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New Leads & Job Questions

Turn “How much?”
into a real lead.

New leads rarely give you everything you need. “Hey, I need a plumber” is a job, but not one you can price, book or even picture yet.

Trade Reply reads the conversation, works out what is missing, and drafts the one question that turns it into a lead you can quote. You check it and send it.

Download Trade ReplySee examples ↓

Trade Reply drafts the reply. You read it, and you send it.

9:41
JJordan K.

Hi, got your number off your truck.

How much do you charge?

Message
TRADE REPLYReady

Take a screenshot

So Trade Reply can read the conversation

or
Import latest screenshot
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Where you are when it lands

They sent one line.
You need five answers.

What’s the job, where is it, how bad is it, is it urgent, and can you even get there?

  • You’re under a sink.
  • You’re driving between jobs.
  • You’re halfway up a ladder.
  • Three more came in while you were on the roof.

The problem isn’t knowing what to ask. It’s stopping your business to answer your phone.

Straight from the thread

These messages sound familiar.

  • Plumbing

    Customer: Hey, I need a plumber.

  • HVAC

    Customer: My AC is running but not getting cold.

  • Roofing

    Customer: Can you tell from this picture if I need a new roof?

  • Landscaping

    Customer: How much to redo my front yard?

  • Handyman

    Customer: Do you do small jobs? Just a few things around the house.

  • Cleaning

    Customer: Are you taking new customers?

How it works

Customer sent this. Here’s what happens next.

Trade Reply reads the conversation, surfaces the actions that fit it and drafts the reply. You stay in control of what gets sent.

  1. The customer messages.

    By text, email or Facebook, whatever they picked. You’re in the middle of a job.

  2. Take a screenshot.

    Or import the latest one. The keyboard reads the whole thread from it.

  3. It reads the conversation.

    A plain-language read of what they’re asking, at the top of the keyboard.

  4. The right actions come up.

    Ranked for this conversation. Here, Ask Job Type and Qualify Lead.

  5. It drafts the reply.

    In your tone, using the services, prices and details you’ve set up.

  6. You check it and send it.

    Insert puts it in your message box. Edit anything. Nothing goes until you press send.

9:41
JJordan K.

Hi, got your number off your truck.

How much do you charge?

Message
TRADE REPLYReady

A new lead asking about price without saying what the job is.

Ask Job TypeQualify

Thanks for reaching out! Depends on the job. What do you need done?

Insert
Try againKeyboard

Before and after

Same answer. Better message.

Your customer says

Customer: Can you come look at my furnace?

What you were going to type

yea whats the address

Ask Address

What Trade Reply drafts

Happy to take a look. What’s the address? And is it not heating at all, or just not keeping up?

Seconds instead of minutes.

Scenarios

Six ways a new lead starts.

Different first messages, the same problem: not enough to go on yet. Trade Reply can recognize situations like these and surface actions such as the ones below. Which actions appear depends on the conversation.

The vague new inquiry

Plumbing

Customer: Hey, I need a plumber.

Why it’s hard

It’s a real job, but you can’t price it, book it or even picture it yet — and a list of questions back reads like paperwork.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Ask Job Type
  • Qualify Lead

The draftFriendly tone

Hi, thanks for reaching out! What’s going on — a leak, a clog, or something that needs replacing? A quick description is plenty to get started.

Same reply, another tone

No-Nonsense

Sure. What’s the problem — leak, clog or a replacement?

Not enough to go on

HVAC

Customer: My AC isn’t working.

Why it’s hard

“Not working” could be a setting or a big repair. One good question tells you what to bring.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Qualify Lead
  • Ask for Photos

The draftFriendly tone

Sorry to hear that, let’s get it sorted. Is it not turning on at all, or running but blowing warm air? That tells me what to bring.

Same reply, another tone

Professional

Thanks for letting us know. Is the system not turning on at all, or running without cooling? That helps us arrive with the right parts.

Asking for photos

Plumbing

Customer: Something is leaking under the sink.

