How quickly should a cleaning business reply to a quote request?

What the research shows

In a 2011 study published in Harvard Business Review, researchers sent a web enquiry to 2,241 US companies and timed the replies. 37% replied within an hour, 16% within one to 24 hours, 24% took longer than a day, and 23% never replied at all. It is old, American and not about cleaning, but it is one of the few independent audits of how businesses actually respond.

In Australia, a 2026 article reported call data from AIIMS Group across its own clients in nine industries: on average 9.2% of calls went unanswered. AIIMS sells phone automation, and its clients are not a random sample, so treat the number as a sign of the problem rather than a measurement of your business.

You will also see claims that replying within five minutes makes a lead many times more likely to convert. We could not trace those figures to independent research, so we do not repeat them.

A routine to try when you are on a job

1. Say when you will reply. An automatic acknowledgement on your form or email (“we reply to quote requests by 6 pm on weekdays”) sets an expectation you can keep.
2. Check at fixed times. Lunch and the end of the day beat checking between rooms with wet gloves.
3. Reply first to dated jobs. End-of-lease cleans usually have a fixed date. A regular clean can often wait a few hours.
4. Ask for everything missing in one reply. One message with all your questions can save extra exchanges. Our quote checklist has a reply you can copy.
5. Keep enquiries in one place. If two people answer, agree who takes each enquiry so none is answered twice or not at all.

What not to promise

Do not say “we reply instantly” or “24/7” unless that is true every day. An honest time you meet is worth more to a customer than a fast one you miss.