What is HVAC CRM automation?
HVAC CRM automation is the set of rules that handles an enquiry from the moment it arrives to the moment the job is won or lost: replying, calling, booking, reminding, following up and asking for a review. It means every homeowner gets the same fast, polite treatment, whether it is a quiet Tuesday or the first 40-degree day.
A CRM is the system that holds every enquiry, conversation and quote in one place. Ours is GoHighLevel. You get your own login, your own pipeline and your own SMS number.
Automation does not replace you. It does the parts that fall over when you are on a job: the instant reply, the reminder the night before, the day 3 check-in nobody remembers to send. It is step four onwards of the HVAC Profit Machine.
What are the stages in an HVAC sales pipeline?
Our homeowner pipeline has ten stages: New enquiry, Qualified, Contacted, Quote booked, Quote attended, Quote sent, Won, Lost, Nurture and Disqualified. Each card moves automatically where it can, so at any moment you can see how many quotes are booked, how many are waiting on a decision and what they are worth.
| # | Stage | A card lands here when | What happens next |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New enquiry | The form or qualifier is submitted | Scored in seconds |
| 2 | Qualified | The qualifier score passes | The 60-second SMS and call fire |
| 3 | Contacted | First contact is made or logged | Booking attempts over 48 hours |
| 4 | Quote booked | A site visit is in your diary | Confirmation and reminder texts. Job created in ServiceM8 or simPRO if you use them. |
| 5 | Quote attended | The visit time has passed and it was not a no-show | You send the quote |
| 6 | Quote sent | The written quote is with the homeowner | Day 1, 3 and 7 follow-up |
| 7 | Won | You mark it won | Thank-you text, install booking, review request after install |
| 8 | Lost | You mark it lost with a reason | Reactivation message months later |
| 9 | Nurture | No answer after 48 hours, or "just getting prices" | Slower messages over 90 days |
| 10 | Disqualified | The qualifier fails | One polite SMS, then archived |
Every card from Quote booked onwards carries a dollar value based on the system type, so the pipeline reads in dollars, not just names. The only thing we need from you is to mark quotes won or lost. That one habit makes the Friday report true.
How does a 60-second reply work?
When a qualified enquiry lands, an SMS goes to the homeowner in your business name within a minute. A call follows straight away. If nobody connects, a second text offers a booking link. More attempts follow over the next two days, and any reply from the homeowner pauses the automation so a person takes over.
Here is the first message, as a homeowner sees it:
"Hi Sarah, it's [Your business]. Got your enquiry about ducted for Kellyville. I'm about to call you from [your number] to book your free heat-load assessment. If now's bad, reply with a better time."
And if the call is missed:
"Sorry we missed each other. You can grab a time that suits here and we'll come out for your free heat-load assessment: [booking link]"
The call is handled by an AI receptionist with a VA behind it. Both work from your script and your booking rules: which suburbs, which days, how long a ducted visit takes versus a split. Outside your booking hours, the homeowner gets a text saying you will call first thing, with a link to pick a time now.
At the same moment, you get an alert:
"NEW ducted enquiry: Sarah, Kellyville, wants it before summer, budget $8,000 to $15,000. Calling them now."
The long version, including why we do not quote the response-time stats that get passed around, is in speed to lead for HVAC.
What is missed call text back and do installers need it?
Missed call text back sends an SMS automatically when a call to your business goes unanswered. The caller gets a text in your name within seconds with a booking link or a callback offer. Installers need it because the phone rings most when everyone is on a job.
It runs on the tracking number we set up for your Meta and Google ads, which forwards to your booking phone. If you do not answer, the homeowner hears from you by text before they have found the next installer on Google. When they reply, it lands in the same conversation thread as everything else.
What do the day 1, 3 and 7 follow-up texts say?
After the site visit, the homeowner gets three short texts in your name: a thank you on day 1, an answer to the usual questions on day 3, and a note about install timing on day 7. They stop the moment you mark the quote won or lost. On day 10 you get a task to call.
Here is the example wording, with placeholders for your details:
| Day | Example SMS |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | "Thanks for having us out yesterday, Sarah. Any questions on the quote, just reply here or call [your number]. Dave, [Your business]" |
| Day 3 | "Sarah, Dave here. Two things people usually ask after a ducted quote: how long install takes (usually one day) and whether the NSW discount is already in the price (it is). Anything else stopping you? Reply and I'll answer." |
| Day 7 | "Quick one on timing, Sarah. We're booking Kellyville installs for [install window] and your quote holds until [date]. Reply to lock a date. If you've gone another way, no hard feelings, just let me know and I'll stop the texts." |
The wording changes to fit your offer and the way you talk. The day 3 lines only go out if they are true for your business. Our quote follow-up post explains why each message says what it says.
How do review requests work after an install?
The day after the install, the homeowner gets one SMS with a direct link to review you on the Google Business Profile we manage. It asks them to reply first if anything is not right, so you can fix it before it becomes a one-star review. If they do not click, one email follows three days later. Then it stops.
"How's the new system going, Sarah? If everything's right, a Google review helps a small business more than you'd think: [review link]. If anything's not right, reply here first and we'll fix it."
Eleven months later, the same customer gets a service reminder. That is the start of your maintenance book, and it costs nothing in ad spend.
What does the installer have to do?
Three things: answer the phone when the alert says a call is coming, turn up to the booked quotes, and mark every quote won or lost in the pipeline. Everything else runs on its own. Those three habits are what make the numbers in the Friday report true.
We set the booking rules with you at onboarding: which days you quote, which suburbs, how long a visit takes. Our default is 60-minute slots for ducted, 30 minutes for splits and a 30-minute buffer for travel, synced to the calendar on your phone. If you block out a day, the booking link stops offering it.
Every morning at 7am you get a short email: today's quotes, yesterday's new enquiries and any quote still waiting for a won or lost decision, with a link to mark it. That takes a minute over a coffee. If a quote sits without a decision, the report says so on Friday, and so will Sam.
Does it work with ServiceM8 or simPRO?
Yes. When a quote is booked, the CRM can create the job in ServiceM8 or simPRO as a quote. When you mark it won, the job updates to a work order. The link runs through an integration tool and we test it both ways before any ad goes live.
Worked example: what one rescued quote is worth (planning assumptions)
Expected gross profit per booked ducted quote: $800 to $1,800
If the 60-second reply and the follow-up save just 2 booked ducted quotes a month that would otherwise have gone cold:
2 x $800 = $1,600 at the low end
2 x $1,800 = $3,600 at the high end
in expected gross profit a month, before any change to ad spend. These are planning figures, not results.
Everything we build in the CRM runs on your data. Your contacts, pipeline and conversation history are yours. If you leave, we export them to you or move the sub-account to your own subscription. Our templates and workflow logic stay with us.
The automation only works if the enquiries coming in are worth answering, which is why it sits behind our suburb landing pages and qualifier. If you are in Sydney, see our Sydney HVAC marketing page for open areas.