Leads-It's A Numbers Game

Day in and day out we talk to contractors that are not happy. Either they are leaving another lead den company to try us out, or they are leaving us. The main reason everyone seems to be leaving lately? Lead Quality. The thing is, our leads are of the highest quality out there.

This happens because we call every one of our leads and verify it prior to sending it to our clients. Even in the cases where we speak to the homeowner in depth we have still seen a return request come back on these leads. It can range from, "they changed their minds", to "they just want to purchase product for a self install." Now even though we know this is untrue because we spoke with the customer first, we can't seem to get a straight answer out of our clients on some of these return requests.

We have some clients that never ask for a credit and others that waste time turning in every lead they get in hopes of lowering their overall lead cost. We treat every credit request the same, we recall the lead and verify the contractors concern. Most of the time, it is legitimate, the customer didn't fully understand what they were filling out, or thought they were just getting an estimate on products not services.

I just don't get why some companies are able to sell the same leads that other companies say they can't even get a hold of. It seems to me that there is another side to this story. A side that we don't always hear, the 1st contact between the contractor and the customer. I wonder what some of these contractors tell the customers, why do customers that were dead set on getting an estimate on 10 windows somehow change their minds to only need a repair on one window? Are these contractors talking the customers out of their business? I don't get this.

It's a new year and a new round of adventures is beginning. Can't wait to see what's in store this year!

Feel Free To Pay Nothing!

I spoke to one of our contractors the other day who was concerned about getting some credit for some leads that he says were "invalid." Well, let me tell you has there ever been an overflow of these types of requests lately! GEEZ! Nothing has changed on our end, we still advertise the same way in the same locations, and get the same type of clientele signing up as leads as we did back in May when business was really booming. The only difference between now and back in May is, yup you guessed it, the ECONOMY! Sure homeowners still have repairs and replacements to be made and they will inquire upon them but these days everyone is looking for a deal! So if they can't find it they will wait.

The contractors in the meantime are spinning their wheels, wasting their gas, and frankly, their breath too on buyers (or tire kickers as the contractors like to call them-lol) that are willing to buy but, "Not right now, maybe in a couple of months" etc. Well, the real deal folks is even though it may be a hard lump to swallow, that is a LEAD! No, they do not want to buy today, but they do need the work done, and they want it done, but it's the price or the contractor's ability (or lack there of) to SELL their product effectively that seems to encourage the buyer to hold tight to their pocket strings.

I had to tell this contractor in particular and many others that preceded him that there was no way they were going to get credit for things that did not warrant a refund. A person that signs up on our site, verifies with us by phone that they do indeed want and estimate and then changes their mind when the contractor calls because of a bad technique, or who knows what that is conveyed over the phone is not our concern.

Let me tell you a story, I went to a lead gen site and signed up to get a tree removed from my yard. The roots are very shallow and it is getting too close to the house for my comfort. The first gentleman that called said that he couldn't come give me a free estimate like the site advertised, but that it would cost me $250.00 just for him to stand in my yard. He also informed me that if someone could give me a lower price it was probably because they were high balling me somewhere else in the deal. He assured me that if I gave him a call with any numbers that I got from other contractors he would go over them with me and let me know if it was a good deal or not. "Yeah buddy, I'll call you right away when the other contractor's leave my house!" I mean seriously, who does this guy think he is? "Is this a contractor or a freakin' consultant?" I asked myself.

Well, we decided to go with another contractor who came out on our schedule and quoted a fair price, sure we could have shopped around but to us it's not the most convenient thing to do, even if we have to spend a little extra to get good customer service and a feeling of honesty is well worth it when comparing to the loser I had gotten off the phone with earlier. Thank God that guy doesn't work for us, what a nightmare he must be in the credit department!

So with the down-turning economy with no end in sight I suppose I'll keep fighting to hold on to our earned profits and at the same time stop the scammers that are out there from getting their leads for nothing and their kicks for free! If you're interested in some of my other quirky subjects I enjoy ranting about feel free to check out Another Blog I Like...

Do You Read Your Contract? Just Wondering!

If I had even a penny for every time one of our contractors asked for a credit for something that was not worthy of credit I wouldn't have to work at this lead gen biz anymore. I'd be rich beyond my wildest dreams. Our contract that the contractors sign for our service states that product type or style is not a valid credit request reason and will not be credited. Still day in and day out I get request from contractors that say that they "only do vinyl windows," "only do wood windows," "don't do metal roofs," can't do windows with blinds in them," "only do gutter installs, do not provide gutter protection," "don't do Hardi-Plank siding," "they only wanted Andersen windows or Pella windows etc., or my all-time favorite, "we don't do basements, we do snap in walls to cover up basements!" I mean seriously people, you have to be able to SELL your product, you need to know why your product is what the customer wants and how it will meet the need that they illustrate to you.

Another common complaint the contractors seem to come up with is I don't do repairs, well I say turn that repair into fanfare! Get the homeowner to see the value of replacing the window especially if it is old or if it does not match the other's in the home for example. Sure not every repair job can turn into a full blown sale but are you really truly trying to turn these around or do you just ask us for credit, get your money back and then go out and run the repair anyway? that's right, we're not oblivious to what some of you contractors are capable of.

