The seven numbers
- 1
Median first-reply time
How quickly customers hear back.
How to read it: Lower is better. Watch the nights and weekends separately. - 2
Qualified rate
The share of enquiries that match your criteria.
How to read it: A steady rate with rising volume is healthy. - 3
Booking rate
Qualified leads that book a call, visit or slot.
How to read it: Falling rates often point to unclear next steps. - 4
Show-up rate
Bookings that actually happen.
How to read it: Reminders and easy rescheduling usually help the most. - 5
Follow-up completion
Planned follow-ups sent on time.
How to read it: Gaps here are follow-ups your customers never received. - 6
Handoff rate and time
How often a person takes over, and how fast.
How to read it: A slow handoff cancels the benefit of a fast reply. - 7
Revenue per enquiry
Revenue divided by the enquiries received.
How to read it: The number the owner cares about. Track by source.
A fifteen-minute weekly review
Look at the funnel
Where did most enquiries stop: before qualifying, before booking, or after the visit?
Check speed
Is the median first-reply time where it should be, including nights and weekends?
Read five conversations
Pick five at random. Did the agent help? Did a person take over smoothly?
Choose one change
Adjust a question, a rule or a message. Change one thing at a time.
Common pitfalls
- Counting messages instead of outcomes.
- Comparing sources unfairly, for example paid and referral leads with different intent.
- Changing definitions mid-way, so trends no longer mean anything.
- Looking only at the average, which hides the slow cases.
Make the numbers visible
A dashboard that updates itself removes the monthly scramble. Funnel, sources, response times and results by campaign and salesperson should be one view, not five spreadsheets.