Text‑First Triage: Turn Incoming Texts into Same‑Day Bookings

Many homeowners try texting first and hang up when they can’t get a fast answer. This episode teaches a simple, low-friction “Text‑First Triage” system that treats SMS/MMS as the primary intake channel for inbound leads and web/text clicks. Jeff opens with a short vignette: a homeowner texts a photo at 7pm and books the next‑day visit before breakfast. Listeners get exact dispatcher and auto-reply scripts, rules to prioritize urgent messages versus scheduling chats, a lightweight photo+estimate microflow that fits a dispatcher’s 60–90 second window, and two affordable tech stacks (SMS automation + scheduling link or managed answering service with text handoff). The episode includes a 7‑day pilot with concrete metrics (response speed, booked rate, same‑day slots) and role assignments so shops can run it with existing staff. Practical, measurable, and designed to increase booked jobs by capturing the customers who prefer texting.