Home Services
A plumbing company that gets the quote request while the van is still in the driveway
Every job starts with someone who needs help at home. Northline wanted that person to reach them, even when every tech is under a sink.
Northline Plumbing & Heating
Fictional business
A three-van plumbing and HVAC company, run by Dana, who runs the office, and three techs on the road.
A magnet on every van and a sticker on every water heater they service. Homeowners scan to request a quote, ask about the service area, call for an emergency, and get a review ask when the job is done.
Example scenarios. Every business on these pages is fictional, and the numbers are worked out from the assumptions shown, not measured results. Your numbers will differ.
Before Alfred
Where the week was leaking
Calls come in while everyone is on a job
A voicemail at 7 pm can be a job that goes to whoever answers first. Homeowners want to book without the phone tag.
80% of homeowners factor in online booking when choosing a home-service pro.
Housecall Pro, 2025 Quotes go out, and then silence
Nobody has time to chase every quote, so many of them are never followed up.
The best jobs leave no trace online
A happy customer would leave a review, if someone asked them.
83% of people who were asked to leave a review went on to leave one.
BrightLocal, 2026
The setup
How they set it up
- 1
Quick start from the website, with "Request a quote" as the main button.
- 2
Train your assistant: service area by town, emergency hours, what a service call costs.
- 3
Follow-ups: New-lead follow-up for quote requests, Review & referral after the job.
- 4
QR stickers from the Print kit on every unit serviced, so the next call comes straight back.
Pro ($99/mo) runs this setup: New-lead follow-up, Review & referral.
A week with Alfred
What the week looks like
Monday, 7:20 pm
A homeowner scans the sticker on their furnace, asks if Northline covers their town, and requests a quote. It lands in Conversations with their details.
Monday, 7:21 pm
The New-lead follow-up starts its emails in Northline's name. Dana calls back at 8 am.
Wednesday, 4:00 pm
A finished job gets a review ask the next day; the homeowner leaves five stars from the link.
Friday
Conversations holds every quote request from the week, each with the homeowner's details.
The math
Time and money in play
Worked out from the assumptions in each line. Swap in your own numbers.
Office time
- 25 questions and quote requests a week handled on the portal × 5 minutes each = 2.1 hours a week, about 9 hours a month.
Jobs in play
- 6 quote requests a month that never got a follow-up × $450 a job = $2,700 a month in play.
- If the follow-up wins back 2 of those jobs, that is $900 a month back.
What it costs
- About 108 chat replies (1¢ each) and 87 emails (0.2¢ each) a month is $1.26 of credit. Pro ($99/mo) includes $15 a month.
Actionable insights
What you can do this week
Put the QR code on the equipment, not just the van
The next time it breaks, the homeowner is standing right in front of your number.
Answer the service-area question in writing
It is the first thing people ask. Put every town you cover in Train your assistant.
Follow up every quote
The New-lead follow-up writes the emails for you, so no request waits until you are off the last job.
Ask for the review before the tech leaves
Tell the customer a short email is coming. Review & referral sends it the next day.
Run your own version of this week
Start on the free plan, build your portal in a few minutes, and print your QR code today.