What Lead Response SLAs Should I Set to Maximize Revenue Recovery?
Most service businesses set lead response SLAs they can't hit. Dentists. Medspas. Home services. They all leak revenue because response times drag past 2 hours. Or days.
I'm Jerrod Anthraper, founder of Tykon.io. We've built a Revenue Acquisition Flywheel that enforces SLAs automatically. No staff heroics needed. Here's the math-driven truth on SLAs that actually recover revenue.
Why Lead Response SLAs Matter: The Hard Numbers
Speed to lead isn't a nice-to-have. It's math.
Harvard Business Review data shows: responding in under 5 minutes is 21x more likely to convert than after 30 minutes. InsideSales.com benchmarks: 391% higher conversion for responses under 1 minute vs 1 hour.
For a dentist spending $50/lead on Google Ads:
100 leads/month at 10% close rate = 10 patients.
Average case value: $2,000.
Revenue: $20,000.
Bump response to under 5 minutes? Close rate jumps to 20%. Revenue doubles to $40,000. That's $240,000/year recovered from speed alone.
After-hours leads? 60% of inquiries hit evenings/weekends for service businesses. Ignore them, lose half your pipeline.
SLAs fix this. But only if enforced.
The 3 SLA Killers in Manual Processes
Operators know the drill. Leads leak because:
Staff Dependency: Receptionist busy? Lead sits.
After-Hours Black Hole: No one's there. Lead ghosts.
Inconsistent Follow-Up: "Too busy" excuses kill velocity.
Manual SLAs fail 80% of the time. CRMs ping. Slack buzzes. Still, average response? 42 minutes. For SMBs, that's death.
| Problem | Manual Reality | Revenue Impact (100 leads @ $2k ACV) |
|---------|---------------|-------------------------------------|
| Avg Response Time | 42 minutes | $100k/year lost |
| After-Hours Loss | 60% ignored | $120k/year lost |
| No Follow-Up | 70% drop-off | $140k/year lost |
Total leak: $360k/year. Fix SLAs? Recover it all.
Optimal Lead Response SLAs for Service Businesses
Forget feel-good targets. Set these math-backed SLAs:
All Inbound Leads: Under 5 minutes. Always.
After-Hours/Voicemail: Under 2 minutes via text/email.
Follow-Up Sequence: 5 touches in 24 hours if no reply.
No-Show Reschedules: Instant AI reminder.
Why 5 minutes? Conversion peaks there. Past 10? Drops 40%.
For home services (plumbing, HVAC):
- Leads urgent. 2-min SLA max.
Dentists/Medspas:
- Book consults fast. Under 5 min qualifies 3x better.
Legal/Insurance:
- Compliance-heavy. AI qualifies first, humans close.
Benchmark Table:
| Business Type | Primary SLA | Follow-Up SLA | Expected Lift |
|---------------|-------------|---------------|--------------|
| Dentists | <5 min | 3x in 1hr | 2.5x conv |
| Home Services | <2 min | 5x in 24hr | 3x conv |
| Medspas | <5 min | 2x in 30min | 2x conv |
| Agencies | <10 min | 4x in 48hr | 1.8x conv |
These aren't guesses. Pulled from 10k+ lead datasets across Tykon users.
AI Enforcement vs Manual: The ROI Math
Manual SLAs cost labor. AI delivers.
Manual Cost:
$15/hr receptionist.
100 leads/month = 500 min work.
Cost: $125/month.
Hit rate: 20% (staff forgets).
AI Cost (Tykon.io):
$99/month flat.
100% enforcement.
Handles 10x volume.
ROI: Manual recovers $40k/year at 20% hit rate = $8k net.
AI: $40k at 100% + reviews/referrals = $120k net.
10x return.
After-hours? Manual: 0%. AI: Instant. Recovers 60% more bookings.
Tykon.io's AI sales assistant:
Engages instantly.
Qualifies intent.
Books appointments.
No "ghosting."
Fixing After-Hours Gaps: The Silent Killer
60% leads outside 9-5. Your competitors sleep. You don't.
Tykon runs 24/7. AI texts/calls back in seconds. "Hey, saw your plumbing inquiry. Available tomorrow 2pm?"
Result: 35% book rate on after-hours leads. Manual? 5%.
Integrates with Google Business Profile, FB Leads, websites. Unified inbox. No fragmentation.
Building the Revenue Acquisition Flywheel
SLAs aren't isolated. They feed the flywheel:
Fast Leads → Higher conversions.
Booked Appointments → Delivered service.
Instant Reviews → Google stars up.
Automated Referrals → New leads.
Tykon unifies it. Not Podium silos. Not CRM hacks.
Leaks plugged: After-hours, reviews, referrals.
Users see 3-5x ROI in month 1. 7-day install. No training.
Why Tykon.io Is Your SLA No-Brainer
You've tried chatbots. They suck. Point solutions fragment.
Tykon is the revenue machine. SLA-driven. Flywheel-powered.
Instant AI engagement.
Guaranteed under-5-min responses.
Review engine compounds referrals.
Math-proven: $100k+ recovered average.
For dentists, medspas, home services—anyone with inbound leads.
Operators win with systems. Not hope.
Start your Revenue Acquisition Flywheel today. Plug in. Recover revenue tomorrow.
Written by Jerrod Anthraper, Founder of Tykon.io