Background: Apex Comfort HVAC (composite) — 4 techs, owner on truck 70% of business hours, $2,000/mo LSA, 28–34 leads/mo but only 9–11 booked jobs. Median response 45+ minutes. Quote-to-book under 22%.
Owner ran Quickstart and Scorecard DIY for 45 days — improved GBP but could not hold sub-5-minute response.
What Nef Operated (Pro Package)
| Week | Deliverable |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Tracking numbers, CRM stages, missed-call text, LSA profile + dispute hygiene |
| 2 | Conversion Layer live — AI outbound callback, quote SMS cadence, review SMS |
| 3 | LSA budget rebalanced toward no-heat / tune-up; Monday huddle + leak fix weekly |
| 4–12 | Quote-to-book tuning, review velocity, pause rules when booked out 2+ weeks |
Same free playbooks: Speed-to-Lead, Follow-Up, Reviews — operated, not re-explained.
Results After 90 Days (Composite)
| Metric | Before (DIY plateau) | After Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Paid leads / month | 31 avg | 33 avg (same spend ~$2k) |
| Booked jobs / month | 10 | 16 |
| Median first response | 45 min | Under 3 min (callback layer) |
| Quote-to-book rate | 21% | 34% |
| Cost per booked (ads only) | ~$200 | ~$125 |
| New Google reviews (90 days) | +6 | +28 |
| Est. gross profit / month (new books) | — | ~$1,680 incremental (@ $280/job) |
| Owner phone time on intake | ~9 hrs/wk | ~4 hrs/wk |
Economics (Illustrative)
| Line | Monthly |
|---|---|
| Client ad spend | $2,000 |
| Booked jobs (paid) | 16 |
| Nef performance @ $125/book | $2,000 |
| All-in per booked | ~$250 |
| Incremental gross @ $280 | $1,680 on ~6 extra books vs baseline |
| Net after Nef perf. on incremental | ~$930/mo on composite assumptions |
Public calculator: Leak Calculator · Metrics.
Key Lessons
- Same spend, more books — bottleneck was conversion, not lead volume.
- Conversion Layer mattered — owner-on-truck could not DIY the 5-touch cadence.
- Performance Floor alignment — booked-job fees only when calendar confirmed; client saw every LSA dollar.
Replicate DIY First
- 7-Day Quickstart + Lead-to-Close System
- Leak Calculator — quantify profit on the table
- If still leaking with ads live → Work with Nef fit call (Pro default for this profile)
Compare DIY depth: HVAC case study · Plumber case study.
Composite pilot narrative for sales education — not a named client testimonial. See testimonial slot on Work with Nef.