How to Build a Call Center for Plumbing, HVAC, & Home Services

Guest:
Peter Roth – Founder, Scalify (Call Centers for Home Services)

Guest Links:
Website: https://scalifyco.com

This episode breaks down how call centers can become one of the most scalable and cost-effective growth channels for HVAC, plumbing, and roofing companies—when built correctly. It explains what call centers actually are (and what they are not), why forcing VAs into cold calling fails, and why professional, career call-center agents dramatically outperform improvised in-house setups. The episode walks through the real economics behind nearshore call centers, including labor arbitrage, agent quality, predictive dialers, and why management—not agents—is the hardest part to get right. It dives deep into list quality, homeowner targeting by age and home data, scripting mistakes that instantly kill calls, and why short, pain-focused scripts outperform long introductions. The episode also unpacks real HVAC math around $39 tune-ups, appointment volume, cancellation rates, system replacement conversions, blended ticket averages, and how properly trained sales teams can generate six figures in monthly revenue from a small three-agent call center. It addresses the most common objections contractors have, including lead quality concerns, no-shows, culture clashes between inbound-only teams and outbound appointments, and why confirmation systems can protect morale. Finally, the episode outlines the true requirements for success—strong sales training, deep CRM mastery, aggressive recapture systems for no-shows and “not now” leads, realistic runway expectations, and why call centers should never be treated as emergency CPR for a struggling business.