In Today’s Newsletter

• What I learned at the “Entrepreneur of the Year” event

• Things you should do…

• The importance of quality when creating your pricebook

• How we hired over 150 team members in 2025

• AI will be answering our phones on December 1st

• Financing for service tickets (not just big jobs)

• Favorite Tweets from the past week

Technology Corner with ServiceTitan

Done Isn’t Always “Right”: The Pitfalls of Rushed ServiceTitan Setups
By Chris Hoffmann

In today’s fast-moving world of software implementation, there’s a temptation that traps even the most seasoned operators: confusing completion with quality.

I’ve seen this play out at companies across the home services industry—and at times, inside our own walls. We’re eager to get a new system live. We “check the box,” declare victory… and then quietly suffer the long-term consequences of rushed implementation.

One of the most important examples of this? Our ServiceTitan pricebook.

At HB Solutions Group, our pricebook is one of the most critical parts of our ServiceTitan configuration. It drives our margins. It sets the rules for discounting and bundling. And most importantly—it’s what our customers see. Every task code, description, and image is a representation of the value we provide and the brand we stand behind.

So what happened the first time we configured it?

We rushed.

We pushed to “get it done” and ended up with a pricebook that wasn’t clear, compelling, or well-aligned with how we want to show up in front of customers. Task descriptions didn’t build value. The language wasn’t simple or relatable. And the images? They didn’t match the tasks, weren’t on-brand, and frankly, weren’t professional.

We completed it. But we didn’t nail it. And when you settle for mediocrity in your pricebook, you feel it (your customers do too). Your field pros have a harder time building trust. Customers question your pricing. Sales conversion drops. Margin leakage begins.

At the beginning of 2025, we decided to fix it.

We completely overhauled the pricebook:

• Every task code description was re-written for clarity, simplicity, and value.

• Pricing strategies were reviewed, including how we bundle and discount.

• Images were replaced with high-quality, on-brand visuals aligned with the service being delivered.

The result? A tool that actually serves its purpose. One that empowers our team in the field, improves the customer experience, and better reflects who we are.

So here’s my challenge to you:

When you’re rolling out new software—or reconfiguring the tools you already use—don’t aim to just finish the task. Ask:
Are we building something high-quality, or are we just checking the box?
Because in this business, how you implement matters as much as what you implement.

And when you get it right? The benefits are felt by your team, your customers, and your bottom line.

#grateful to have ServiceTitan sponsoring this section of TPLT

CEO: Growth Mindset

Recruiting Is Sales — Treat It That Way
By Chris Hoffmann

As our business continues to grow, one thing has become increasingly clear: if we want to build a healthy, high-performing company, we need a recruiting engine that’s just as dialed-in as our operations.

In a service business like ours—where our product is our people—recruiting isn’t a support function. It’s a core driver of performance. It’s what enables us to meet demand, deliver great customer experiences, and build the future we envision. If we want to win, we need to consistently attract the very best talent—and that doesn’t happen by accident.

Just like we measure the performance of our field teams (conversion rate, average ticket, callback rates, etc.), we must also hold our recruiting function to the same standard of excellence. That means tracking and managing KPIs like:

• Days to fill open roles

• Budgeted headcount vs. actual headcount

• Recruiting funnel metrics — from applicants screened, to interviews completed, offers extended, and offers accepted

Why? Because recruiting is sales.

And your recruiters? They are your sales team—selling your company every single day to top-tier candidates who have options. To succeed, they need more than a job description. They need training. They need clear positioning. They need to know how to overcome objections and communicate your value proposition.

Ask yourself:

• Why is working at your company different?

• What do you offer that others in your industry don’t?

• What’s the future you’re building—and why should a candidate want to be part of it?

If your answer is generic, your recruiting results probably are too.

Great recruiters can’t just “post and pray.” They need to know how to sell your company better than anyone else can sell theirs. And they need to be treated like salespeople—equipped, supported, measured, and expected to perform.

If recruiting is an afterthought in your company, you’re setting yourself up for a talent bottleneck. And no amount of customer demand or business opportunity can compensate for a team that isn’t growing in both size and strength.

So here’s the challenge: stop treating recruiting like HR. Start treating it like sales.

Because when it’s done well, it doesn’t just fill seats—it fuels your growth.

CyberNetic Labs - bringing powerful Agentic AI tools to the trades

Turning the Page: Why We’re Going “N1” Starting December 1st
By Chris Hoffmann

On December 1st, we’re taking a bold step forward: AI will officially take the lead in our call center.

This wasn’t a decision we made lightly—and to be honest, it’s one we’ve wrestled with emotionally. There’s excitement. There’s apprehension. And there’s the unavoidable question that every leader asks when making a move like this: Is this the right decision? Is now the right time?

Here’s what we do know:

Which means the only direction from here… is up.

