How to follow up a quote without being pushy

For a tradesperson, the quote is where the money is won or lost. You have been out, measured up, worked out the price and sent it. Then nothing. It is tempting to read silence as a no, but most of the time the customer is comparing, waiting for payday, or simply forgot. A follow-up is not pestering; it is good service, and it is often the difference between the job and the next firm on their list.

Before the follow-up: send a quote that is easy to say yes to

• Send it quickly. A quote the same day or the next feels keen and organised.
• Make it clear. What is included, what is not, the price with or without VAT, and how long it is valid for.
• Say what happens next. “Reply to this to book a start date” is better than leaving them to work it out.

When to follow up

For most domestic work, the first follow-up works best two or three working days after the quote. A small job, such as a tap or a socket, can be the next day. A large one, such as a kitchen or a roof, deserves more time, closer to a week. If the customer told you when they would decide, follow up the day after.

What to say

Short, friendly and specific to their job. Answer the question they are probably sitting on, and make replying easy. Some examples you can adapt:

• “Hi Sarah, it’s Tom from Bright Electrical. Just checking the quote for the garden lighting came through OK. Happy to answer any questions, and I can start the week of the 20th if that suits.”
• “Hi Mr Patel, following up on the boiler quote. If the price is the sticking point, I can talk you through the options. Otherwise no rush.”
• “Hi Jo, last message from me on the bathroom quote. If you have gone another way, no problem at all, and if you would still like it done, just reply and I will pencil you in.”

That last one matters. Giving people an easy way to say no often gets you an answer, and sometimes it gets you the job.

How often, and when to stop

Two follow-ups after the quote is right for most jobs. Space them out, change the message each time, and stop after the second. Repeated chasing does more harm to your name than a lost quote, and in a local trade, your name is the business.

Keep it about their quote

A message about the quote the customer asked you for is part of dealing with their enquiry. Keep it that way. Once a follow-up starts promoting other services or offers, it can count as marketing, and marketing texts and emails to individuals come under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations. Our plain guide to PECR explains what that means.

Keeping track without a spreadsheet

The real reason quotes go cold is that nobody remembers which ones are still open. Ringmere helps with that part. When a caller asks for a quote or a price, the receptionist takes the details you ask for, such as the address, what the job is and when they need it, and passes it to you as a message. Switch on quote reminders, and if that message is still open a couple of days later (you choose between 1 and 14 days), Ringmere reminds you by text, email or WhatsApp, with who it was and what they asked about. It reminds you, never the customer, so the follow-up is still yours, in your own words.

Quote reminders are on every plan, and off until you switch them on. The plumbers, electricians, builders, handymen and appliance repair pages show what the receptionist does with a trade’s calls, or see plans from £49 a month.

Frequently asked questions