Who is Apple Aire?
Apple Aire Heating and Cooling has been serving the greater Denver area since 1988. Despite their relatively small team, they deliver service that rivals larger companies by strategically embracing technology. “We’re a small company in terms of people, but we’re outputting at a medium-sized level,” said Dennis Garza, the company’s Sales and Marketing Director— highlighting their focus on efficiency.
Why did you start using Hatch?
Dennis was on the lookout for an automation tool to streamline lead management and improve their follow-up process. “We live in an instant gratification world where customers want to know, and they want to know now. We needed a way to deliver the kind of service expected of us without expanding a ton of office-based positions,” he said.
After researching options like Chiirp, Think Unlimited, and Podium, Dennis chose Hatch for several reasons. First, because of its unique combination of automation and AI features. “I didn’t just want a standalone AI chatbot. I wanted an AI that integrated with our automations."
Second, because of its lead management capabilities. "I was looking for a centralized dashboard to manage all of our leads, from all of our different sources, that I could control. And Hatch offered that.”
Third, because of its pre-sale focus. "There was a selling component to Hatch that we liked. The other options weren't really focused on closing the sale or getting the appointment booked."
What was most appealing to you about Hatch AI?
When Dennis and his team started using Hatch automation without AI, they were able to reach out to more contacts and thus get more responses. But keeping up with those responses was a new challenge.
"I thought shoot, if my sales reps miss a response because they're out in the field or it's after hours, there's gotta be a way for AI to pick up that conversation so that it creates a seamless experience."
That's when he searched on the Hatch website and learned about AI CSRs.
How do you use Hatch?
Apple Aire has Hatch integrated with their CRM (ServiceTitan) as well as their marketing and lead vendors (Scorpion, Angi, Homepro, Double X Digital, and Systemized Media to name a few).
This allows them to create automated outreach campaigns across the customer journey, including new lead outreach, estimate follow-up, aged lead re-engagement, membership renewals, and promotions.
When a contact replies to the outreach campaign, their Hatch AI bots act as first responders, taking care of the initial qualifying question and answering, before handing the contact off to a human rep who can take the interaction through the finish line.
Example questions the Hatch bot is programmed to ask
Every lead and customer gets personalized messages from individual sales reps, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks. “Each sales rep has their own campaign with customized messaging, and I’ve programmed each bot to sound like the rep it’s working on behalf of,” said Dennis. “Eric, for instance, has a voicemail drop on day three with his voice, and I’ve tailored the AI to match his personality,” Dennis described.
Here’s an example of one of Apple Aire’s Hatch AI bots, named Terry:
And here’s a sample of a real conversation between Terry and a lead from a speed-to-lead campaign. Terry gathers all of the necessary information and collects it into a summary card so that Apple Aire’s human reps have the context they need to finish off the conversation.
What results and benefits have you seen with Hatch?
With Hatch AI bots in charge of campaign responses, Dennis’s sales reps no longer have to constantly monitor their devices, worried that they’ll miss a hot lead.
And with the AI handling the repetitive qualifying conversations, this not only frees up his reps to focus on closing deals, but it also ensures that the leads that reach the reps are the most qualified.
“It’s like a triage effect, helping our reps know where to spend their attention to make the biggest impact,” Dennis explained.
Particularly helpful has been letting the AI and automation smaller-ticket jobs like duct cleaning and maintenance specials so his reps can focus on big-ticket jobs like installations.
The biggest win for Apple Aire has been peace of mind. “I can rest easy knowing every single sales opportunity is followed up on,” Dennis said. The AI ensures that leads are engaged multiple times across various channels, making it easy for sales reps to step in only when necessary. This consistent follow-up has helped close deals that might have otherwise been lost.
“I can rest easy knowing every single sales opportunity is followed up on.”
“We’ve also resuscitated customers through nurture campaigns,” he added, sharing examples of closed jobs for services like indoor air quality improvements and duct cleaning.
Additionally, the sales team can manage their pipelines more efficiently, focusing on strategic follow-ups. “We no longer use the old, chaotic method of trying to remember who to call and when,” Dennis noted.
One last improvement has been average first response time, which measures the average time taken for Apple Aire to reply to customers who have responded to their outreach campaigns. This metric has improved astronomically, from 70 minutes all the way down to 5.6 seconds. That's 750 times faster.
What are your thoughts on AI?
Dennis is a strong advocate for AI, seeing it as a necessity in today’s instant-gratification world. “People need answers quickly, and if you don’t provide them, they’ll go to a competitor,” he explained.
He’s also realistic about the challenges, acknowledging that setting up AI isn’t a one-and-done process. “It’s not intuitive, and you have to be somewhat technologically savvy to get it right,” he shared. Still, Dennis believes the investment is worth it, especially for companies that want to stay ahead. “Hatch has given us a safety net and has kept our follow-up game strong, even when our salespeople are juggling multiple roles.”
“Hatch has given us a safety net and has kept our follow-up game strong, even when our salespeople are juggling multiple roles.”