If you don’t respond to a customer inquiry within five minutes, you’ll likely lose the sale.
“[Retailers] are leaving money on the table if they neglect it,” says Cole Taylor, owner of Southern Leisure Spas and Patio in Flower Mound, Texas.
Speed to lead — the time it takes to respond to a potential customer — is a critical differentiator in the hot tub market. If a competitor gets back faster, they’re more likely to win the business.
First to respond, first to earn trust
Sky Matula, president of The Hot Tub Store in Northern California, says today’s consumers expect quick and meaningful interactions, and the hot tub industry is no exception.
“Many shoppers are in the early research phase, and if they don’t get a timely response, they may move on to another retailer or an entirely different category,” Matula says. “Speed to lead is about capitalizing on a customer’s interest at the moment they are most engaged, making it a critical factor in securing sales.”
By responding quickly, you connect with customers at the moment their interest is strongest. Customer satisfaction decreases as wait time increases, according to a 2023 article from ScienceDirect’s Journal of Retailing, and there’s a hard limit on how long they’re willing to wait.
Matula says being the first to respond not only increases the likelihood of capturing the customer’s attention before competitors do but also builds trust, creates a positive first impression and demonstrates a high level of customer service.
“In our experience, prompt engagement leads to higher appointment scheduling rates, better customer retention and, ultimately, increased sales conversion rates,” Matula says.
What first impressions really say
That initial response is often the customer’s first impression of your business — and delays speak volumes.
“If this is how long it takes you to get to them when asking about buying, then how long will it take you to respond if they have a problem?” Taylor quips.
Speed matters, but so does quality. Matula emphasizes blending automation with personalized service. Train staff to actively listen, ask relevant questions and offer tailored solutions — even when using automated tools.
“Technology is essential in streamlining lead response,” Matula says. “At The Hot Tub Store, we use Cimple Chat CRM to manage and track leads efficiently.”
Matula says a robust CRM system allows for automation, real-time alerts and structured follow-up processes. Integrated texting, email automation and call tracking also ensure leads don’t slip through the cracks.
Automation isn’t a free pass
Automated replies can be helpful but only if they’re thoughtful. AI chatbots and automated messages can bridge the gap until a salesperson is available — but personalization is still king.
Mario Maichel, senior dealer development manager for Watkins Wellness in Vista, California, stresses that automation should be limited in lead follow-up and emphasizes the need for personalized but timely responses.
“We become very narcissistic when we shop, unfortunately,” Maichel says. “So salespeople can lean into that. How do you serve someone? How do you make them feel really important? How do we make these minutes matter?”
Don’t waste the customer’s time
Maichel urges retailers to design contact forms that collect detailed, specific information and actually use that data when responding.
“I don’t fill out a form unless I’m really interested in something,” Maichel says. “As a shopper, nothing annoys me more than when I fill out a form with exact information and then I get an email that has nothing to do with what I filled out, or, God forbid, you want to ask me questions that I’ve already answered in the form.”
Matula says retailers should implement a structured follow-up system, such as a 30-day manual plan, where leads receive calls, texts and emails at strategic intervals.
“Personalizing follow-ups based on customer needs and interests keeps engagement high,” Matula says.
Know the rules for text messaging
Maichel also advises retailers to familiarize themselves with the legal requirements for text messaging, including the need for explicit opt-in from the customer, which is often overlooked by businesses.
“It’s so important to be careful about texting,” he warns. “If you do not have an explicit opt-in for text messaging, then you cannot use any software to text people.”
The Federal Communications Commission requires businesses and organizations to acquire express written consent from consumers before sending them text messages for marketing purposes, and consumers must also have an opt-out option.
“If you fill out a lead form and put your phone number in there, I can pick up my phone and text you — there’s no law that says I can’t do that,” Maichel explains. “But I cannot legally take your phone number and put it into some SMS platform and run you through a stream without that consent. That is not allowed.”
Clarify, confirm and communicate
From incorrect contact information to customers being intentionally misleading, Taylor says there’s a lot of room for miscommunication over text, email and other platforms. Issues like omitting important information can not only slow down a sales team’s ability to make contact but can also set up the customer for frustration at other points.
For example, a customer may indicate there are stairs to tackle upon delivery but fail to mention that it’s really three flights.
“There’s stuff like that where people can be a bit vague, and that has required us to just ask a lot more questions on our end,” Taylor says.
Build systems, set expectations
Retailers who want to improve their speed and efficiency should prep their sales teams on expectations, provide accountability and create systems for managing lead follow-ups.
Taylor says his sales admin has a screen dedicated to the CRM, chats and emails.
“He’s watching that all day long as he’s doing his other work,” Taylor says.
When the admin sees leads sitting unattended for too long, he’ll remind sales team members to respond, ensuring quick response times and preventing leads from being neglected.
“If you’re spending all this money in marketing and advertising dollars to get people to have a conversation with your brand, you need to be ready to talk back when they do,” Taylor says.
He also encourages retailers to manage inventory carefully so they don’t lose customers to competitors with product in stock. For small dealers, this may mean creative storage solutions — like locking tubs outside behind the store.
“If you’re a small, one-store dealer, you’ve got to get creative with your showroom,” Taylor says. “If you can find something that allows you to store some product outside, like stack tubs, gate them and lock them in a secure way on the side of the building, that’s a way to skirt around paying for a warehouse.”
The customer experience reflects the product
Maichel says retailers need to remember that customers are shopping for a wellness product and the process should reflect that.
When retailers lose sales, Maichel says it may not be to another dealer — it may be that the customer has been turned off completely by the process.
“ ‘We’re not going to get one. This is too hard.’ That is the reality that we lose to,” Maichel says. “It is not a competition. It’s people opting out of the entire industry.”
Maichel says retailers should make sure their process is mindful of the customer’s perspective and be streamlined, personalized and easy. Sales teams should be on the same page about goals and processes, and retailers should implement a method to track leads that works for their business and holds salespeople accountable.
“It should not be stressful to shop for a wellness product,” Maichel says. “If it is, you’re doing something wrong.”