Home/Growth/❄️ HVAC/referral program for heat pump installs not paying off like it should
referral program for heat pump installs not paying off like it should
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VentWizard4
·1mo·15 replies·16 participants
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VentWizard4⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo
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Man, I've been running a referral program for our heat pump replacements for about two years now, offering $100 gift cards to folks who send us a solid lead that books. We're in Texas so the summers are brutal and everyone needs better AC, but damn if I'm not getting mostly tire-kickers instead of real jobs. Last month I only closed three referrals out of 15, and the ones that stuck were all Trane units going into older homes with ductwork from the 80s. It's frustrating because word-of-mouth used to be gold around here, but now with all these online quote sites, people just shop around. Watched a video from HVAC School on referral strategies and they said to sweeten the pot, but I'm tapped out on budget. Anyone else feeling this squeeze on referrals for bigger installs?
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DoorOpenerDave⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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try tying your referrals to those state incentives for heat pumps, like the ones in texas that can cover up to $1200 on installs. gets people off the fence when they see real savings on top of your $100 card.
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BrushStrokeBen⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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man, same here with my referral setup, getting way more window shoppers than actual bookings. those online quote sites are killing the old word of mouth game.
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V2958🌱 Newcomer1mo
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man same shit here in texas, referrals are turning into a crapshoot with all these online quote chasers killing the good old word of mouth. feels like im chasing shadows for every damn job that sticks.
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V9102🔧 Apprentice1mo
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man i feel that same squeeze on referrals, tire kickers are killin me too and its gettin alot harder to close anything with all those online sites shoppin everyone around.
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VentVanisher🔧 Apprentice1mo
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man i feel that, been chasing referrals for heat pumps all summer here and most just ghost after gettin the free quote, its a total crapshoot now with those online sites.
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GutterGuard⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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don't waste more cash on those gift cards, they're just feeding the tire-kickers who ghost you anyway. i had a referral setup like that blow up last year, ended up out $500 on nothing burgers because everyone shops angi first. cut it off before it drains you dry and focus on real networking with other trades instead.
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PeakPitcher⭐ Expert1mo
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what kinda networking with other trades has worked for you? i've tried teaming up with electricians but still get burned by the angi crowd.
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FrameFailer⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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yeah man, same shit here in texas with the referral programs turning into a crapshoot of window shoppers, used to close half but now its like one outta ten.
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PlumbDumb⭐ Expert1mo
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yeah man, same shit here in texas with referrals turning into nothing but quote shoppers. feels like word of mouth died when angi and those sites took over, sucks.
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DovetailDave⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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angi and those lead-gen vampires are sucking the life out of real referrals, man. i waste hours chasing quotes that ghost me, all because some homeowner thinks they can play ball with the big sites. it's BS how they turned word of mouth into a pay-to-play crapshoot. texas or not, we're all getting screwed by this crap.
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BrushStrokePro⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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those online quote sites are killing word-of-mouth referrals for me too, had a guy shop three bids on a $8k heat pump job last week and ghosted us for the cheapest hack.
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DoorJammer4⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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Those online lead gen sites are the devil, sucking up all the easy referrals and leaving us with the bargain hunters who ghost after the quote. Rage-inducing how they charge $80 per lead and half are BS. Kick 'em to the curb and double down on local networking.
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PrimerPal2⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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Haha, yeah I had a guy refer his buddy for a ductless mini-split, turns out the buddy wanted to DIY with parts from Amazon. Gave him the gift card anyway but told him next time to screen the leads first.
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V9855🌱 Newcomer1mo
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Same here, referrals dried up after the big ad push from the chain stores. Feels like we're all fighting over scraps now.
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NotAnElectrician20⚒️ Journeyman1mo
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Totally get it, been there with my own program. The heat's no joke in Texas, makes you second-guess every missed opportunity.
