42% of Service Leads Come After Hours—Here’s How LaunchSMS Captures Them

If you run an HVAC, plumbing, or electrical company, chances are nearly half your inbound leads arrive after 5 p.m. According to Invoca and BrightLocal, roughly 42 percent of service-related inquiries happen outside standard business hours.

That means while you’re having dinner or your team’s asleep, potential customers are searching “AC repair near me” and clicking your website.

But here’s the problem: if no one replies, they move on — usually within 15 minutes. Studies show that 78 percent of consumers choose the first company that responds.

So how do you respond instantly without hiring an overnight crew?

The After-Hours Gap

Traditional call centers or voicemail simply don’t cut it. Most customers don’t leave messages anymore; they text, chat, or fill out a form expecting immediate contact.

When that doesn’t happen, you lose trust — and the lead. Each missed inquiry can represent hundreds in lost revenue and lower Google Local ranking because engagement signals drop.

LaunchSMS Fills the Gap with Smart Automation

LaunchSMS uses its proprietary Nexus AI to reply instantly to any incoming text, web chat, or form submission — even at 2 a.m.

Here’s how it works:

1. Lead capture – When a visitor completes a form or sends a message, LaunchSMS automatically starts a conversation via SMS or chat.

2. Qualification – Nexus AI asks smart questions (“Is this a residential or commercial job?”) to collect details.

3. Scheduling – If integrated with ServiceTitan, Jobber, or Housecall Pro, it can show real-time availability and book the appointment automatically.

4. Follow-up – If the lead goes quiet, automated reminders keep the thread alive until they reply.

Real-World Impact

Companies using LaunchSMS report:

• 30–50 % reduction in missed leads

• Instant response times (average < 10 seconds)

• Higher review volume, thanks to built-in follow-up requests

That’s not theory — it’s based on aggregated client data from service contractors across the U.S.

Why Customers Love It

People prefer texting. Research from Podium shows 90 percent of consumers want to text with businesses, and texts have 98 percent open rates.
LaunchSMS meets customers where they’re most responsive while saving you labor costs.

A Smarter Way to Sleep at Night

Automation doesn’t replace your team — it augments it. LaunchSMS ensures your pipeline never sleeps, so every morning your CSR starts the day with qualified leads already waiting.

👉 Ready to see it in action?
Schedule a free, 10-minute demo and watch LaunchSMS capture your next after-hours lead automatically.