Marketing agency · No reputation warning
Service Direct (pay-per-call) Review
Cross-listed from /lead-gen/: Service Direct sells exclusive pay-per-call leads, not managed marketing services
Quick verdict
Service Direct (pay-per-call) is best for Contractors comparing lead sources who want exclusive pay-per-call leads with no term contract; not a substitute for a marketing agency. Pricing: No retainer: you set your own price per call lead (Marketplace ranges shown include $60-$255 for plumbing and $65-$325 for air conditioning), plus a monthly service subscription whose price is not published; Select and Enterprise also list an account activation cost. No minimum term. Sells call leads only (no managed marketing for your own website or search presence), call volume is not guaranteed, and the monthly subscription and activation costs are not published.
About Service Direct (pay-per-call)
Service Direct is cross-listed here from our /lead-gen/service-direct/ review. It does not run your marketing. Service Direct, the trade name of Sagax Media LLC of Austin, Texas, sells exclusive phone-call leads: its site describes a pay-per-call platform that sends calls from local customers to service companies in trades including HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, pest control, appliance repair, locksmith, mold removal, towing and water damage restoration. It says it was founded in 2006 and has more than 8,300 clients.
Its lead programs are Marketplace (US only); Select, an add-on for Marketplace clients in the US and Canada that adds call volume, a custom branded microsite and a custom ad strategy; and Enterprise, for franchise groups, associations and multi-location organizations with more than 100 members or locations. It also sells Dynamic Connect and runs programs for affiliates who sell calls to it.
You choose the price you pay per lead and can change it at any time. Its pricing page shows the ranges clients pay in the Marketplace, for example $60-$255 for plumbing, $65-$325 for air conditioning or heating, $55-$175 for electrician and $85-$550 for roofing leads. The homepage says you create your account for free, pay only for valid calls, and can cancel at any time because there is no term contract; its lead-programs page also lists a monthly service subscription for every program and an account activation cost for Select and Enterprise, without amounts. Service Direct says pay-per-call companies cannot guarantee a set number of calls.
The trade-off: Service Direct is a lead source you can turn up, down or off, not an agency. The microsite and ad strategy in Select exist to send you more calls, not to build your own website or search rankings. For managed SEO, PPC or web work, use a dedicated or trade-specific marketing agency, and see our lead-gen review for how its pay-per-call model works.
How it works
You apply online and choose your trade, service area and the price you'll pay per lead; Service Direct routes exclusive phone-call leads to you, you pay per valid call, and you can pause or re-enable calls in real time. The homepage says account creation is free and there is no term contract, so you can cancel at any time; its lead-programs page also lists a monthly service subscription, and Select and Enterprise add an account activation cost. It offers no separate marketing retainer.
Pros & cons
What works
-
You set the price per lead
You choose what you pay per call lead and can change it at any time, and you pay only for valid calls.
-
No term contract
Its site says there is no term contract, so you can cancel at any time if the calls are not working for you.
-
Exclusive calls with real-time control
Service Direct says its call leads are exclusive, and Marketplace lets you pause or re-enable calls in real time.
What doesn't
-
Not a marketing agency
It sells call leads only; there is no SEO, website or PPC management for your own business, and Select's microsite and ad strategy exist to drive more calls to you.
-
Call volume not guaranteed
Service Direct says pay-per-call companies cannot guarantee a certain number of calls.
-
Subscription and activation costs not published
Its lead-programs page lists a monthly service subscription for every program and an account activation cost for Select and Enterprise, but shows no amounts.
Services & pricing
- Services offered
- lead gen
- Pricing
- No retainer: you set your own price per call lead (Marketplace ranges shown include $60-$255 for plumbing and $65-$325 for air conditioning), plus a monthly service subscription whose price is not published; Select and Enterprise also list an account activation cost
- Minimum contract
- None
- Pricing model
- pay per call
- Affiliate disclosure
- The link to Service Direct (pay-per-call) on this page goes to its own site and is not an affiliate link.
Reviews and complaints at the source
We do not copy third-party review scores onto this page: they change often and we could not verify them. Read Service Direct (pay-per-call)'s current reviews at the source.
Frequently asked
Should I use Service Direct for marketing instead of dedicated agencies?
No. Service Direct sells exclusive pay-per-call leads; it does not manage SEO, websites or PPC for your own business. Use it as one lead source, and choose a dedicated or trade-specific marketing agency for managed marketing.
How much do Service Direct leads cost?
You set your own price per lead. Its pricing page shows Marketplace ranges such as $60-$255 for plumbing, $65-$325 for air conditioning and $85-$550 for roofing leads. Its lead-programs page also lists a monthly service subscription, and an account activation cost for Select and Enterprise, without publishing those amounts.
Other marketing agencies
Hook Agency
Tier SMinneapolis agency focused on Google marketing (SEO, PPC and websites) for roofing, HVAC and other home-service contractors, with published starting prices
Plumbing & HVAC SEO
Tier SDoral, Florida marketing agency for plumbing, HVAC and electrical contractors, with a published $2,495/month core program
Blue Corona (merged into RYNO Strategic Solutions, an EverService Holdings company)
Tier AHome-services digital marketing agency, founded in 2007, that merged into RYNO Strategic Solutions on October 1, 2024 and now operates under the RYNO brand
Adapt Digital Solutions
Tier ACoeur d'Alene, Idaho agency founded by a former contractor, offering Google-focused marketing (websites, SEO, Local Services Ads, Google Ads) month to month
Lemonade Stand
Tier AOrem, Utah full-service digital marketing agency with home-services specialty pages, no contracts and no setup fees
Builder Funnel
Tier SFully remote marketing agency, headquartered in Colorado Springs, that works only with residential remodelers and custom home builders and publishes its pricing