The AI Front Desk: How Distance Is Changing Speed-to-Lead for Restoration Contractors

But I want to back up a little bit and get into the theory of this stuff because Because really at the end of the day, it seems like the speed to lead thing is changing a little bit.

And I wanted to get your thoughts on, it used to just mean call them back really fast.

Make sure you're getting them on the phone, answer the phone.

Have you seen that definition change at all here lately in the last few years, especially with the emergence of the AI tools and these call centers that are popping up for home services? Yeah.

I think people don't realize how important speed to lead is and what the data tells you.

I think people think like, hey, I got back to this person in an hour.

That's fast.

I think people think, hey, I got back to them in five minutes.

That's fast.

I mean, our data shows that if you're not answering it immediately, forget I get back to them.

If you're not answering in the second or third ring, forget callbacks.

100%.

We're talking about 30, 40, 50% change in conversion outcomes.

Wow.

That's huge.

Let's just run the math on this, Ben.

If you run a business and you do recon work, and let's say your average job is 12K.

If you're missing two opportunities a month, that's one job a month.

That's six figures in revenue that's being left on the table because you're slightly slow on entering the phone.

And usually that number is usually much higher than that.

Notwithstanding, and we could talk about storm surges because that's a whole different beast.

But there's consistently, consistently, five to six figures of revenue on the table here that can be recouped.

And these are leads that you're paying for.

Yeah, this is low-hanging fruit.

This is low-hanging fruit.

But I want to back up a little bit and get into the theory of this stuff because Because really at the end of the day, it seems like the speed to lead thing is changing a little bit.

And I wanted to get your thoughts on, it used to just mean call them back really fast.

Make sure you're getting them on the phone, answer the phone.

Have you seen that definition change at all here lately in the last few years, especially with the emergence of the AI tools and these call centers that are popping up for home services? Yeah.

I think people don't realize how important speed to lead is and what the data tells you.

I think people think like, hey, I got back to this person in an hour.

That's fast.

I think people think, hey, I got back to them in five minutes.

That's fast.

I mean, our data shows that if you're not answering it immediately, forget I get back to them.

If you're not answering in the second or third ring, forget callbacks.

100%.

We're talking about 30, 40, 50% change in conversion outcomes.

Wow.

That's huge.

Let's just run the math on this, Ben.

If you run a business and you do recon work, and let's say your average job is 12K.

If you're missing two opportunities a month, that's one job a month.

That's six figures in revenue that's being left on the table because you're slightly slow on entering the phone.

And usually that number is usually much higher than that.

Notwithstanding, and we could talk about storm surges because that's a whole different beast.

But there's consistently, consistently, five to six figures of revenue on the table here that can be recouped.

And these are leads that you're paying for.

Yeah, this is low-hanging fruit.

This is low-hanging fruit.