The systems
Four ways an HVAC job slips away before you hear about it.
A no-heat call rings out. A quote request sits overnight. An estimate goes unchased, and a happy customer never gets asked for the review.
Start with the call you missed.
Ricochet missed call text-back
$297 setup and $147 a month
Calls forward to a dedicated texting number, tested with you on the phone, set up in about a week. 500 texts a month included. If it doesn't text back at least 5 missed calls in your first 30 days, you get the $297 back.
Then Afterburner
After 30 days you see what Ricochet caught. Afterburner closes the other leaks. Your only job is two buttons on your phone: Sent an estimate, and Finished a job.
What each piece does.
01
Ricochet missed call text-back
A caller who hits voicemail doesn't leave one. They call the next shop on Google. Ricochet texts the caller back within seconds, signed with your company name, from a dedicated texting number. The reply comes to your cell, so the conversation starts before they dial anyone else.
Start here. $297 setup, $147 a month, 500 texts included.
02
Web leads and estimates
A web lead that waits until morning has already booked someone else. Afterburner replies to web leads within minutes, then follows up on every estimate you send on day 2, 5 and 10, and stops the moment they answer.
You tap Sent an estimate. It does the chasing.
03
Reviews and past customers
A happy customer nobody asked never leaves the review, and asking a week later feels awkward. Tap Finished a job and the customer gets one short request while the work is fresh. Twice a year, past customers get a tune-up reminder before the heating and cooling rush.
Sends requests only. It never posts or replies to reviews for you.
Questions people actually ask.
Do I need a new phone number?
No. Customers keep calling your current number. Calls you miss forward to a dedicated texting number, and the text goes out from there, signed with your company name. If your carrier can't forward, you get a new local number for your website and Google listing.
Where do the replies go?
Straight to your cell as a text, with the customer's number on it. Read it, then call them back.
How fast can this go live?
Ricochet is set up in about a week. Most of that is carrier registration for business texting, which I handle. Afterburner takes a little longer because it gets set up around how you already send estimates.
What if I want to cancel?
Ricochet is month to month after the setup fee. Afterburner has a 3-month minimum, then goes month to month. Cancel and it stops billing at the next cycle.
How many texts are included?
500 a month with Ricochet, 2,000 with Afterburner. Past that it's 4 cents a text, billed the next month.
Can I change what the text says?
Yes. You approve the wording before it goes live, and it can be changed any time after. It sends the same message every time and never improvises.
How can a small business get more Google reviews without nagging customers?
The problem is almost never that customers are unwilling. It is that nobody remembers to ask, and asking days later feels awkward. One short text right after the job is finished gets far more reviews than asking in person, and it never feels like nagging.
How fast do you have to respond to a new lead?
Minutes, not hours. Someone filling out a form is usually filling out three or four, and the first business to reply is the one that gets the conversation.