How do you provide quotes.
75+% over the phone (just began that way this fall).
The 25% in person are either cuz the house is HUGE and complicated, or cuz it’s a “oh, we’re gonna be at your neighbor’s house tomorrow!” kind of deal.
And I actually have been getting better prices over the phone than in person (I think cuz over the phone I’m willing to price it how I want to, without fear of losing the job and the gas for an estimate.)
How bout you, Mark?
I like to to them in person, I like to see what I may be working on. without any surprises. I believe it’s good to meet the HO and start to develop a good working relationship. Estimates have just worked out better for me doing them face to face.
Did you vote in the poll, John?
I prefer over the phone and will often use Google street view to assist. i know I’ve been saving a ton on gas in the last year or two.
Opps, just did. Sorry about that,
ALMOST exclusively by phone
In Person for window cleaning. Over the phone for gutters in most cases. Solar panels over the phone in most cases. I can use Google satellite view for gutters and solar panel views.
We are so dedicated to over the phone estimates we haven’t done 1 gutter cleaning estimate in person this fall. All over the phone. The trucks are outfitted for everything we would need so it doesn’t matter what kind of house, height etc we are covered. We tell them our base pricing and our minimum charge. They agree to it or don’t agree to it doesn’t matter - we aren’t driving around to look at a house with 60ft of gutter.
Always in person. Gives me a chance to start a relationship with the customer. I have jobs I’ve gotten becuase the “other guy” didn’t want to come out in person. Some people want to see who is going to roaming around their home cleaning windows. Granted there are times the HO isnt there when I stop by, but my pic is one my estimate sheet. Plus I’ve gone out and priced jobs that the HO has no idea they have storm windows. Imagine pricing a job over the phone, going out to work there and discovering there are storm windows. Now you have to tell the customer the price is going to be double. If someone does that to me I instantly think their scamming me. I recently did a job where the windows were new but they were the divided cut outs, had I priced it over the phone I would have lost my ace.
I look at it like this if I’m not willing to take the time to go out in person then why should the HO take the time to hire me. Maybe I’m old school with this but I have a lot of older customers who definetly want this kind of interaction.
I think sometimes tech makes us lazy.
Anyway I could go on and on but I think in person is the way to go.
Eric Russell
I find 7f5% over the pphone and the other 25% in person, and that when it gets complicated with the client and you just feel that its best that you show up at their house or business.
ya, I had a sensitive situation once where over the phone they told me they were all casement cranckouts and stationary.Get there and all the casements have interior Pella storm panes with clips. I eneded up making them a deal to slightly raise the price to do the complete job but they would have been in the right to say “no way, you never asked me if I had storms”. Now I ask…always…
Ha. Just the other day my guy got on site and called me and said “were you aware this is a construction site with 35 windows, not a home with 25 windows?” “Uhh… NO!”
Fortunately the contractor had put plastic up on all the windows so no razors were needed, but the guys had to ladder up to every window to take down the plastic rather than WFP, plus removing all the plastic from the insides.
I spoke to the contractor on my guy’s cell and told him the situation… Indeed up increasing the price from $290 to $475.
For those of you who give estimates over the phone, how often do you have to adjust the price when you get to the job because of misunderstanding, etc.?
As part of my ESTIMATE, I say “Now this estimate is rough, and is based on what I’ve understood you describing. When we arrive if things are different than we discussed, the price will vary accordingly, either up or down. When we arrive, we will do a walk-around and present you a concrete QUOTE that you can sign before we begin, so there’s no surprises.”
Our most common adjustment is the addition of a few windows the homeowner tells my guys were forgotten during the phone estimate. I’d say 20% of jobs the price is MORE than 10% different from the estimated price. The other 80%, the actual price is within 10% of the estimate.
All the objections are easily overcome with a good phone bidding system.
I always give a range too, for example $250-280. Usually give a thirty dollar range.
I am here: Google Maps
As busy as we are we’re working toward more over the phone bids. We are trying to perfect the system, but so far we have not had to raise the price once we arrive on site. Right now I take it on a case by case basis. If they sound like they want a number now I’ll do a phone quote, or if I know I can’t get to them for more than a day. I also take into account where the lead is coming from. For instance if its a referral they will most likely accept an over the phone without meeting us first.
I do probably 75-80% over the phone. Sometimes I just can’t understand what they are describing(partly my fault because I have a problem visualizing what I hear) or they really feel I need to see the house. Then I think I’m wise to just go check it out.
