Someone who calls, texts or fills in a form is ready to hire somebody today. If they hear nothing, they contact the next business on the list, and often book whoever answers first. Speed to lead is less about being polite and more about being first.
The second half matters just as much: plenty of people do not book on the first message. This article explains why speed and follow-up win jobs, and what Beside does for each.
Why the first reply has to be fast
Aim for minutes, not hours. A homeowner with a leaking water heater, or someone moving out on Friday who needs a deep clean, rarely waits. A reply in the first few minutes catches them while they are still looking.
Being fast is rare. Many local businesses reply hours later, or the next morning. Simply answering quickly puts you ahead.
A good first reply does three things. It confirms the request came through, asks the one or two questions you always need, and says what happens next.
"Hi Sarah, thanks for reaching out about your water heater. Is it leaking now, or just not heating? We can come out tomorrow morning. Rivera Plumbing"
Why the second and third touch win jobs
Speed wins the first touch. Follow-up wins the booking. People compare quotes, wait to check with a partner, or simply forget. Most businesses send one message and stop, so a short, polite check-in a few days later often brings back a job that looked lost.
The same goes for quotes that never got a yes. A cleaning quote sent last week, or an estimate for a new water heater, is a lead you already paid to win. Asking whether they have questions, or when they plan to decide, is often all it takes.
💡 Before looking for more leads:
Ask yourself how many of last month's leads got a second message. For many businesses, following up is cheaper than any new marketing.
What Beside does for every lead
Every request becomes a job
Requests from your Receptionist, your website form, your booking page and calls to your ad numbers each become a job in Jobs, so none of them sits forgotten in a notification. 📖 Follow every lead from first contact to paid
The first reply is drafted for you
Beside drafts the first message to a new lead, based on what they asked for and where they came from. By default it waits for your approval in Review, so it goes out as fast as you approve it. To have first replies go out the moment they are ready, set Customer messages to Always allow in Settings → Autonomy. 📖 Choose what Beside can do on its own
💡 Approve from your phone:
If you are on a job all day, get Beside's requests by text and approve from there, so first replies do not wait for you to sit at a computer. 📖 Get your agent's updates by text
A missed call gets a text back
When nobody picks up, text back after a missed call sends the caller a message right away, so they know you saw it. 📖 Set up your phone line
Calls stay with you
Beside never dials a lead. When a call back is the right next step, you make it from your phone. A few hours after a new request, Beside asks you in Chat whether you reached the customer, with answers like Visit agreed, Still arranging a visit and No answer yet, and updates the job for you.
How Beside follows up
Quiet leads. When a lead you have been talking to goes quiet for a few days, Beside drafts a short follow-up in the same channel and tone as your last message.
Unsold Housecall Pro estimates. If you use Housecall Pro, you can choose who sends estimate follow-ups and confirm which customers may receive them. Once set up, Beside sends them and handles replies on its own. When a customer says yes, or asks about price or scope, Beside hands it to you rather than answering for you.
Your rules still apply. Customer messages Beside starts go out between 8 AM and 9 PM in your business's local time. A reply to someone who just wrote to you goes out at any hour, and nobody who replied STOP is contacted again.
FAQ
Does Beside reply to every lead instantly?
Does Beside reply to every lead instantly?
Only if Customer messages is on Always allow. On Always ask, the default, Beside drafts the reply straight away and sends it the moment you approve it.
Can Beside call the lead back for me?
Can Beside call the lead back for me?
No. Beside never places calls to customers. Your Receptionist answers incoming calls, and call-backs are yours to make. Beside reminds you and keeps the job up to date.
Won't follow-ups annoy people?
Won't follow-ups annoy people?
One or two short, useful check-ins rarely do, and they are often the message that books the job. Beside follows up in the same channel and tone you already used, keeps to daytime hours, and stops for anyone who opts out.
Does a missed call show up in Jobs?
Does a missed call show up in Jobs?
A call your Receptionist answers does. A plain missed call on your Beside line becomes a job once the caller answers the text back.
Do lead replies use credits?
Do lead replies use credits?
Each text or email Beside sends to a customer uses 20 credits. Drafts are free, and so are messages you send yourself. 📖 Make your credits go further