You’ve told us that quality is key when it comes to leads, and we’ve listened.
Beginning in 2026, all Five Star Rated customers will be switched from a call duration-based billing system to a qualitative billing system. This is an exciting change because it means that you will only pay for leads that are most relevant to your business.
What’s Changing
In the duration-based billing system, you were billed for all calls over 30 seconds.
In the qualitative billing system, you’ll be billed only for leads that match your selected categories and service areas.
Switching to a qualitative billing system offers you greater value and more transparency into your marketing spend.
All calls that result in a scheduled appointment are billable. For other calls, you’re only billed for leads that meet these criteria:
- The communication must be with the homeowner or authorized decision maker
- The customer must be looking for residential services
- The property must be located within the territory specified
- The customer must be seeking services in the service category/ies specified in your contract with us
Please note that missed calls are still billable, since we can’t assess lead quality if the call isn’t answered. If you have concerns about missed calls, we’d love to tell you more about our Answering Service.
Understanding Your Pricing Changes
Under the qualitative billing system, we anticipate that you’ll receive fewer billable leads – but the leads that are billable will be with customers who are ready to book the job.
For example, Jane’s HVAC & Plumbing Services receives 10 inbound leads in a week.
Of those 10 leads,
- 4 are spam emails, wrong number calls, or price shoppers who never intended to book
- 3 are existing customers reaching out with a payment question
- 3 are new customers ready to schedule service
With duration-based billing, you would be billed for any of those calls that lasted longer than 30 seconds – whether or not they resulted in a booked appointment.
With qualitative billing, you will be billed only for the 3 calls that were genuine leads.
The switch to qualitative billing means that you may see a higher cost per lead because fewer total leads will qualify as billable. But the leads that you are billed for will generally be stronger, since they represent customers who are ready to hire.
Reviews & Disputes
You can submit lead disputes in the EverConnect Portal. All reviews or disputes must be submitted within 7 days of you receiving the lead. Duplicate calls are not billable if they’re received within 14 days of each other. Missed calls cannot be disputed.
Have Questions?
Curious about how our Answering Service can help? Reach out to your Account Manager or give us a call at 877-902-7575.