The Real Cost of Calling Back Tire Kickers: A $12,500 Wake-Up Call
It's a typical Tuesday morning for an HVAC contractor in Denver. Two hours of callbacks on the schedule. One turns into a $12,500 job. Sounds like a win, until you see the full picture.
Two-thirds of that time goes to leads that were never going to buy. And the big one? Nearly lost to a faster competitor.
Here's how it plays out:
A customer says, "AC's not cooling well." Twenty minutes of drive time. Quick check reveals a dirty filter and low refrigerant. Customer decides to "think about it".
Translation: collect three more quotes for a $200 job.
Wants to "get an idea" of what a new system costs. No urgency. Unit still running. Plans to call four other companies.
By the time the contractor gets to this lead, she's already spoken with two competitors. Eighteen-year-old system. Completely dead. Needs replacement today.
He gets lucky and wins based on pricing.
The Problem
Calls get handled in the order they arrive; first come, first served. Seems fair.
But while he's chasing a low-value lead, a competitor is closing the one that matters. One slip in timing, and that $12,500 walks away.
The Math That Hurts
And this isn't rare. It happens every day.
Industry Reality
10–20% close rate on cold web leads
25–35% close rate on qualified, scored leads
That means up to 80% of callbacks eat your time with no return, unless you know which ones to prioritize.
What Lead Scoring Changes
Same three leads come in overnight. You wake up to this:
Before vs. After Lead Scoring
❌ Without Lead Scoring
- Lead 1: "Jane Smith - AC not working"
- Lead 2: "Tom Brown - Need quote"
- Lead 3: "Sarah Lee - System issue"
- Call them in order received
- Spend 2 hours total
- Close 1 job if you're lucky
- Waste 66% of your time
✓ With Lead Scoring
- Lead 1: Priority 9/10 | $8-15K | 18yr system, urgent
- Lead 2: Priority 3/10 | $200 | Routine maintenance
- Lead 3: Priority 4/10 | Unknown | Price shopping
- Call Priority 9 first thing
- Close the big job early
- Call others if time allows
- Maximize every minute
You call Lead 1 first. You close the job before competitors check their voicemail. Then, if time allows, you circle back to the rest.
See It In Action
Watch how lead scoring helps HVAC contractors prioritize the right leads first
The Bottom Line
Stop treating every lead the same. They're not.
Your time is money. Your competitors move fast. That $15K replacement won't wait while you explain filter pricing to a tire kicker.
Ready to Stop Wasting Time on Tire Kickers?
We're offering pricing specials but they won't last long. Lock in better pricing than your competitor with the confidence of our 500% ROI Guarantee.
Get Started Now →The question isn't "Should I prioritize my leads?"
The question is: "How much longer can I afford not to?"