Luk runs a construction company. Eight people on staff. Ten years of experience. A strong local reputation for renovation and new-build projects. And yet, at the start of our conversation, he said something I've heard dozens of times since: "I'm working harder than ever, but it feels like I'm going backwards." His problem wasn't a lack of leads. He had plenty of enquiries. His problem was what happened to those enquiries after they came in.
The Situation Before the System
Luk received an average of 35 enquiries per month,through his website, word of mouth, and a local architect network. They came in through email, his contact form, and sometimes WhatsApp. He'd read them in the evening after work, send a confirmation if he remembered, and try to call back the next day. When he was on site, he couldn't call. Some enquiries sat unanswered for 3 to 4 days. Of those 35 enquiries, an average of 6 or 7 became clients: an 18 to 20% conversion rate. The other 28 went to a competitor who simply picked up faster.
What We Changed
Step 1: All enquiries in one place
All enquiries, regardless of channel, routed to one central inbox monitored by the system. Website, architect partners, WhatsApp,everything in one place.
Step 2: Automatic first response within 60 seconds
The moment an enquiry arrives, the system sends an automatic reply from Luk: his name, the lead's name, the type of project, and three time slots for a site visit. The message looks like a personal email from Luk because the system knows his availability and only offers slots when he's genuinely free.
Step 3: Follow-up sequence for sent quotes
Luk used to send quotes and wait. "I don't want to seem pushy." Understandable,but the result was that deals died that a simple reminder would have saved. We built an automated follow-up sequence: three days after the quote a friendly check-in, seven days later a reminder with reference photos from a similar project, fourteen days later a final message.
Results After 60 Days
- Average response time: from 6 hours to 52 seconds
- Enquiries that booked a call: from 45% to 68%
- Conversion rate enquiry to client: from 19% to 31%
- Extra revenue per month: average 18,000 euros
And perhaps more importantly: Luk no longer spends his evenings on admin. His calendar fills automatically. He no longer has to remember who he still needs to call.
Is automated follow-up impersonal for a craft-based business like construction?
On the contrary. The system responds faster and more personally than most contractors can manually. All personal contact afterwards,the site visit, the quote discussion, the execution,remains fully human. The system only handles the repetitive, time-sensitive part.