Key takeaways
- Call within minutes. The first restoration company to reach a Facebook lead usually sets the inspection; the rest become second opinions.
- Triage on the first call: active water goes to dispatch, mold and storm damage go on the inspection calendar.
- Automate the instant text, alerts and reminders, but keep the first conversation with a person.
- Texting needs consent captured on the form, a registered number and a working STOP.
Facebook lead follow-up at a restoration company has to start within minutes, because the homeowner who filled in your form about a musty basement or storm damage often filled in others too. Call first, text if they do not answer, and run a short sequence for a week. Texting needs their consent and a registered business number.
Why speed decides
Speed decides because the first company to reach the homeowner usually books the inspection, and everyone after that is a second opinion. Facebook leads arrive warm and cool quickly. The person tapped "submit" between other things, and an hour later the moment has passed.
Restoration has two extra reasons to hurry:
- The loss may be worse than the form says. "Musty smell in the basement" can mean a slow leak still running. A fast call finds out, and an active leak becomes a dispatch tonight instead of an inspection next week.
- The insurer may get there first. Once a homeowner calls their insurance company, they may be given a preferred vendor's number. If you have already called, explained the next step and booked a time, they are more likely to keep you.
The follow-up sequence
- Form submitted
- Instant text and email Confirms you have it
- A call attempt As soon as someone is free
- Follow-up sequence Spaced texts and calls
- Booked or closed out Every lead ends with an outcome
The follow-up sequence
- Minute 0: send the instant text. "Hi [first name], this is [your company]. We got your request about [mold or storm damage] and will call you in the next few minutes. If water is coming in right now, call us at [number]. Reply STOP to opt out."
- Minutes 1 to 5: call from a person. Ask what happened, whether anything is still wet or leaking, which rooms are affected, whether they own the property, and whether a claim is open. Active water goes straight to the on-call technician.
- Minute 20, if no answer: call again and leave a voicemail. Name the request, your company and a callback number. Short and specific beats a script.
- Within the first hour: ask for photos. Text a link where they can upload two or three photos of the area. Photos help your coordinator decide who to send, and a reply restarts the conversation.
- Evening of day 1: call once more. Many homeowners who were at work earlier pick up after dinner.
- Day 2: send an email that explains the inspection. Cover what your technician checks, how long it takes, what a moisture reading or a mold assessment shows, and how you work with insurance, without promising what any policy will pay.
- Day 4: text a short check-in. Offer two inspection times rather than an open question.
- Day 7: close the loop. Ask whether to keep the request open. Leads who say "later" go on a list for a check-in after the next storm or before freeze season, only if they agreed to marketing messages.
Automating it
Automate the instant text, the team alerts, the reminders and the stop rules, and keep the first call human. Connect your Meta lead forms to your restoration job management software or field service CRM, so every lead creates a record, pages whoever is on call, and stops the sequence the moment a job or inspection is booked.
Texting has rules, and restoration leads are no exception:
- Get consent on the form. Add a clear line that the person agrees to be texted about the request. Marketing texts later need consent too (FCC rules under the TCPA).
- Register your texting number. Business texts from a 10-digit number need A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration through The Campaign Registry; carriers block or filter unregistered traffic (The Campaign Registry).
- Honor STOP every time. Every message should make opting out easy, and an opt-out should end the sequence immediately (CTIA messaging principles).
Calls that come in after hours from the text still need a person, or an answering setup that can triage them. The missed-call text-back guide for restoration companies covers catching the calls you cannot pick up.
Improving lead quality
Improve lead quality by asking the questions your coordinator would ask, on the form itself. Each one takes the homeowner a second and saves your team a wasted call.
| Form question | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Is water coming in right now? | Routes emergencies to the phone instead of a sequence |
| What happened: water, fire or smoke, mold, or storm? | Sends the right technician with the right equipment |
| Do you own, rent or manage the property? | Tells you who can authorize the work, and lets you loop in the owner early |
| Have you opened an insurance claim? | Prepares the first call; it is not a filter |
| ZIP code | Keeps losses outside your service area off the schedule |
Meta's higher-intent form option, which adds a review step before submitting, can also help. Judge every change by inspections booked and jobs started, not by lead count. The Meta ads guide for restoration companies covers which campaigns are worth running in the first place.
How VETS Growth Marketing helps
We connect your Facebook lead forms to your CRM, write the texts and call guide with your team, register your texting number, and set the stop rules. It is a short project with a finish date, built in accounts you own. We then report how fast leads were reached and how many inspections and jobs they became. Book a growth consultation and we will time your current follow-up with you.
Sources
- 47 CFR 64.1200: Delivery restrictions (TCPA rules), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
- Messaging Principles and Best Practices, CTIA
- The Campaign Registry (A2P 10DLC brand and campaign registration), The Campaign Registry