Most service businesses lose work in the gaps: a lead that waits a day for a reply, a quote nobody follows up on, a customer who forgets their appointment. These are also the easiest things to automate. Here are five follow-ups worth setting up first.
1. An instant reply to every new lead
When someone fills out your contact form, they're often contacting a few businesses at once. The first to respond usually gets the job. An automation can send a friendly reply within a minute, add the lead to your CRM or spreadsheet, and notify your team, even when you're on a job site.
2. A follow-up on quotes that go quiet
Quotes often stall because the customer got busy, not because they said no. A simple sequence can check in a few days after the quote goes out, then again a week later, and stop as soon as they reply or accept.
3. Appointment reminders
A reminder the day before, with the time, address, and a way to reschedule, cuts down on no-shows and last-minute calls. It can go out by text or email, straight from your calendar or booking tool.
4. A review request after the job
The best time to ask for a review is right after a job goes well. An automation can send a thank-you with a direct link to your Google review page a day or two after the job is marked complete. Steady reviews also help you show up in local search.
5. Internal notifications
Not every automation faces customers. A new booking can post to your team chat, a signed contract can create the job in your project tool, and a paid deposit can update the schedule. Fewer things fall through the cracks.
Where to start
Pick the one that costs you the most work today, usually the lead reply or the quote follow-up, and start there. Most of these connect tools you already use, like your website form, email, calendar, and CRM.
What it costs
A single workflow like an instant lead reply is a simple automation, starting at $500. Multi-step workflows start at $1,500. Every build is a fixed price and tested with your real tools before it goes live. See how we approach automation.