Don’t Get Played by Another “Full-Service” Marketing Partner
Let’s be blunt: you’re not hiring an agency to have more meetings. You’re hiring one to get results. Unfortunately, most of the ones pitching you are great at taking your retainer and terrible at delivering ROI.
Below is your cut-the-fluff agency interview checklist—a fast way to filter out rent-a-marketers from performance operators. You don’t need more “strategy decks.” You need someone who can do the work and get you booked jobs.
The Ultimate Agency Interview Checklist (Home Services Edition)
Use this agency interview checklist for home services before you hire (or renew) with any agency. Ask these questions. Demand answers. Walk if the answers suck.
1. Do I own the stuff I’m paying for?
Ask:
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Will I own the website you build for me?
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Will the ad accounts be created under my business name?
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Do I retain rights to all creatives (video, design, copy)?
Why it matters:
If you’re renting a website, running ads through their MCC (manager account), and letting them “own” your brand assets—you’re not building equity, you’re feeding theirs. If you leave, your data and infrastructure evaporate. That’s not partnership. That’s hostage-taking.
2. How many clients does my strategist or SME manage?
Ask:
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How many active clients does my account lead manage?
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Can I talk to them directly during the interview process?
Why it matters:
If they’re juggling 10+ clients, let’s be real—they’re not strategizing, they’re just surviving. You want a marketer, not a fireman constantly putting out account fires.
3. How much time is spent on work vs. meetings?
Ask:
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What % of hours in the retainer are spent in meetings vs. doing the work?
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Can I see a sample weekly schedule?
Why it matters:
More meetings = less execution. Most bloated agencies pad invoices with “strategy time” while junior staff blindly pull levers in the background. You should be paying for thinking AND doing, not just talking.
4. What do their reviews really say?
Check:
Why it matters:
Disgruntled employees and ex-clients love to leave receipts. Don’t just take the sales rep’s word for it—do a five-minute sniff test. Look for patterns: churn complaints, bait-and-switch tactics, unfulfilled promises.
5. Are they certified to do what they say they can?
Ask:
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Are your team members certified in Google Ads, Meta Blueprint, LSA, etc.?
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Can you show me proof of recent certifications or ongoing training?
Why it matters:
Digital platforms change monthly. If their team isn’t certified and current, they’re likely running last year’s playbook in this year’s game.
6. Do they specialize in my industry?
Ask:
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How many HVAC / Plumbing / Electrical businesses do you manage today?
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What’s your track record with booking jobs, not just generating leads?
Why it matters:
Home services aren’t SaaS. If the agency doesn’t speak your language—seasonality, LSA quirks, dispatch logic, booked-job ROI—they’ll burn budget figuring it out on your dime.
7. Do I get any market exclusivity?
Ask:
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Will you take on my direct competitors in my service area?
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Do I get ZIP code exclusivity, or vertical exclusivity?
Why it matters:
If they’re running the same playbook for your competition across town, it’s not a strategy—it’s a slot machine. And you’re pulling the lever alongside your rivals.
8. Do they integrate with your FSM or CRM?
Ask:
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Will you integrate lead data with my CRM (ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, etc.)?
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Do you configure call tracking, UTM tagging, and job attribution end-to-end?
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Will you help push booked jobs back into ad platforms for real ROAS?
Why it matters:
If they’re only using third-party lead tracking, they’re optimizing for leads—not jobs. True pros sync your actual job data to marketing. That means fewer ghost leads and more campaign-level accountability.
9. Are the terms flexible?
Ask:
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Do you offer month-to-month agreements?
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Is there a clear out clause with no penalties?
Why it matters:
If they need to lock you into 6–12 months, they’re not confident in performance. You want a partner that earns your trust every month, not one that hides behind a contract.
10. Who referred you—and why?
Ask:
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Is the person who referred me incentivized?
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Can I get a list of non-incentivized references?
Why it matters:
Referrals are great—until they’re paid for. If your referral partner is getting kickbacks, you deserve to know. Better yet, get a clean list of clients who aren’t being paid to say nice things.
11. How is my budget recommendation determined?
Ask:
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Do you use performance benchmarks to reverse-engineer revenue potential?
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Does your budget model account for brand equity, database size, and conversion efficiency?
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How would you model for a 50-year-old brand vs. a brand-new company?
Why it matters:
A young business with no database and no brand requires a wildly different media plan than an established market leader. Cookie-cutter % of revenue models aren’t strategy—they’re laziness. You want forecasting rooted in real math, not vibes.
12. What are you optimizing toward: leads or ROAS?
Ask:
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Do you report on and optimize for Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)?
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Or does your responsibility stop at the lead?
Why it matters:
If they can’t tie campaign spend to booked revenue, they’ll just chase lead volume. ROAS isn’t a buzzword—it’s your profit margin’s pulse. You need a partner that gives a damn about the job, not just the form fill.
🧠 Wrap-Up: How to Use This Checklist
Here’s the move: Copy this list. Drop it in an email. Ask every agency you’re evaluating to answer these in writing before you get on a sales call. The ones worth your time will appreciate the clarity. The pretenders will flinch.
You’re running a business, not a lemonade stand. Don’t let a rented Squarespace site and a few Google ads fool you into thinking you’re scaling. You deserve real strategy, real ownership, and real results.
Need a second pair of eyes on a current agency agreement or pitch deck?
Happy to take a scalpel to it. No fluff. Just facts. Reach out here.
