — use the Double Dial (below)
No answer → now	Send Text #1
+30 minutes	Call Attempt 2
+2–3 hours	Call Attempt 3 + leave Voicemail #1

Day 2

Time	Action
8:30–9:00 AM	Call Attempt 4
5:00–6:00 PM	Call Attempt 5 + send Text #2

Day 3

Time	Action
11:00 AM	Call Attempt 6 + leave Voicemail #2
After call	Send Text #3

Day 5

Time	Action
10:00 AM	Call Attempt 7
After call	Send Text #4

Day 7 — Final attempt

Time	Action
10:00 AM	Call Attempt 8
After call	Send Breakup Text
Then	Move stage → Dead — No Contact

The Double Dial

Use on every first attempt and any time you suspect they screened the call.

Call the number
Let it ring 2–3 times
Hang up
Call again immediately

People assume two back-to-back calls = urgent or emergency. Answer rate goes up significantly. If they still don't answer, move to the voicemail + text sequence.

On the Phone

Phone scripts

Conversational, not robotic. Hit the copy button to grab any script.

Script 1 — First live answer (warm intro)

"Hey, is this [First Name]? … Hey [First Name], this is [Your Name] calling from [Company Name]. You just reached out on our website about your HVAC system — I wanted to call you right away to make sure we got you taken care of. Is now a quick second to chat?"

If yes → move to Script 2 (Qualify).

If bad time: "No problem at all. What's a better time for me to call you back today — morning or afternoon?" (Log the callback time in GHL. Call back at exactly that time.)

Script 2 — Qualifying questions

Ask in a conversational flow — not rapid-fire.

1. "So what's going on with the system right now — is it not cooling/heating, or are you looking to replace it?"2. "How old is the unit?"3. "Is it just not working at all, or is it kind of struggling?"4. "And you're the homeowner, correct?"5. "What part of [city/area] are you in?"

Goal: Confirm they're a homeowner with a real problem or replacement need. If they're a renter, get the landlord's number.

Close to appointment:

"Okay, sounds like we can definitely help you with that. I want to get one of our techs out to take a look — what works better for you, [Option A: day + time] or [Option B: day + time]?"

Always give two options. Never ask "when works for you" — open-ended questions lose bookings.

Script 3 — Warm transfer to tech / owner

If your CSR can't quote on the spot:

"What I'm going to do is get you on with [Owner/Tech Name] who can give you more detail — he's the one who does the actual assessments. One second."

Never say "I'll have someone call you back." Transfer live whenever possible.

Async Touches

Voicemails & texts

Texts go out after a missed call, never instead of one. Voicemails stay under 20 seconds.

Voicemail scripts

Short = they call back. Long = they delete it. No third voicemail — after two, more feels like harassment.

Voicemail #1 — Day 1

"Hey [First Name], this is [Name] from [Company]. You reached out about your HVAC system — just want to make sure you're taken care of. Give me a call back at [number]. Talk soon."

Voicemail #2 — Day 3

"Hey [First Name], [Name] again from [Company]. Tried you a couple times — still want to help you out with that HVAC situation. Call me back at [number] when you get a second."

Text message templates

Text #1 — After first missed call (Day 1)

"Hi [First Name], this is [Name] from [Company Name]. Just tried calling about your HVAC system — we're ready to help. What's a good time to reach you today?"

Text #2 — Day 2 evening

"Hey [First Name] — [Name] from [Company] again. We haven't been able to connect. Still want to get you taken care of — just reply here or call us at [number]."

Text #3 — Day 3

"[First Name], still have your request open from [Company]. HVAC situations can get worse fast — want to make sure you're not left without A/C [or heat]. Call or text back anytime."

Seasonal swap: "without A/C" in summer, "without heat" in winter.

Text #4 — Day 5

"Hey [First Name], last time we'll bother you before the week's out — [Name] from [Company]. Still here if you need us: [number]."

Breakup Text — Day 7

"Hey [First Name] — going to close out your request with us. If you ever need HVAC help down the road, we're always here. Take care."

Why bother? 10–15% reply to breakup texts. It's your last-chance conversion.

Stay in the Conversation

Objections & responses

Every objection is a door, not a wall. Acknowledge, then redirect to value.

I already found someone.

Respond"No worries at all — glad you got it handled. Out of curiosity, had they already given you a price? … [If yes] Okay. Well, if anything changes or they let you down, we're always here."

I was just looking around / getting quotes.

Respond"Perfect — that's exactly why you filled out the form. What would be most helpful — should I have one of our techs come out and give you a number you can compare against?"

How much does it cost?

Respond"It really depends on what your system needs — that's why we do the free assessment first. There's no charge just to come look. Most people are surprised by what they actually need versus what they thought. Want to get someone out?"

I need to talk to my spouse.

Respond"Of course. What time are you both usually home together? I can call back then so we're all on the same page."

Operator's Handbook

Reference & best practices

When to call

Best times

8:00–9:30 AM (before work)
12:00–1:00 PM (lunch)
5:00–7:00 PM (after work) — highest answer rate

Worst times

9:30–11:30 AM (already at work)
2:00–4:00 PM (afternoon slump)

House rules

Log every attempt in GHL. Date, time, outcome (no answer / voicemail / spoke to them / wrong number). If it's not logged, it didn't happen.

Never say "just checking in." It signals low value. Every contact needs a reason — "want to make sure you have AC before the weekend" is a reason.

Same-day rule. If a lead comes in before 4 PM, it gets at least 3 call attempts that same day. No exceptions.

What GHL should do for you

The texts run on autopilot. The calls stay manual — no automation replaces a live voice.

Lead comes in → instant SMS fires (Text #1) within 60 seconds
Lead comes in → task created: "Call [First Name] NOW" assigned to CSR
Day 2 at 5 PM → auto-send Text #2 if still in "Attempting Contact"
Day 3 → auto-send Text #3
Day 5 → auto-send Text #4
Day 7 → auto-send Breakup Text + move to Dead stage

Weekly lead review (every Monday)

Pull the GHL pipeline report and answer:

• How many new leads came in last week?

• How many were contacted within 5 minutes?

• How many appointments were set vs. leads that came in?

• How many leads are stuck in "Attempting Contact" 7+ days? (Move to Dead)

Target KPIs

Metric	Target
Speed to first call	Under 5 minutes
Contact rate (spoke to someone)	40–60% of leads
Contact → Appointment rate	50–70%
Appointment → Show rate	80%+

If contact rate is below 40%, the problem is speed or hours of coverage — not the lead quality.