Customers that slip away...

[White Room]

I like ring them up with a price then you get the feeling from there answer wether I have the job or not, no matter what they say after that I usually have an answer from there reaction.

 

[Peter]

All you can do is put your price in and leave it at that. No point in chasing the work as the customer will contact you if they want to go ahead. Looking desperate never gets you anywhere.

The annoying ones are the time wasters who say Call on Thursday to see the job then ignore your calls. After two missed calls I just leave the ball in their court.

 

[MTiler]

I dont chase customers, personally I think it smacks of desperation. If I was a customer I wouldnt like to be chased as its pressure.

missyT

 

[Andy Allen]

I dont chase customers, personally I think it smacks of desperation. If I was a customer I wouldnt like to be chased as its pressure.

missyT

your right, im sure it can have the opposite affect and put punters off...

 

[Bubblecraft]

Was my point exactly

 

[dave l and l]

Yeah we all agree that chasing and trying to pressure a job is no good, however due to the fact the customer said for him to go ahead and do job and they discussed when they were starting, he should go round to the door.

 

[AMtek]

I always try to get the job in the diary there and then, much easier than sending quotes off and waiting for an answer. If they won't commit to anything while I'm there I post or email the quote over saying that although we discussed a certain date the date(s) are available to other customers until they get back to me with a definite yes so if they are genuine customers they get back to me quickly. When they have agreed a date I take a deposit from them to cover materials which is non refundable after the cooling off period. This is to cover my time and expense if they cancel the job at short notice. All this is explained to them while I am there quoting, on the written quote and in the contract t&c's. Anyone who doesn't like these terms has generally got some sort of hidden agenda so if they won't accept a quote because of the t&c's it doesn't bother me at all.

 

[charlie1]

I have the estimate in there inbox before i leave there home, we are usualy having a coffee and me showing them my pics on there laptop, they ask about the estimate being sent and i tell them you already have it in your inbox... works well for me, lap top, mobile tethering...bobs your mums brother!

 

[Bubblecraft]

I have the estimate in there inbox before i leave there home, we are usualy having a coffee and me showing them my pics on there laptop, they ask about the estimate being sent and i tell them you already have it in your inbox... works well for me, lap top, mobile tethering...bobs your mums brother!

If it can be done while I'm with the customer, I do the exact same, have it sent before I leave. Customers love it when it's done there & then as generally there waiting a week or more to get a quote from someone else. Normally scribbled on a manky old notebook too. It just shows how punctual you are & how you business is run.

 

[bugs183]

It's interesting seeing how everyone 'rates' their customers!

You pick up a vibe for them over the years and you can tell just by a phone call if you are wasting your time with them.
I get an enquiry and just on the phone call you can tell what the person is like, if i don't get a good vibe from them my gut instinct says 'don't do the job', i find if i ignore my gut instinct i always get agro.

One woman phoned me at 8pm on a Saturday, left a message almost demanding i phoned her back, i'm on a stag do, no chance! Sunday 8pm another snotty message, i already know now i'm not doing the job, then on Monday i'm visiting a lovely customer and she phones again, i answered it saying i couldn't do the job for 3 months' ''Thats no good to me she snaps', i finish the call go back to my ace customer and tell her she'sbooked her in in for 2 weeks time 'that woman didn't get through the interview stage i tell her'!

Bad customers can really spoil your work vibe, it's a very personal thing tiling, so if you've been, liked them, quoted a decent rate, replied to them quickly and they don't reply, then don't sweat it, they weren't the right ones for you.

 

[bugs183]

Hey Bubble Craft, that use of your iphone to sen send quotes is bloomin ace, how do you do it???
I can create a quote as a pdf, save it in preview into photos, upload the photo off my mac to the phone via itunes, but have you got a quicker way, i can't seem to find 'preview' on my iphone, but then i am a techno spaz!
Any hints would be ace, send quotes that way looks super efficient, plus having a permanant record of the actual quote is handy when the customer wants to pay (or doesn't)!

 

[Andy Allen]

It's interesting seeing how everyone 'rates' their customers!

You pick up a vibe for them over the years and you can tell just by a phone call if you are wasting your time with them.
I get an enquiry and just on the phone call you can tell what the person is like, if i don't get a good vibe from them my gut instinct says 'don't do the job', i find if i ignore my gut instinct i always get agro.

One woman phoned me at 8pm on a Saturday, left a message almost demanding i phoned her back, i'm on a stag do, no chance! Sunday 8pm another snotty message, i already know now i'm not doing the job, then on Monday i'm visiting a lovely customer and she phones again, i answered it saying i couldn't do the job for 3 months' ''Thats no good to me she snaps', i finish the call go back to my ace customer and tell her she'sbooked her in in for 2 weeks time 'that woman didn't get through the interview stage i tell her'!

Bad customers can really spoil your work vibe, it's a very personal thing tiling, so if you've been, liked them, quoted a decent rate, replied to them quickly and they don't reply, then don't sweat it, they weren't the right ones for you.

i know what you mean about your gut instinct telling you not to do the job, every time ive not listen to it, it ends in a bad way!!......its like a little voice in your head saying Andy dont do it there going to be a nightmare..... now ive learnt my lesson, and some jobs just ain't worth it..

 

[Bubblecraft]

Hey Bubble Craft, that use of your iphone to sen send quotes is bloomin ace, how do you do it???
I can create a quote as a pdf, save it in preview into photos, upload the photo off my mac to the phone via itunes, but have you got a quicker way, i can't seem to find 'preview' on my iphone, but then i am a techno spaz!
Any hints would be ace, send quotes that way looks super efficient, plus having a permanant record of the actual quote is handy when the customer wants to pay (or doesn't)!

I use invoice2go for my quotes & invoices. iPad & mac version also shows your reports but most can be done on the iPhone too if you don't have an iPad.

Here's a thread where I explain about invoice2go:
http://www.tilersforums.com/showthread.php?t=64237
Here's a thread about all the apps I use for my business:
http://www.tilersforums.com/showthread.php?t=62661

Not really sure what you mean about the preview thing. I do my work on the iPhone or iPad. If I need a screen shot of anything, like my previous pictures, just press the power button & home button @ the same time. It will save the picture into your photo library. If your wanting a screen shot from a PC or Mac, rather than going to all the bother of syncing it with your iPhone, just email it to yourself & open it on your iPhone. Hope that's what you mean.

 

[Colour Republic]

Ok hands up who else thought this thread was going to be about customers dying on you?

 

[bugs183]

I was going about saving the pdf to my phone after creating my invoice in excel, preview can save it to your i photo or email it.
If you create a folder in iphoto and store your invoice pdf's on there you upload this to your phone and then you can have lots of invoice pdf's just on one photo.
Your method works nicely though, ta for the good idea!
JB