The Data is Clear
Study after study confirms what experienced glazing sales managers know instinctively: the faster you contact a new lead, the more likely you are to book an appointment. After 2 hours, your chances start dropping. After 24 hours, you're fighting an uphill battle.
Why? Because when someone expresses interest in new windows — whether to a promoter at their door, through a web form, or via a phone call — they're in a buying mindset. That mindset fades fast.
The Reality in Most Glazing Companies
Despite knowing this, most glazing companies are slow to respond. The typical journey:
- Promoter generates a lead on Tuesday evening
- Lead sheet arrives at the office Wednesday morning
- Office adds it to the spreadsheet by lunchtime
- Branch manager allocates it to a rep on Thursday
- Rep calls on Friday
- Customer has cooled off, books with a competitor instead
Three days from door knock to phone call. That's not unusual — it's the norm. And it's costing you sales.
How to Hit the 2-Hour Target
Instant Lead Capture
When a promoter generates a lead, it should appear in your CRM immediately — not on a piece of paper that gets driven back to the office. Mobile lead capture means the office sees the lead within seconds.
Automatic Alerts
The moment a lead enters the system, the allocated rep (or the branch manager) gets a notification. Not an email that sits in a full inbox — a push notification that demands attention.
Clear Ownership
Every lead needs a clear owner from the moment it's created. "Someone in the office will deal with it" means nobody will. Automatic assignment rules — based on branch, area, or round-robin — ensure every lead has a name next to it.
Response Time Tracking
You can't improve what you don't measure. Track the time between lead creation and first contact attempt. Report on it weekly. Make it a KPI that branch managers own.
The Results
Companies that implement a 2-hour response target typically see:
- 15-25% increase in appointment booking rate
- Fewer lost leads — customers who were going to call a competitor don't need to
- Higher customer satisfaction — being contacted quickly feels professional
- Better promoter morale — their hard-won leads aren't being wasted
Making it Stick
The 2-hour rule only works if it's cultural, not just procedural. When a branch manager asks "has anyone called that new lead?" within an hour of it arriving, the team knows it matters. When the Monday meeting reviews response times alongside conversion rates, the message is clear: speed isn't optional.
What About Out-of-Hours Leads?
Web leads come in at all hours. You can't always call within 2 hours at 11pm. But you can:
- Send an automated SMS acknowledgement immediately
- Flag the lead for first-thing-tomorrow follow-up
- Have a rotating after-hours duty for high-value leads