Most HVAC companies don’t have a lead problem. They have a follow-up problem. The quotes are already written; they just never got a second call.
Here is a way to see how big that problem is in your shop. It takes about thirty minutes and a cup of coffee.
1. Pull every open estimate from the last 12 months
Export them from your CRM or field software. You want the date, the homeowner, the job type and the quoted amount. Ignore anything older than a year; it is a different conversation.
2. Sort by amount, largest first
Furnace and AC replacements will float to the top. Those are the quotes where one yes changes your month.
3. Mark what actually happened
For each quote, write one word: booked, lost, or unknown. Be honest. “Unknown” means nobody asked after the first visit.
4. Add up the unknowns
That total is your open pipeline. It is not money in the bank. It is the amount of work that is still deciding, and right now nobody is helping it decide.
5. Call the top ten this week
Start with the newest large quotes. Keep it simple: “Checking in on the furnace quote from our visit. Want us to hold a spot this week?” A clear no is a good outcome too. It cleans your pipeline.
Why this keeps happening
Your techs quote and drive to the next call. Your office is busy with today. Follow-up is nobody’s job, so it lands on you, usually after dinner. The fix is not a better spreadsheet. It is someone who owns the list every week.