Shared HVAC leads from services like HomeStars and Angi are often hard to reach because the same homeowner is sent to several contractors at once. By the time you call, they may have talked to two companies, booked one, and stopped picking up unknown numbers. Some leads are also low quality to begin with: wrong numbers, people who were only browsing, or homeowners who do not remember submitting anything.
You cannot fix the lead. You can fix how fast and how well you work it, and you can measure whether the channel pays.
Why these leads behave differently
- Several companies get the same lead. The homeowner’s phone rings three or four times in ten minutes. They answer the first one or two and ignore the rest.
- The homeowner is comparison shopping. Many filled in one form to get several quotes. They expect to be called by more than one company, and they will not answer everyone.
- Some leads are weak. In 2022 the US Federal Trade Commission took action against HomeAdvisor over how it described the quality of the leads it sold to contractors. Not every lead is bad, but you should expect some that go nowhere.
How to work a shared lead
- Be first. Call within a minute of the lead arriving, and send a text at the same time. Being second on a shared lead is close to being last.
- Text as well as call. Many homeowners will not answer an unknown number but will reply to a text that says who you are and why you are reaching out:
Hi, this is Sam from Northside Heating. You asked about a furnace repair on HomeStars. We can come tomorrow morning. Want me to hold a spot?
- Follow up more than once. Try again within the hour, that evening and the next morning. Stop after about five attempts over three days.
- Make it easy to say yes. Offer a specific time instead of asking when they are free.
Measure whether the channel pays
Every month, write down four numbers for each lead service:
- what you spent, including the subscription
- how many leads you were charged for
- how many booked a visit
- how many turned into a paid job, and what they paid
Divide what you spent by the number of paid jobs. That is your real cost per job from that service. Compare it with what a paid job from your website, Google or referrals costs you. If shared leads cost far more per job, cut the budget or drop the channel.
Ask for credits on leads that were clearly invalid, like disconnected numbers or people who never asked for service. Most services have a process for it, but you have to ask.
Helvion replies to every new lead within 60 seconds and follows up as your office, so shared leads get worked before the other companies call. We also track cost per booked job by source as part of checking what your marketing really costs.