I had a customer call me and leave a message telling she is ready for her windows to be cleaned. I gave her the estimate some time late last year and my prices have gone up. Currently my estimate sheet does not have a “Good for xx Days” Should I give her a new estimate or just suck this one up and learn and move on?
Heres the thing… no validity means it should be valid at any time after you estimated.
But, there is also no commitment on your part saying you have to do it at that price - nothing was agreed.
If your price has gone up so much as to not want to do it for that price - be honest! Say im sorry, my prices have gone up since the beginning of the year and as I gave that estimate last year in <insert month>, I’m not able to provide the price now, instead it will be approximately ??dollar higher.
I always put estimate terms are 29 days, even so i get a lot of people phone up long after that and ask for it… it’s then up to me if i commit to the price.
Prices go up periodically in business no matter what your service or product line is. New year/new price is not unheard of. Either you have a legitimate reason for raising prices or you don’t. A simple explanation that you needed a price increase to run your business - or however you word it - and do so matter of factly and honestly. I raised my prices this year because of gas, insurance, replaced some equipment, bought some needed equipment, and truck repairs. It all adds up and takes it toll on the old pricing. Also, the grocery store raised their prices and generally my cost of living went up. To stay behind or try to jump too far forward is to go out of business IMO.
If you don’t put a time limit on your quote, then its still valid.
IF you want it to be.
So. a person calls you AFTER a almost a year .
Have you raised your prices SOOOO much that it will distroy your biz to do it at the quoted price??
There is not a SINGLE person on this forum that can’t do 1 house a month at LAST YEARS prices and still be doing fine,
So what to do…
Well… This person called YOU after almost year. This means they WANT YOU. Its obvious she wants you… ERRR i mean your company to do the work. i’d Stick with your quoted price. And do your due diligence to get the job again at your new prices. And your a step ahead cuz they want your company to do the work.
Now then. If your getting 5 people a day calling with year old prices, this may need to be rethought.
But i doubt that’s happening.
Unless you raised your prices 50% just look at it as a discount and work to make them a customer for life.
Nows the time to decide how YOU wish to handle “Quote Validity Time” and set a system into place.
But really…
is it going to break your bank to do it as quoted??
Everyone has their own way of doing it. Me, i say QUOTE VALID FOR 30 DAYS on all my quotes.
BUT if they call me in under a year to book window cleaning service-i will honor the quote.
Sometimes its not allways all about business.
Sometimes its about being a Nice Guy (window Cleaner)
pax
It would depend on how bad I needed her as a customer. Is it worth it in the long run to give her the old price or to split the difference? Bottom line is profit. Will she give good referrals to her friends?
Thank you everyone for your quick replies. I will look at the quote once I get home and go from there.
Referrals usually only come if you make it part of your marketing system.
Nothing, not good work or even cheap prices will change that
Pax
In my five years only two people who said they would refer me to their friends ever did that I know of. Probably a half dozen or more wanted a better price for referrals. First or yearly clean full price; quarterly clean 20% discount; referral 10% off the next clean if the referral actually schedules a clean. Business is business. Come to think of it Publix has never given me a discount for frequent shopper - although they do have BOGO.
We only make our quotes valid for 60 days. Who knows if gas is going to rise tomorrow…
15 days for residential here.
Ok, I looked at my new estimate sheet and the increase would have been an additional $25, I stuck with the original quote and booked the job. It was a brainer once I remembered this house had no screens and I have gotten a lot faster since last October.
Bite the bullet on this one just do it at what you quoted her for.
Our quotes are valid for only 30 days.
Bella
I feel you made the right choice.
Press on
Pax
I like Thad’s 15 day time limit. I have a 30 day limit printed on my quotes. I had a guy call me from last year and I told him I have to see his house again to see if I can do his house for the same quoted price since I had a price increase. Reevaluated and I could live with doing it for that price. Most of the time that is the way it goes.
Putting a 15, 30, or even a 60 day guarantee on your quotes is not set in stone so that you can raise your prices, but it is a “Call to Action” on your client’s part. Most thinks that they must schedule before that deadline comes up. By not putting a date on your quote, then they think they have all the time in the world. Most people procrastinates, and that date is an attempt to get them doing something.
30 days for res. Chances are your prices will stay the same between a few months to even a year. If they did go up all you can do is explain why. They will either accept it or complain and move on or complain and still have your service. They must like you if they called you back right? If they have been a long time customer I would just do the old price but let them know that next time it will go up.
Like schnauzer said its a “call to action” for the client. Instead of a limit, maybe try a “prices are subject to change without notice” or something like that.
There are several variables. Have the conditons of the job changed, did you give an incentive with the original price, have your prices gone up, schedule was not full when you gabe the bid and now its packed, etc. For this reason its best to put on your estimates “price gauranteed for x time”. Because you word it that way the price can still be honored if you choose to but the customer knows that there is a possability it may not. That way it does not say price good for x time which means price is no good anymore after the time frame.
I like it better when I can choose as there may be several variables that affected the price I gave when I gave it.
