What a Plumber Taught Me About Follow-Up
Previously on The R3volution Files: Marco Reyes got his hours back (Episode 7), got mentioned by AI tools (Episode 8) and finally shipped his service pages (Episode 9). The phone is ringing. Now the leak is somewhere else: in the quotes he sends and never hears back about. (Characters are composites; research stats are real and sourced. This article was drafted with help from AI and edited by the R3volution AD Services team.)
In this episode
- The binder of 19 “dead” quotes
- Why Marco never called back (and why most owners don’t)
- What Harvard research says about follow-up speed
- The 4-touch follow-up sequence (table)
- Watch: how to follow up without being pushy
- The happy ending: one repipe, eight revived quotes and a new rule
The binder
On the shelf behind Marco’s desk sat a blue binder labeled “QUOTES.” Inside were 19 estimates from the past three months. Repipes. Water heater replacements. A full bathroom remodel rough-in. Together, they were worth more than $60,000 in work.
Frankie flipped through it slowly. “How many of these said no?”
“None,” Marco said. “They just… never called back.”
“How many did you call back?”
Marco rubbed the back of his neck. “None.”
“I don’t want to be pushy”
Marco’s reason is the one we hear more than any other: “I don’t want to bother them.”
He’d seen pushy salesmen. He’d hated them. So he went the other way: send a fair quote, then wait politely forever.
Mr. V.I.P Frankie Washington leaned back in his chair. “Let me ask you something. When a customer calls you at 6 a.m. because a pipe burst, do they think you’re bothering them?”
“No. They’re happy I picked up.”
“Your quote customers are the same people, Marco. They have the same leak. They just got busy, got nervous about the price, or lost your email under a pile of soccer schedules. Following up isn’t pushy. Disappearing is what’s rude.”
“The customer didn’t say no. They said nothing. And ‘nothing’ usually means ‘not yet, help me decide.’”
What the research says
There’s a famous Harvard Business Review study on exactly this:
- When researchers sent a test inquiry to 2,241 U.S. companies, only 37% responded within an hour, and 23% never responded at all. The average response time among those that did respond was 42 hours, as summarized by SmartCompany.
- In a separate analysis of 1.25 million leads in the same research, firms that contacted a lead within an hour were nearly 7 times as likely to qualify it as firms that waited even one hour longer, and more than 60 times as likely as firms that waited 24 hours or more (same source).
- The InsideSales.com / MIT study we covered in Season 1 found the same pattern: the odds of qualifying a lead dropped 21 times between a 5-minute and a 30-minute response.
Speed wins the first conversation. Follow-up wins the decision.
The 4-touch follow-up sequence
Frankie and Marco built a simple, friendly sequence that runs for every quote, partly automated and partly personal:
- Day 0: The quote, plus a 60-second video. Marco records a quick phone video from the job site: “Here’s what I found, here’s what I recommend, here’s why.” Customers trust what they can see.
- Day 2: A helpful check-in text. “Hi Mrs. Okafor, it’s Marco from Reyes Plumbing. Any questions about the repipe quote? Happy to walk through options.” No pressure. Just open the door.
- Day 5: A real phone call. This is the touch most businesses skip, and the one that closes the most jobs. Ask what’s holding them back: price, timing or trust.
- Day 10: The respectful last touch. “I don’t want to keep bugging you! If now isn’t the right time, no problem. Your quote stays good through the end of the month.” This message gets more replies than any other.
After that, the quote moves to a “Come Back” list (remember the pipeline from Season 1, Episode 5) for a check-in in 90 days.
Pro tip: Always offer options. A “good, better, best” quote turns “yes or no” into “which one,” and makes the follow-up conversation easier for everyone.
We build these follow-up sequences into client systems through our email and SMS marketing automation and funnel architecture system.
Watch: how to follow up without being pushy
This practical video from Michael Humblet walks through how to follow up with potential clients in a way that feels helpful, not salesy. It’s great for anyone who, like Marco, hates the idea of “chasing” people.
The happy ending
That afternoon, Marco opened the blue binder and called the first number. It was Mrs. Okafor, whose 1960s house in Pasadena needed a full repipe.
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“Oh, Marco! I’m so glad you called,” she said. “My husband and I wanted to do it, but we couldn’t decide between PEX and copper, and then my mother visited from Lagos and everything got busy. Can you explain the difference again?”
Twenty minutes later, they scheduled the job: a $6,400 repipe.
Over the next two weeks, Marco called every quote in the binder. Eight of the 19 came back to life. Two had already hired someone else. The rest said “next year,” and went on the Come Back list.
And the binder? Marco took it off the shelf for good. Every quote now lives in the pipeline, with the four touches scheduled automatically the moment he sends it.
Quick answers: follow-up FAQ
How many times should I follow up on a quote?
Four thoughtful touches over about ten days works well for most service businesses, followed by a longer-term check-in.
Is it better to call, text or email?
Use more than one. Text for quick check-ins, a phone call for the real conversation, and email for documents and details.
What should I say in a follow-up?
Be helpful, not pushy. Offer to answer questions, explain options or adjust timing. Never guilt-trip a customer.
Can follow-up be automated?
The reminders and first check-ins can be. The phone call should be you, or someone on your team, every time.
Your binder challenge
Find every quote, estimate or proposal you’ve sent in the last 90 days that never got an answer.
Pick the three biggest, and call them today. Not email. Call. You may be surprised how many people say, “I’m so glad you called.”
Next on The R3volution Files
Veterans Day Special: “Leadership Lessons From Veteran Founders.” Marco’s oldest friend and business neighbor, a Marine Corps veteran who runs an HVAC company, shares the leadership rules he brought home from service. Out Wednesday, November 11th.
Want follow-up that runs itself? 📞
R3volution AD Services builds automatic follow-up sequences, pipelines and quote workflows for service businesses, so no estimate ever ends up in a binder again. Explore our email and SMS marketing automation.
- 🌐 Website: r3volutionadservices.com
- 📅 Free follow-up audit: Book your call
- 📩 Email: contact@r3volutionadservices.com
- 💬 WhatsApp: +1 206 475 8339
👏 Clap and follow Season 2 so you don’t miss the Veterans Day special.
Written by the team of Mr. V.I.P Frankie Washington, Founder & Head CEO of R3volution AD Services. New Orleans soul, Texas backbone.
