What is Speed-to-lead?
Definition
Speed-to-lead — How fast you respond to a new inquiry. The shop that answers first usually wins the job, so replying in seconds — even with an AI lead responder after hours — beats a polished reply that lands the next morning.
Why it matters to a shop
The shop that replies first usually books the job, and most leads arrive when the bay is busy and nobody can pick up. That is precisely why response is worth automating rather than resolving to be better at it.
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Related terms
More from shop business & metrics — The owner-side numbers that decide whether a busy shop makes money.
- COGS (cost of goods sold)The direct cost of delivering a job — for a film shop, mostly the film and consumables it actually consumed, plus install labour. True COGS is what separates a job's revenue from its profit, and it only reflects reality when film is costed from the real roll, not a list price.
- Gross marginRevenue minus COGS, shown in dollars or as a percentage of the price. It's the number that tells you whether a busy calendar is actually profitable. A wall-menu list price is a revenue number; margin is the profit number underneath it.
- Live-margin quoteA quote that shows projected profit in dollars and percent as you build it, costed from the real material on your shelf — so an underpriced package gets caught before you send it, not at month-end. Service VIN's core difference from a flat estimate.
- Film tracked to the footInventory that counts film by the linear foot remaining on each roll, at the real cost you paid, with lot numbers and reorder points — instead of treating a four-figure roll as a single line item. It's what makes true material COGS and reorder alerts possible.
- Average ticketThe average revenue per completed job. Raising it with upsells (a coating over PPF, a windshield film, a maintenance plan) is often faster than chasing more leads, because it earns more from work you already booked.
- Close rateThe share of quotes or leads that turn into booked, paid jobs. A low close rate usually points at slow follow-up or unclear pricing more than at price itself — which is why quote follow-up and speed-to-lead move it the most.
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Live-margin quotes costed from your real film, film tracked to the foot, and an AI team on the calls and texts. Free for 14 days, no credit card.