Every unqualified estimate costs you twice: the hours your estimator spends driving out and quoting, and the qualified homeowner who could have had that slot. Most of it is avoidable with a short phone call before anything goes on the calendar.
These are the five questions worth asking every replacement lead, in this order.
1. “Do you own the home?”
A renter can’t approve a new system, and a landlord who isn’t at the estimate rarely signs on the spot. Ask it first, plainly. If the answer is no, find out who owns it and whether they’ll be part of the decision.
2. “What’s going on with your system right now?”
Let them describe it in their own words. “It’s blowing cold air and the house is freezing” is a different conversation from “we’re just looking at options.” You’re listening for whether this is a replacement or a repair, and how urgent it is.
3. “How old is the system, roughly?”
Most homeowners know within a few years, or can read it off the unit. Age tells you whether you’re walking into a replacement conversation or talking someone out of a repair they actually need.
4. “When are you hoping to have it done?”
“As soon as possible,” “in the next month” and “sometime next year” all deserve a different follow-up. The first two go on the calendar now. The third goes into your follow-up list, not into this week’s estimate slots.
5. “Who else should be there when we come out?”
The most common way a good estimate dies is “I need to talk to my spouse.” Ask up front who makes the decision and book a time when everyone involved can be home. It costs nothing to ask, and it saves a second trip.
Before you book: confirm the address
Check that the address is inside your service area before you offer times. It sounds obvious, but it’s easy to skip on a busy day, and it’s the cheapest mistake to catch on the phone and the most expensive one to catch in the truck.
After you book: confirm, then remind
- Send a confirmation right away with the date, the time window and who’s coming.
- Remind them the day before, and again on the morning of the visit.
- If they don’t confirm, call. A quick call beats an empty driveway.
This is exactly how we qualify every appointment we book. You set the criteria, we call every lead, and only homeowners who clear the bar reach your calendar. You pay one flat rate per qualified appointment.