Case Study

Joe's HVAC

92% More Direct Calls in 60 Days

How one Austin HVAC contractor stopped paying for shared leads and started owning his customer relationships.

Industry

HVAC & Air Conditioning

Location

Austin, TX

Team Size

12 Employees

Customer Since

6 Months Verified

The Challenge

Joe Martinez had been running his HVAC business for 15 years. He had the skills, the reputation, and the repeat customers. But something changed in 2024.

"I noticed my phone wasn't ringing like it used to," Joe explains. "My regulars were still calling, but new customers? They just stopped finding me."

Joe was spending $1,800/month on Angi leads. The problem? He was competing with 4-5 other contractors for every single lead. His close rate dropped to 15%. The math stopped working.

When he tried searching for his own business in ChatGPT, he didn't show up. His competitor—a guy with half his experience—did. That's when Joe knew something had to change.

"I searched for 'best HVAC contractor in Austin' on ChatGPT. My competitor showed up. I didn't. That was my wake-up call."

Joe Martinez, Owner

12

Calls/Week

$180

Cost Per Lead

15%

Close Rate

$1,800

Monthly Lead Spend

The Solution

Verified in 48 hours
STEP 1

License Verification

Joe's TACLA license was verified against the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation database. Current, active, and now machine-readable.

STEP 2

Insurance Verification

Uploaded his Certificate of Insurance. $2M general liability coverage verified and tracked for expiration alerts.

STEP 3

3-Ring Test Enrollment

Joe's business line was enrolled in our monthly responsiveness testing. He consistently answers in under 12 seconds—earning the Lightning Responder badge.

The Results

Within 60 days of verification, Joe saw measurable improvements across every metric that matters.

92%More Direct Calls

12 → 23 calls/week

45%Lower Cost Per Lead

$180 → $99/month total

< 12 secAverage Answer Time

Lightning Responder Badge

$1,701Monthly Savings

vs previous Angi spend

JM
"I was skeptical at first—I thought this was another Angi. But it's the opposite. Customers call ME directly now. No more competing with 5 other guys for the same lead. Last month I closed 8 jobs from AI search alone. The $99 pays for itself before lunch on the first day of each month."

Joe Martinez

Owner, Joe's HVAC

Austin, TX

Key Takeaways

What other contractors can learn from Joe's success.

AI Visibility is a Competitive Edge

Joe's competitors who aren't verified are still invisible to AI search. Early verification locked in his advantage.

Direct Calls Beat Shared Leads

No more competing with 4-5 contractors for every lead. Customers find Joe directly and he owns the relationship from the first call.

Verification Pays for Itself

At $99/month vs $1,800/month on Angi, Joe saves over $20,000/year while getting better quality leads.

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Joe went from invisible to AI search to 92% more direct calls. Your business can be next.

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