What is Novo and how does it work?

Novo is a 24/7 Revenue Recovery agent that answers every after-hours call, books appointments directly into your calendar, qualifies leads, forwards emergencies, and backs up your front desk during business hours. Built for Texas HVAC contractors who lose revenue to voicemail.

How much does Novo cost?

Novo costs $10,000 per year flat. No monthly payments. No per-call charges. No hidden fees. One booked job typically pays for the entire year. We cap at 5 clients to maintain quality.

What is the 14-Day Prove-It?

The 14-Day Prove-It is risk-free: Novo goes live on your line for 14 days. You see real calls answered, real appointments booked. Day 14 you review the call log and decide. If it works — $10K flat for the year. If it does not — we disconnect. No invoice.

Is Novo only for Texas HVAC contractors?

Yes, Novo is currently exclusive to Texas HVAC contractors in Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. We limit the program to 5 active clients to ensure every shop gets full attention. Expansion to other trades and cities is planned.

Google Local Services Ads for HVAC: Why You're Paying for Calls That Hit Voicemail

Google Local Services Ads (LSA) are the best and worst thing to happen to Houston HVAC contractors.

They're the best because the leads are warm — someone searches "AC repair near me," sees your photo and reviews, and taps to call. The intent is sky-high.

They're the worst because Google charges you whether you answer or not.

Here's what that looks like in practice.

The LSA Math

For HVAC in Houston, LSA charges $25-80 per lead depending on the zip code and time of year. Summer peak? Closer to $80. January? Maybe $25.

If you're running $3,000/month in LSA spend, that's:

37 leads at $80
120 leads at $25

Now here's where owners get blindsided: Google tracks answer rate. If your voicemail picks up more than 30% of the time, your ad rank drops. Google shows your ad less. You pay more for worse placement.

And if voicemail picks up, you still get charged.

The Double Tax

Most HVAC contractors are getting hit twice:

The Google Tax: You paid $40-80 for a call that went to voicemail
The Voicemail Tax: That caller called your competitor next, and your competitor answered — with the lead YOU paid for

This isn't hypothetical. I audit LSA accounts for Texas HVAC contractors in Houston and Dallas, and I see this exact pattern every single time.

When voicemail picks up, your customer calls your competitor next — and if their voicemail answers too, the caller might try a third shop. The one that actually picks up gets the job.

What Google Actually Tracks

Google LSA provides a dashboard with:

Total leads
Cost per lead
Answer rate
Booked rate
Disputed leads

The contractors who are crushing it have answer rates above 90%. Not because they have more staff. Because they have something answering 24/7.

What 90%+ Answer Rate Does

When your answer rate hits 90%+:

Google shows your ad more frequently
Your cost per lead drops
Your booked rate climbs
Your review velocity increases (more happy customers = more reviews)

This isn't a trick. Google wants to show ads that lead to completed jobs. If you're not answering, you're telling Google to show someone else's ad instead.

The Real Cost of a Missed LSA Call

A $50 LSA call that goes to voicemail doesn't cost $50. It costs:

$50 (the LSA charge)
$40-80 (your competitor's LSA cost for the same customer)
$400-1,200 (the lost job value)
$0-2,000 (the lifetime value of that customer and their referrals)

That's not a $50 mistake. That's a $500-3,000 mistake that happens dozens of times per month.

And that's just the immediate job value. The lifetime value of a missed call is closer to $8,000 when you factor in maintenance plans, referrals, and the eventual replacement install.

What I See in Houston

I audit a lot of LSA accounts. The pattern is identical across contractors with 3-12 trucks:

| Metric | Average Houston HVAC | Best Performers | |--------|---------------------|-----------------| | LSA spend/month | $2,500-5,000 | $4,000-8,000 | | Leads/month | 40-80 | 80-150 | | Answer rate | 60-75% | 90-95% | | Booked rate | 45-55% | 65-80% | | Cost per booked job | $120-180 | $60-100 |

The difference? The best performers have a system that answers when they can't.

Novo answers LSA calls in under 30 seconds, identifies the lead source, qualifies the caller, and books appointments directly into your calendar. You don't lose the lead. Google doesn't penalize your ad rank. The revenue stays in your company instead of walking next door.

Try it yourself: call your business at 9 PM on a Tuesday and see who answers. If voicemail picks up, you just found your biggest revenue leak.

How to Check Your Own Numbers

Log into your Google LSA dashboard. Look at the last 30 days. Divide:

Total leads ÷ total cost = your cost per lead
Booked leads ÷ total leads = your booked rate
30-second answered calls ÷ total leads = your answer rate

If your answer rate is under 80%, you're burning money.

Want to see what an answered call sounds like? Call (832) 737-0525 and hear Novo handle an HVAC inquiry live. 45 seconds. No pitch.