Finally, I had an interesting conversation with one contractor that wanted to be on our service the other day. He runs a window company out of Lombard, IL. He expected us to give him 5 free leads to try our service out and then if any of those didn't meet his standards then he would request that we give him replacement leads until he was satisfied. Wow! He must have thought us folks just fell off the turnip truck! No way in the world was this guy going to get over us in that way. We told him to hit the road! He must not live in the real world, I mean do you go to your local supermarket and tell them that if they let you "test drive" some free groceries you might come back and buy from them again? Or how about your local mechanic? "Hey Barney, you fix my truck's catalytic converter for free and if I'm satisfied with it I might come back for you to install my wiper blades! LOL!

I gotta hand it to the home improvement contractors out there, even if they fall short in the departments of respect, loyalty, honesty, and reliability they never have short comings in the creativity department they are very creative on how they shouldn't pay for goods received! Looking forward to your comments....

How To Impress A Home Improvement Contractor

I have been pondering how in the lead generation business you can "impress" a contractor. We try many things at our company, as contractors are our business. It seems a difficult and ever changing task though. Some contractors seem to like our program and enjoy getting more business through their subscription with us. Others are less than "impressed" and when approached with what will make them happier with the service don't seem to really have a handle on that. Some say to make the service less expensive. while others say that if we could secure the deal of the home improvement project for them that's what would satisfy them. While others still seem just down right unable to please. We honestly do everything we can to make their experience with our service a pleasurable one. After all without "them" there would be no "us." I am always interested in ways we can improve our overall customer rating. So if you have any ideas certainly share them with me. If you are currently on our service let me know what you appreciate or what you think could be changed for the better. We are in the business of servicing our contractors and that's what we'd like to perfect. We do everything in our power to provide our clients with relevant information at a reasonable price. I'd love to hear from contractors out there if you are with another lead generation service that really meets your needs, what is it that makes them special to you? Perhaps you've had a less than favorable experience with a lead gen company, I'd like to hear about that too so we don't make the same mistakes they did for you. If you would like more information on our home improvement lead generation service Click Here. Or if you are a homeowner looking for a Qualified Contractor to perform your home improvement project Click Here.

The craziest lead refusal ever, and it happened twice!

Today, at work, did I ever have a weird one...I guess I should start by introducing myself. I work for a nationwide home improvement lead generation company that's been in business for a few years now and is quite successful.

I perform a plethora of duties from managing our lead verification department, answering phones, assisting contractors with sign ups and inquiries to managing our 7 day a week bustling office. I'm a pretty busy girl but I just had to find time to start this blog.

I thought it necessary to inform our contractors and homeowners alike of my daily run ins. These experiences range from informative to down right hilarious and finding the irony and humor in this job is part of what makes it so great to come to work everyday.

Today was a typical day at the office until I got a call from a prospect that was looking to have an estimate done on his home. He wasn't sure if he needed an estimate for siding or painting but he knew he wanted to do something about the drab appearance of the outside of his home. I jumped at this opportunity because it was an obvious lay down for any of our qualified contractors in his area. I told the gentleman that I would connect him with someone that could do both estimates if possible.
After that phone call I accessed our database and found 2 likely candidates.
Upon calling the first contractor I excitedly told them that I had a possible prospect for them, I noted that they had siding selected as one of their products serviced and I asked them if they did painting. The contractor responded with, "No, we don't do painting..." I said, "well, this customer is unsure of what exactly he needs and would like a quote on both if possible." The contractor just reiterated that they do not do painting and said, "But thanks for the call anyway." I hung up the phone dismayed. Here was a valid prospect ready to get an estimate and I couldn't even get the contractor to bite on it. I guess they must already have enough business. (crazy! they may have just as well said to me, "no thanks, we don't want to make any more money today, we already have enough...")
The next phone call went out...this guy said that not only does he not work that area, (BTW we have it selected for him since his sign up and have provided him multiple prospects there too!) but he was not interested and at the same time wanted to inquire regarding a credit he had asked for and never received. I looked into the credit for him, turns out it was for "No Contact" which is not valid under our contract. I explained to the contractor that we call all of our prospect and had contacted this one previous to sending it to him. He then responded with, "Well just cancel my service!"

Now, I wonder if the fact that I can't even get these guys to realize a qualified, valid prospect when it bites them in the ass could also be a reason why their credit card can not be billed for a single charge for $40.00 or why they shouldn't even be allowed to obtain a business license! Or even better why they request to purchase a lead through our preview program and then cannot be reached by phone or email to obtain billing information to sell them the lead they just asked for!

Oh, I get it...I should have told both contractors when I called to offer the lead that not only did this guy want a bid but I was going to give it to them for free and set the appointment as well as have the homeowner submit photos of the work area and possible supply the materials and tools for the job. This way the contractor wouldn't have to lift a finger and could just collect a paycheck.
This was a crazy day at the office let me tell you. Funny thing is stuff like this happens to me everyday and I can't wait to write about tomorrow's adventures. If you want to join our crazy contractor carnival go to I'm a nutty contractor that refuses work at any cost we'd love to have y0u on board, you'll blend right in.