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The 7 PM Test (Ads)

The 7 PM Test

We’ll call your business at 7 PM, just like a homeowner would.

Then we text you exactly what happened: whether anyone answered, what the caller heard, and whether anyone called or texted back. It’s free, and it takes about a minute to set up.

  • Nobody on your team will know it’s a test, so you hear what your customers really hear.
  • We never book a fake job or leave a voicemail your team has to chase.
  • You get the results by text the next morning, in plain English.

Only 52% of callers to home service companies ever speak with a person, according to Invoca’s 2026 benchmark report.

What we write down while your phone rings.

A homeowner with a broken spring or a leaking water heater doesn’t wait until morning. They call, and if nobody picks up, they call the next company on the list. We check every step of that call so you can see where the job would have been lost.

If someone answers, you pass. We ask one simple question a homeowner would ask, and then we tell whoever answered that it was a test, so we never take up a real appointment.

Test logSample
7:00

We call your main number.

We count the rings and note whether a person, a receptionist, or a voicemail picks up.

7:01

We listen to what the caller hears.

We note whether the greeting tells a homeowner what to do next, or whether the mailbox is full.

7:05

We watch for a text back.

A missed call that gets a text within a few minutes usually keeps the homeowner from calling someone else.

9:00

We check for a callback the next morning.

Then we text you the results and how many jobs a month that gap is likely costing you.

You get a text, not a forty-page audit.

Your results come to your phone the morning after the test. They tell you what happened, what a homeowner would have done next, and the one fix that would make the biggest difference.

If you want help with the fix, you can reply to the text. If you don’t, the results are still yours to keep, and nobody will chase you.

Run My Free 7 PM Test

Sample results text from The Lead Furnace

Your 7 PM Test results for Summit Garage Doors are in.

We called at 7:02 PM. It rang 6 times and went to a voicemail box that was full.

Nobody texted back, and nobody called back by 9 AM. A homeowner would have called the next company after the first try.

The fastest fix is a missed-call text back. Want us to show you how it works on your own number?

Yes, show me

Why an unanswered call costs more this year.

Two changes from Google make a missed call more expensive than it used to be, and a third number shows how common they are.

October 1, 2026

Google now charges for some missed Local Services Ads calls.

If you run Local Services Ads, Google can bill you for a business-hours call you miss when the caller stays on the line longer than 20 seconds. You pay for the lead even though you never spoke to the homeowner.

Announced May 2026

Google’s AI is starting to call contractors for homeowners.

Google announced that its “Ask for Me” feature will call home repair businesses to check prices and availability for a homeowner, then send back a summary. A business that doesn’t answer can’t make that summary.

Invoca, 2026

About half of callers never reach a person.

Invoca’s 2026 home services report found that 52% of callers speak with a person. The other half hear a voicemail, a hold message, or nothing at all.

While you wait

See your new website in 60 seconds.

Type your business name and trade, and we’ll show you a preview of your site with a working sales tool homeowners can use. You don’t need to talk to anyone to see it.

Build My Site in 60 Seconds
Straight answers

Before you schedule your test.

Is it really free?

Yes. The test is the fastest way for us to show you what we do, and most owners learn something useful from it whether or not they ever hire us.

When will you call?

We call at 7 PM your local time on the next weeknight after you sign up. If you’d like a different night, just tell us when we text you to confirm.

Who will know it’s a test?

Only you. That’s the point, because you want to hear what a real customer hears. If someone answers, we ask one simple question and then tell them it was a test, so we never take a real appointment slot.

Will you leave a voicemail?

No. We don’t want anyone on your team calling a fake customer back. We do watch for an automatic text back and for a callback the next morning.

What if I already have an answering service?

Then the test shows you what your answering service really does at 7 PM. Many owners are surprised by what their callers hear.

What does it cost if I want your help after?

Plans start at $299 a month for Pilot Light, which covers your website, a sales tool for your trade, missed-call text back, follow-up, and review requests. Full Flame adds an AI receptionist that answers your calls for $597 a month. Every plan is month to month with no contract, and neither of those two plans has a setup fee.

The 7 PM Test

Someone will call your business tonight. Find out what they hear.

It takes about a minute to set up, and the results come to your phone.

Run My Free 7 PM Test
Launching soon

Stop losing jobs to missed calls. We are almost ready.

The Lead Furnace gives home service companies a website built for their trade and a system that texts back every missed call, follows up on quotes, and asks for reviews while you are on the job. We are opening to a small group of companies first.

  • Plans start at $299 a month for your website, missed-call text back, follow-up, and review requests.
  • There is no contract on any plan, and you own your domain and your customer list.
  • Early sign-ups get first pick of launch spots in their town.

Get on the early list

Leave your details and we will reach out before we open to everyone.

We only use your details to contact you about The Lead Furnace. We never sell or share them.

You are on the list.

Thanks for signing up. We will reach out before we open to everyone. If you have a question in the meantime, email hello@theleadfurnace.com.