I build AI workflow automation for pest control and other home service businesses.
How fast should you respond to a new lead, and what does it cost to be slow?
I build AI workflow automation for pest control and other home service businesses.
Short answer
Reply within minutes during business hours, and send an instant automatic reply after hours that says when a person will follow up. There is no single magic number, but people with a pest problem often contact several companies, so the first helpful reply has an advantage.
A practical target
Business hours: first reply within 5 minutes.
After hours: instant automatic reply, then a person follows up first thing in the morning.
Urgent cases such as bed bugs or wasps: alert a person immediately.
How to estimate what slow replies cost you
Use your own numbers. Here is an example with made-up assumptions. These are not real results.
Assumptions for the example
40 new inquiries per month.
Average first-job value of $300.
If 10 of those 40 inquiries are lost because of slow replies, that is 10 leads.
Cost of the problem in the example
10 lost leads x $300 = $3,000 per month, or $36,000 per year, before counting any repeat service.
To use your own numbers
Count inquiries last month.
Check how long the first reply took for each.
Estimate how many customers went elsewhere.
Multiply by your average first-job value.
How to fix it
Collect all inquiries in one place.
Send an instant automatic reply.
Alert a person for urgent cases.
Review reply times weekly.