Home-service leads (plumbing, HVAC, roofing, cleaning) are “right now” moments. When a homeowner searches “near me,” 76% visit a related business within a day and 28% make a purchase—speed is the advantage you control.
The evidence
Multiple studies show a sharp drop-off as minutes tick by. In the classic MIT/InsideSales analysis, contacting a lead within 5 minutes vs. 30 minutes made teams up to 100x more likely to make contact and 21x more likely to qualify. Most companies still miss this window: audits find only ~5% respond within five minutes, with many taking hours—or not responding at all. Harvard Business Review flagged the same pattern: businesses generally wait far too long, leaving money on the table while faster competitors win the first conversation.
The 5-minute playbook
- Set a service-level target (SLA). Define “respond in ≤5 minutes” for form fills, Google Business Profile (GBP) messages, and webchat. Make it visible on your dispatch board and daily huddle sheet.
- Route instantly. Use round-robin or “first available” rules to push new leads to a live human via mobile app + SMS/email. If you’re small, forward site forms to a shared phone and trigger an auto-call to the on-duty coordinator.
- Two-step response.
- Immediate acknowledgement (auto): “Got your note about the water heater. I’m Helen’s team—can call you in 3–5 minutes to help?”
- Live follow-up (human): Call within five minutes; if missed, text: “Calling now to get you on today’s schedule.”
This combo captures attention fast and moves the lead to a call (where booking rates are highest).
- Use a short booking script.
- “What happened?” (one-line issue)
- “Where and when?” (address + today/next window)
- “Who + how?” (name, phone, preferred contact)
- “Price clarity.” (diagnostic fee/waiver rules)
- “Next step.” (“Texting confirmation now; tech in [time window].”)
- Cover evenings and weekends. Decide: in-house on-call, answering service with your script, or webchat staffed by a reputable provider. The goal is a live human plus calendar access, not “we’ll call Monday.”
- Measure daily. Track “median response time,” “% under 5 minutes,” contact rate, and book rate. Post the numbers; celebrate streaks.
Scripts you can paste (EN/PT)
After web form (auto):
“Thanks for reaching out about [issue]. We saw this and are lining up help. Can we call you in 3–5 minutes to book a time today?”
“Obrigado pelo contato sobre [problema]. Recebemos sua mensagem e podemos ligar em 3–5 minutos para agendar hoje?”
Missed call (SMS):
“Sorry we missed you—can talk now to get you on today’s schedule, or would you prefer [time window]?”
Tie it to “near me” intent
When a burst of high-intent searches happens in your service area, the first company to respond usually wins the conversation and the job. That’s why five minutes matters: you’re converting search urgency into a booked slot before the homeowner keeps calling down the list. (Google’s local data shows how quickly nearby searches turn into action.)
Common pitfalls (and fixes)
- Auto-reply only. An auto-email without a live follow-up wastes the window—pair it with an immediate call.
- No weekend coverage. Use an answering partner with calendar access so you still hit the SLA.
- Hidden phone number. Prominent click-to-call on mobile; add GBP “Call” and “Message” buttons.
Bottom line
Speed wins. Move from “we respond same day” to “we respond in five minutes,” wire your routing to make that automatic, and watch contact, qualification, and bookings climb—exactly what the research predicts.