Why it’s hard

A photo would answer half your questions, but “send a pic” on its own sounds like you can’t be bothered to ask.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Ask for Photos

The draftStraightforward tone

Can you send me a photo of the pipes under the sink, and one of where the water’s coming from? That’ll show me which parts to bring.

Same reply, another tone

Friendly

Happy to help! Could you snap a photo of the pipes under the sink, and one of where it’s dripping? That way I’ll show up with the right parts.

Finding out where the job is

Electrical

Customer: Can someone come look at a breaker that keeps tripping?

Why it’s hard

You can’t check your service area or plan the route without an address, and you don’t want it to feel like a form.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Ask Address
  • Book Estimate

The draftFriendly tone

Sure, we can take a look. What’s the address? I’ll check it’s in our area and let you know when we can get out there.

Same reply, another tone

No-Nonsense

Yes. What’s the address? I’ll confirm a time once I know where you are.

The emergency

Customer: Water is pouring out of the ceiling!!

Why it’s hard

They need someone to take charge, right now. A slow or chatty reply here isn’t just a lost job.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Emergency Response

The draftStraightforward tone

That needs attention right now. Keep clear of the wet ceiling and any lights or outlets near it. I’m calling you now.

An emergency draft puts the customer’s safety and a phone call first. Trade Reply never gives repair instructions.

Same reply, another tone

Friendly

Okay, let’s get on this now. Please stay clear of the wet ceiling and anything electrical near it. I’m calling you right now.

Outside your area

Landscaping

Customer: Do you do work in Millbrook?

Why it’s hard

Saying no is easy. Saying it so they’d still recommend you to a neighbor is harder.

Trade Reply can surface

  • Outside Service Area
  • Refer Customer

The draftFriendly tone

Thanks for asking! Millbrook is outside the area we cover, unfortunately. You’ll get faster service from someone local. Sorry we can’t help this time.

Only when the town is outside the service area you’ve set up.

Same reply, another tone

Professional

Thank you for reaching out. Unfortunately, Millbrook is outside our service area, so we’re unable to take on the job. A local provider will be able to reach you sooner.

Drafts written for this page. Trade Reply writes from the conversation in front of it and the services, prices and details you’ve set up, so yours will read like your business. Nothing is sent until you send it.

Your tone

Same situation. Your style.

Pick your business’s tone once, in setup, and every draft comes out that way. On any single reply you can still make it shorter, more formal or more casual.

Your customer says

How much do you charge to come out?

A price question with no job attached. Every tone quotes the call-out fee this business set up, then asks what the job is.

It’s $89 for us to come out and take a look. What’s going on? Tell me a bit about it and I can give you a better idea of cost.

Warm and approachable. Contractions are fine. Never saccharine.

Why it matters

Why the first reply matters.

  • A vague lead is still a lead.

    Most people don’t know what a contractor needs to hear. One good question turns “I need a plumber” into a job you can price.

  • One question beats five.

    Ask for the detail that changes the answer — the address, a photo, the kind of job — and leave the rest for the visit.

  • Emergencies can’t wait.

    Water through a ceiling needs a calm, clear reply now, not after you’ve finished the job you’re on.

FAQ

New lead questions, answered.

How should a contractor reply to a new lead?

Quickly, and with one question that moves the job forward — usually what the job is, where it is, or a photo. Save the rest for when you’ve seen it. Trade Reply drafts that reply from the conversation, and you send it.

What should I ask before giving a price?

Whatever changes the number most: the kind of job, the size, the equipment and where it is. If you’ve set a price range for that service, Trade Reply can quote it; if not, it asks for the detail it needs instead of guessing.

How do I ask a customer for photos?

Say exactly what you want to see and why. “One of the pipes under the sink and one of where the water’s coming from” gets better photos than “send a pic”, and that is how Trade Reply words it.

Does Trade Reply know what my business offers?

It knows what you tell it in setup: your trade, your services and price ranges, where you work, and details like your warranty or whether you offer financing. It drafts from those and never invents the rest.

Where the conversation goes next.

All scenarios

Answer the next lead from the job.

Take a screenshot, check the draft, send it. Trade Reply writes it; you decide what goes out.

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All scenarios

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