We’ve chosen to be on the leading edge—not because it’s trendy, but because we’re committed to building a business that thrives in the next chapter of our industry. To do that, we’ve partnered with Netic—a category-leading AI company that’s helping us transition into what we now call a “Netic First” (N1) world.

The week of December 1st, the Netic team will be on the ground with us in St. Louis, helping guide our shift from “human first” to “AI first” call handling. This isn’t a plug-and-play handoff. This is a coordinated, intentional transition with both operational and reputational risk if we don’t get it right.

And we intend to get it right.

Because the upside of N1 is undeniable:

• Infinite capacity to respond instantly to surges in call volume

• Consistent call booking and accurate application of job priorities

• Complete data capture during booking to support our techs in the field

• Smart scheduling based on AI-powered capacity logic

While it might feel like a seismic shift, the reality is that our AI voice agents have already been handling nearly 50% of our inbound calls—just in October. We’ve been preparing for this moment, quietly testing and improving behind the scenes.

Now, we’re ready.

But let me be clear: going live on December 1st isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting line. Training, testing, and refining our AI agents will never stop. But we believe this decision will elevate the customer experience—not compromise it—and enable our business to operate with more consistency, responsiveness, and professionalism than ever before.

We’re proud to be early. We’re proud to be thoughtful. And we’re proud to be building for a future that’s already arriving.

Welcome to the N1 era at Hoffmann Brothers, Ferguson Roofing, and Blue Sky!

#grateful to have Cybernetic Labs sponsor this section of TPLT

Consumer Financing¹

Financing Isn’t Just for Big Installs Anymore
By Chris Hoffmann

For a long time, we thought of financing as something reserved for the “big jobs.”

A new HVAC system? Definitely.
A water heater replacement? Sure.
An electrical panel upgrade? Absolutely.

But here’s the reality: our average service ticket—across trades—falls somewhere between $800 and $1,300. And for many homeowners, that’s the moment where financing matters most.

Why? Because the difference between “what a customer can afford today” and “what they actually want or need” often comes down to access to payment flexibility. The ability to spread payments out—even on a smaller repair or upgrade—can turn a basic patchwork job into a long-term, higher-quality solution.

So we’re shifting our mindset.

We’re making financing a core part of all service conversations—not just the big ones.

But this change isn’t just about process. It’s about people.

One of the biggest challenges in offering financing on smaller service tickets is training our field professionals:

• How to talk about financing with confidence and clarity

• How to help customers apply quickly and easily

• How to incorporate financing into options, so it becomes a natural part of the conversation—not a last resort

That’s where our focus is right now: training, coaching, and reinforcing these habits with our teams in the field.

Because when done well, this shift doesn’t just help us grow average tickets—it helps our customers make decisions they feel great about. They get the solution they actually want, not just the one they can scrape together the cash for today.

And when that happens, everyone wins.

Financing isn’t just a tool for big purchases anymore. It’s a tool for delivering better service—every single day.

#grateful to have GreenSky® Home Improvement sponsor this section of TPLT

¹ The views and opinions expressed here are owned by The Path Less Traveled and its author and may not reflect the views of GreenSky®

Friends of The Path Less Traveled

Who are the VENDORS that fuel our success?

MARKETING

Choosing a marketing agency that is both (1) competent and (2) CARES about your specific business is hard. Over the last 5 years, I have become great friends with the founder of RYNO Strategic Solutions, Chris Yano, and can say with confidence that his agency is among the few that I would trust with my own brands. If you are searching for a partner, send a note to Jeff Bowab at [email protected] and tell him that I sent you.

PAYROLL & HR

Inova Payroll & HR has been a partner to our companies for over 10 years. They have provided us with a payroll technology platform that has been able to keep pace with the demands of our fast-growing organization (now serving team members across 4 states). Inova’s platform works seamlessly with our CRM, ServiceTitan, and with our accounting back-end, Sage Intacct.

COACHING & TRAINING

If there is one organization - perhaps more than any other - that has fueled our growth over the last 10 years… that organization would be Nexstar Network. I like to say that Nexstar Network has built & refined a “process playbook” that touches on so many facets of our business. Don’t try and re-create the wheel… come and learn from the best. Reach out to my friend Kara Schuster at [email protected] and tell her that I sent you.

#grateful for the “Friends of TPLT” sponsors in this section

Hey…I could use your help connecting with like-minded business leaders:

If you know someone who should read The Path Less Traveled - please forward this email them: https://thepathlesstraveled.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Follow along on social…

Chris Hoffmann

on X at @stlChrisH

on LinkedIn @stlChrisHoffmann

on Instagram @Christopher.m.hoffmann

Our Companies:

www.hoffmannbros.com

www.fergusonroofing.com 

www.blueskyplumbing.com

www.hbsolutionsgroup.com 

If you have feedback, questions or comments - please don’t hesitate to reply to this email. I personally monitor all replies.

-Chris