Most guides about automation say "track your ROI!" without telling you what to actually look at. Here are the four specific numbers that tell you whether your bees are working โ and where to find each one.
The four numbers that matter
1. First response time
What it measures: How long between a lead coming in and your first text going out.
Target with a bee live: Under 2 minutes, 24/7. If it's taking longer, check that your Zapier trigger is firing and your SMS platform is connected.
Before automation benchmark: Most solo operators average 4โ8 hours. That's what you're replacing.
2. Lead-to-estimate rate
What it measures: Of all the leads that came in, how many turned into an estimate appointment.
Target: 50%+ after your Lead Bee is live. Before automation, industry average is 30โ40%.
How to track: Count your estimates this month รท total new leads this month. In Jobber or HouseCall Pro, this is often visible in your pipeline report.
3. Estimate close rate
What it measures: Of all the estimates sent, how many turned into booked jobs.
Target: 55%+ with the Estimate Bee active. Before automation, typical service business is 35โ45%.
How to track: Jobs booked this month รท estimates sent this month. Your FSM platform should have this โ it's usually called "quote conversion rate" or similar.
4. Review velocity
What it measures: How many new Google reviews you're getting per month.
Target: At minimum, 2โ4 new reviews per month from a steady business. Many beeAgently users see 8โ15+/month once the Review Bee is live.
How to track: Check your Google Business Profile dashboard โ Reviews โ filter by date. Count reviews from the last 30 days.
Where to find all four numbers in 5 minutes
- Jobber: Reports โ Work Overview shows estimates sent and jobs won. Calculate the ratio.
- GoHighLevel: Dashboard shows pipeline stats including lead-to-opportunity conversion.
- SimpleTexting: Campaign reports show message delivery and reply rates.
- Google Business Profile: Performance dashboard โ Reviews tab โ last 30 days.
Block 5 minutes every Monday to check these four numbers. That's it. You don't need a dashboard or a spreadsheet โ just a weekly habit of looking at the numbers in each platform.
What "working" looks like in month 1
Week 1: Response time drops immediately. This is the most visible change.
Week 2โ3: Lead-to-estimate rate starts climbing. You're having more conversations with leads that would have previously gone cold.
Month 1 end: You should see a measurable uptick in estimates booked, and if your Estimate Bee is live, the first improvement in close rate.
Month 2โ3: All four numbers stabilize at their new higher levels. Google reviews start compounding if the Review Bee is running.
When something isn't working โ what to check first
- Response time not improving: Check that Zapier is actually triggered by new form submissions. Send a test form. Is the Zap firing?
- Lead-to-estimate rate flat: Check your message template. Is it asking a question? Does it mention the specific service they requested? Generic messages convert lower.
- Estimate close rate flat: Make sure the Estimate Bee filter is working โ are follow-ups actually going out? Check Zapier history to confirm.
- No review improvement: Check timing. Are you marking jobs complete in your FSM? The bee fires from that status change.
Four numbers. Five minutes a week. Response time, lead-to-estimate rate, close rate, review velocity. If all four are trending up, the system is working. If one is flat, the troubleshooting list above tells you where to look first.