Chasing up quotes

[gooseflight]

You are running a business in a competitive industry. Of course you should follow up quotes.

 

If the prospect has requested several quotes it is likely that the firm who makes the follow up call will be the one that gets the business. If price is an issue, it's an opportunity to justify your quote and press the benefits of your firm over another.

 

Waiting for the phone to ring doesn't grow (or maintain) a business. The only reasons not to follow up would be: a) your too busy to fulfil; b) your reputation is stellar and potential customers wouldn't dream of calling anyone else; or c) you don't have any competitors.

[gnfencer]

Tough one, if someone chased up a quote they gave me I would think they are short of work and see it as a chance to screw them down.

However, if i don't hear back I have seen me get in touch to say I'm arranging my work schedule and to see if they want to to go ahead,

I had someone get in. Touch with me couple of weeks ago also g me to try and sort out problem left by different contractor,

 

When I arrived I saw a section of work I had priced last year still not done,

So asked if she had changed her mind, said no I was £1000 too dear so asked someone else to do it, turns out that someone else never turned up, or returned calls or emails, so I was left undone,

She then said she would get me to do it, too which I replied fine but my rate has gone up from last year,

Serves her right.

[Shane]

On the other hand, not following up quotes makes it look like you're not interested in the work.

 

 

Personally, I disagree.

I am always interested, but if you give someone a price, discuss the whys and wherefores then it's up to them.

 

A lot of people get more than one quote. I think it is most unlikely they have not got back to you because they forgot. Usually it will be because someone else quoted less (or maybe had a better sales pitch!!!!) and the potential customer just didn't feel brave enough to let you know.

 

I think it creates an impression of hassling the customer.

 

As I see it they ask you round, you discuss the needs, advise, and offer an agreed specification/price. If they want you to do it they will contact you.

 

If they come back and say they've had a better offer would I like to reduce mine accordingly.....

 

My response is

1.Explain that my price is based on the effort required to do the job, so how can that possible change?

2. Ask them, 'If I could beat that price - will they phone someone else with the same question'.

[Lowestoft Firewood]

Here is my quote / proposal Mrs Jones, I will give you a call in a couple of days to confirm. If you then follow up when you said you would they actually trust you a lot more as you are seen as a proper business not just someone doing it for beer.

[Mesterh]

I think people need to put some of their own personal feelings aside when it comes to business. Just because you think it is desperate etc doesn't mean everyone else thinks the same.

 

Look at BT,british gas, scottish power etc. They make loads of money by just phoning customers out of the blue.

 

Why not try it for say the next twenty quotes that you havent heard back from?

 

Just get a bit of phone spiel written down first so it doesnt come out as "Why havent you called me back to sort the work out!!"

[Mark Bolam]

Let's face it, you've got everything to gain and nothing to lose.

It's business.

As for people seeing it as an opportunity to haggle your price down, there's a great little word I picked up called 'no'.

[oldwoodcutter]

Also it depends how busy your firm is, if you are snowed under with offers of work then you may not bother to call them back, but on the other side of the coin if your diary has more blank pages than full ones you may have a long wait for your phone to ring,so calling your quotes back will pay dividends.

Some potential clients have so much going on in their lives that yes they do forget about their trees and hedges. We live and breath trees but they don't.

[hamdogg]

I send a polite email 48 hours after, "just a quick email to ensure you received our quote through" etc the amount of times they reply with yes sorry and go ahead is a lot 👍🏻👍🏻

[csservices]

I do occasionally chase them depends on the job really, obviously if it's pia job then unless there's nothing to do then I wouldn't, priced 7 jobs in the last fortnight 2 replied, thanks but no thanks, 1 accepted and nothing from the other 4, trouble is round here there are so many tree work, fencing and Landscaping firms that cheapest price wins and unfortunately most times that cheapness shows in the quality of work.

[Joe Newton]

Personally I'd be chasing up the nice fells, reductions, and deadwoods.

 

Not so much the hawthorn with climbing rose jobs.