Definition
Lead triage is a way of sorting new inquiries into priority bands, such as Hot, Warm, and Cold. Each band names one person who owns the inquiry and how fast they reply. The best-fit inquiries get the quickest answer, and every inquiry has someone responsible for it.
How does lead triage work?
Lead triage means deciding, as soon as an inquiry arrives, how urgent it is and whose job it is. Every band has two parts: one person and one reply time.
It is not the same as lead scoring, which gives each inquiry a number. Triage is what you do with that number. A score of 82 means nothing until someone owns it and knows when to reply.
What does lead triage look like for a plumbing business?
A plumber gets three inquiries in one morning: a burst pipe across town, a bathroom quote for next spring, and a job outside the area. All three land in the same inbox. Triage puts each one in a band with an owner and a reply time.
An example. The score cut-offs, owners, and reply times are made up.
| Band | Score | Who owns it | How fast they reply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot | 70 to 100 | The owner, by phone | Within the hour |
| Warm | 55 to 69 | The office manager | Same day |
| Cool | 40 to 54 | The office manager | Next working day |
| Cold | 15 to 39 | The office manager, by email | Within two working days |
| Not a fit | Under 15, or turned away | The office manager, by email | A polite email, same week |
| Not scored | No score at all | The owner | Same day |
"Not scored" gets its own row on purpose. It means none of the scored questions got an answer. It does not mean the inquiry is poor. Two sentences and a phone number can still be the best job of the week.
Why does each band need an owner?
A band with no name beside it is a list nobody reads. Run this check: for each band, write one person's name and one reply time. If you cannot, that band's inquiries will wait.
How does Qualiform sort leads into bands?
In Qualiform, each lead takes the label (Hot, Warm, Cool, or Cold) of the first rule its score reaches on the Routing tab. So the same answers always land in the same band. Each form has its own cut-offs. A lead is marked Not a fit when something turns it away. Who is told about each band is set rule by rule: each rule can tell its own people, and a rule with nobody named tells everyone under Email recipients.
To turn bands into next steps, read the guide to lead routing rules for a small service business.
Common questions
What is the difference between lead triage and lead routing?
Triage decides how urgent an inquiry is and who owns it. Routing is the step that sends it there, such as offering a call time or sending a polite email.
Do small businesses need lead triage?
If one person reads every inquiry within the hour, one written rule may be enough. Once inquiries pile up, or more than one person replies, bands stop the best ones from waiting behind the rest.
What happens to inquiries that are not a fit?
They still get a reply. A prompt, polite answer that says what you do not cover is kinder than silence. It also saves both sides a call.