Tech-generated leads: a spiff program that works

What a tech-generated lead is

A tech-generated lead is a sales opportunity identified by a service technician during a repair or maintenance visit and passed to a comfort advisor, estimator or the office. Typical examples:

• An HVAC system near the end of its life, with repeated repairs or a failed major component.
• An electrical panel that is at capacity, damaged or the subject of a recall.
• A roof with storm damage spotted during a gutter or attic visit.
• A garage door with worn springs and an opener that lacks modern safety features.
• An appliance where the repair cost is close to replacement cost.

These leads tend to convert well because the homeowner already trusts the technician and the condition is real. They also carry a risk: if technicians are paid only when a sale happens, some will push.

Why spiffs matter for technicians and the company

Technicians are well paid but not lavishly. The median hourly wage for US HVAC mechanics and installers was $29.33 in May 2025^[2], and the median annual wage for electricians was $63,190^[3]. A well-designed spiff program can add meaningfully to that, and it is visible, immediate recognition for spotting real problems.

For the company, the cost of labor is rising. Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers at specialty trade contractors reached $39.05 in September 2026, up 4.7% on a year earlier^[4]. With openings up sharply too, a spiff program is one of the few pay tools that rewards good work without permanently raising base wages.

Step 1: Define what counts as a qualified lead

Write the definition down and share it with every technician. Vague rules cause disputes over who gets paid.

The best definitions are trade-specific. An HVAC program might require equipment age, refrigerant type, repair history and static pressure readings. An electrical program might require panel photos and load notes.

Step 2: Set the spiff structure

There is no single right amount. Base it on the gross margin of the sold job and on what your technicians earn. Three common structures:

• Flat amount per sold-and-installed job, scaled by job type.
• Percentage of the sold job's value or gross margin.
• Two-part: a small amount for every qualified lead, plus a larger amount when the job is installed.

The two-part structure is the most resistant to pushing. Technicians are paid for honest, documented leads even when the homeowner decides not to buy, so there is less reason to oversell.

Example (fictional): A company pays $25 for every qualified lead, whether it closes or not, and 2% of the installed job value when a lead becomes a completed job. A replacement sold at $13,000 pays the technician $25 plus $260. A technician who passes on 6 qualified leads a month, 3 of which close at that value, earns about $930 in spiffs that month.

Pay on installed and paid jobs, not on signed contracts. Contracts can be cancelled, especially when homeowners have a cooling-off right on sales made in the home. Our article on the FTC Cooling-Off Rule explains when that applies.

Step 3: Make the handoff fast

A lead loses value quickly. Research on online sales leads found that firms contacting leads within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify them as firms that waited even an hour longer^[5]. The same instinct applies in the home.

1. 01

   Tech submits the lead before leaving

   Using a short form in the job record: condition, photos, readings, equipment age, homeowner's concerns and best time to talk.

2. 02

   Office confirms the same day

   A call or text to the homeowner to book the advisor visit, referencing the technician by name.

3. 03

   Advisor reviews the notes before the visit

   So the homeowner does not have to repeat the story.

4. 04

   Outcome logged within 30 days

   Sold, not sold, or still deciding, with a reason.

5. 05

   Spiff paid on the next payroll after installation

   Delays erode trust in the program.

Step 4: Track everything

A spiff program is only fair if the numbers are visible. Track by technician and share the results monthly.

• Leads submitted and leads qualified.
• Lead-to-appointment rate.
• Close rate and average job value.
• Cancellation rate within the first week.
• Customer complaints mentioning pressure from a technician.

High lead volume with a low close rate usually means leads that do not meet the definition. A very high close rate combined with complaints or cancellations is a warning sign to look into quickly.

Step 5: Keep techs from pushing

Protect the homeowner, the technician and the company with clear rules.

1. Technicians report conditions; advisors present options. Technicians should not quote replacement prices unless trained and authorized.
2. Never use fear: no "this could kill you" unless there is a genuine life-safety hazard, which should be handled under your safety procedure, not as a lead.
3. Every lead needs evidence. A photo or reading the homeowner can see.
4. Spot-check leads: a manager reviews a sample each month and, for some, calls the homeowner to ask how the conversation felt.
5. Remove the spiff for any lead where the condition was misrepresented, and treat it as a conduct issue.
6. Recognize technicians whose customers stay with the company and leave good reviews, not just those with the most leads.

Trade-specific evidence to require

The evidence that makes a lead qualified differs by trade. Agree the minimum for each job type and build it into the lead form, so technicians cannot submit without it.

• HVAC: equipment age from the data plate, refrigerant type, repair history at the address, static pressure and temperature split readings, photos of the failed or failing component.
• Electrical: photos of the panel with the cover off, breaker types, signs of heat or corrosion, the homeowner's planned new loads such as an EV charger, and any recall information.
• Roofing: photos of damage with a reference object for scale, location on a simple sketch, roof age if known and any interior signs such as ceiling stains.
• Garage doors: spring type and condition, cycle wear signs, opener age and whether it has photo-eye sensors, and balance test results.
• Appliance repair: model and serial, age, the quoted repair cost and the parts availability, so the homeowner can compare repair and replacement honestly.

The evidence also helps the advisor. An advisor who arrives with photos and readings can skip the basics and spend the visit on options.

Mistakes that sink spiff programs

• Changing amounts or rules without notice. Technicians stop trusting the program and stop submitting leads.
• Paying late. If a spiff arrives two months after the install, it no longer feels connected to the work.
• Rewarding volume over quality, which fills the pipeline with weak leads and wastes advisors' time.
• Letting advisors decide alone whether a lead "counted". Use the written definition and a manager's review for disputes.
• Ignoring the technicians who never submit leads. Ask why; it may be discomfort with the conversation, which training can fix.

Rolling the program out

Introduce the program in a team meeting, with the definition, the spiff structure and the tracking rules on one page. Train technicians on what to say: "I've noticed this condition. Would you like one of our advisors to explain your options? There's no obligation." Role-play it. Run the program for a quarter, review the numbers with the team, and adjust amounts or rules openly.

Pay rules should be written into technicians' compensation documents, and checked against wage and hour rules in your state. If you are reviewing technician pay more broadly, our HVAC technician pay benchmark covers current figures.