Customers that slip away...

[Bubblecraft]

Looks great that quote, think I might send him one for £749 though:lol:

Lol, already booked in for the 27th February

That job is a good example though. I got the phone call @ 5.12pm, went to see it at 6pm, was back home by 6.30pm, sent quote & text at 6.40pm.

He replied to the text sayin "Thanks for the quick quote. Will get back to you shortly" By 11.53am the next day, got a confirmation from his Missus

Result! Don't get me wrong, they don't all go that smooth but if I don't get it, it wasn't for me!

 

[Bubblecraft]

lol......thought you had some fancy set up that did it for you......good idea though...

See, made you think didn't it? That's the whole idea. Quick, efficient & to the point. Only takes a min to send a text but I feel it all makes the difference. I always try to make myself stand out from everyone else & go that extra mile!

 

[Martyn Leeds]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Yes its good when the process goes nice & smooth and the customer confirms straight away.

But its the slippery ones between quoting and doing the job. I want to increase my quote:win ratio. & this is the area that needs attention.

I always give them a quick ring the day after giving a quote by e.mail - so i've already got the initial prompt/acknowledgement thing going on.

It would be nice to have the luxury to be able to just sit back & wait for them to come. But unfortunately there will be very few of us in that position. With chasing less is more sometimes, but then chasing could win or lose you the quote. It can be desperate, or maybe its enthusiasm?

When I look through last years diary there's quite a few that I didn't get, but I was never told no. So for all I know, maybe it was my fault it slipped away.

Its only nagging me because it seems to be happening more & more, and each time, I'm getting more cheesed with the customers (which isn't healthy!!)

Think I might send a message saying the original quote is due to expire or something along those lines...


Thanks

 

[Saltire69]

It's not that i have that luxury Martyn, it's just that customers that are keen will let u know as soon as. You can bend over backwards for some customers and still not get the job. So for me, i quote the job and then leave it up to them. Spent 4hrs pricing a job and all the goods they wanted,sent quote and they replied price was abit more than they expected, told them it was alot of work involved in what they were wanting and told them that was my best price. Left it with them. Now i probaly wont get the job and thats 4hrs spent on it with nothing to show. I just put it down to being part of the joys of being self employed 🙂

 

[Sean Kelly]

Martyn,

Yes, it is very annoying and it happens to us all. My current customer is a ‘project manager’. He replied to my quote about 3 months after receiving it. I told him the quantity of tiles to order. He contacted me at 20:30 the night before I was due to tile his kitchen. When I arrived I found a piece of paper with a drawing of the kitchen. He had (in pencil) drawn every tile. He also told me that he ordered 2 extra tiles (6x6’s). When I broke 3 tiles trying to do the sockets (that he was supposed to have removed), that left me 1 tile short. I have now bought 1 extra tile and sent him an email & text asking him if I can finish the job tomorrow. I’m still awaiting a reply.

Only 2 customers had the decency last year to get back to me via email to say that they would not accept my quote.

Personally, I would like feedback. Was I too expensive (or not). Was I not knowledgeable enough etc etc.

However, sometimes I am glad some customers do not get back to me. One customer and his Wife and their Son sat at the kitchen table chain smoking whilst I was trying to measure up. They did not get back to me – thankfully!!!

 

[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