[Jamie Lindsay]

Hi all,


have took a step back in the cleaning side of things to evaluate where I am going.... currently I am pricing over the phone but after taking a long good think haha... I think I should be quoting face 2 face rather than phone estimates as do not upsell if I have under estimated

Just would like to see how you guys go about quoting/estimating as I think I am losing more than I am winning with the phone estimating

main question is how do yous go about it ?

Thanks

[Phillip Mold]

I never quote over the phone. If pushed I estimate a bit high, but advise this is +/- 20%

[Colin Day]

Owing to lack of time, I tend to quote over the phone. In an ideal world I'd be turning up with a nice little portfolio of my work and build a rapport with the customer and sell it to them. I know for a fact I could charge a higher price if I did, but until my children are a bit older, I'll have to carry on quoting over the phone and getting at least 80% of the work I do quote for. I'm usually spot on with the quote too, but admittedly I do sell myself short sometimes...

[robert meldrum]

Jamie

This might sound ill mannered or offensive, but.........if anyone comes onto my phone and uses the English language as you do in your posts ( and you're not alone ) they would be listened to politely but forgotten as soon as the phone went down.

If you are in sales or marketing you MUST be able to sound or appear literate or MANY prospects will simply switch off.

There's really no excuse for not knowing that the use of certain words in spoken or written communication particularly with potential clients is wrong and creates a barrier to successful business building.

This is intended as good advice ...........ignore it at your peril.

[Colin Day]

Jamie probably talks completely perfectly on the phone. I must admit, I can't see what you're getting at Robert...

[robert meldrum]

If you speak " properly " and I don't mean " posh " you are unlikely to write yous when you mean you or took when you mean taken.

It's just an observation, but something that could mean the difference between success and failure.

Much of a carpet cleaner's life is selling and marketing and to get that wrong could be disasterous.

[Jamie Lindsay]

lol I get your point robert but this is just a forum dont really look at what im saying.... I think quoting face to face seems difficult to do but it must win every time

[Steve Rothwell]

If you speak " properly " and I don't mean " posh " you are unlikely to write yous when you mean you or took when you mean taken.

It's just an observation, but something that could mean the difference between success and failure.

Much of a carpet cleaner's life is selling and marketing and to get that wrong could be disasterous.

do people want him to clean carpets or teach them to spoke proper england like wot we was teached when we was childrens ??

 

[derek west]

i quote ove "T" phone on "t" regular basis and get mesell a lorra lorra work, eeee bye gum tis easy wen "t" knows hoo.

only jokin bob

i swore blind about 2-3 years ago that quoting face to face was the only way. eeee bye eck ow times av changed. 80% over the phone now.

[Colin Day]

i quote ove "T" phone on "t" regular basis and get mesell a lorra lorra work, eeee bye gum tis easy wen "t" knows hoo.

only jokin bob

i swore blind about 2-3 years ago that quoting face to face was the only way. eeee bye eck ow times av changed. 80% over the phone now.

  Ya daft bugga!

[Simon Gerrard]

A lot of people don't want a salesman calling, they just want a quote which most are happy to give OTP and that makes them suspicious of those that want to call. That's one side of it. The other is that you can get better price with FTF but in my view it is questionably whether all of that driving about is cost effective in the long run.

I'm far too busy during the day and so can't be bothered using up my evenings doing quotes, I might miss Emmerdale

Simon

[Colin Day]

A lot of people don't want a salesman calling, they just want a quote which most are happy to give OTP and that makes them suspicious of those that want to call. That's one side of it. The other is that you can get better price with FTF but in my view it is questionably whether all of that driving about is cost effective in the long run.

I'm far too busy during the day and so can't be bothered using up my evenings doing quotes, I might miss Emmerdale

Simon

I'm an EastEnders man myself.... Riiiiiickyyyyyy!

[Jamie Lindsay]

me thinks knocking on the door than handing them a flyer works 10x betta than just putting it through the door

[richy27]

the last thing you wana talk about over the phone is price


1st question    what is it they would like you to do
2nd question    where are they


then you ask yourself where am i working in the next few days and if you can go round and give them a written quote .  you find you will get most jobs at a better price ticket and people appreciate your time (on the whole ) you can price accurately .


if i am forced to rice over the phone i give a lowest possible price figure and a highest   eg lounge diner plus hall /stairs landing   madam its diff to give you an accurate price over the phone bu your looking between £85 -£130  but if you would like me to pop out and have a look i would be more than happy to do so.  i like quoting because i enjoy selling if you dont enjoy selln then is this job your doomed

[Steve Chapman]

If you quote over the phone they're only interested in the price
If you quote face to face then they're interested in you

I find its a rarity to go out and quote and they dont book, they've invested their time already and will have made a friend of you already so not likely to start looking elsewhere if they like what they see & hear.

The price becomes a secondary consideration and its much easier to upsell if your in the house.

Regards
Steve

[Steve Barnett (Carpet Care Plus)]

I rarely lose a quote face to face.

I sometimes lose a quote over the phone.

I often lose a quote via e-mail.

[Helen]

Just had an awkward so & so. Only lives 3 muntes away (which was pointed out) no matter what I tried I couldn't get him to agree to a "visit". He insisted on a price, so I gave him a from and to price (based on I know the style of house he has) and followed up ....again....with, I can firm that price up for you, with a visit that would take no more than 5 minutes of his time......... he answered no thanks, but can you e-mail the details of the conversation we have just had? I said of course I can, but as I am just about to go out of the office to provide some written quotations, (hint hint again) please could you e-mail me on....... and I'll answer on my return this evening.
He also asked if we would hire our machine out to him and I said of course, but it does come with experienced operators and that would be included in the guide price as given
To be honest I was bored with this enquiry and after spending time on the phone, no offense meant, with someone that can barely speak English, I was not going to spend another second typing it all out for no job at the end.
1.5 hours ago and no e-mail yet

[markpowell]

Always over the phone unless customer demands survey.
Sell myself short on occassions and sometimes it goes in my favour.
I simply do not have the time to go quote every job, i would rather spend my time cleaning and making money than sat in peoples houses or travelling half the day.
Mark

[Jamie Lindsay]

what percentage off jobs would you say you win from face to face quoting ?

[Neil Williams]

what percentage off jobs would you say you win from face to face quoting ?

Today:
Late this afternoon I clocked up 25 miles driving around but got 5 out of 5 jobs
Still waiting on one to come back to me by phone (Asian) so that'll be a no then, another couldn't wait 10 days, and an e-mail enquiry didn't come back after giving a price.
Face to face sells better.