Tips on creating a professional quote
Whether it is through the OnlineTradesmen quotation system or direct with the customer, how you handle the quotation process can win or lose you the job. When you are quoting for a home improvement job, make sure you include the following:
Professional letterhead and logos
Estimate of timelines
Cost breakdowns (where possible on bigger jobs)
VAT Details
Details of any scheme rebates or equivalent
Information on your standard warranty
Where required, include a link to the portfolio of your work on your Onlinetradesmen member website with your customer ratings or include a printed version. These ratingsare an extremely powerful way to promote your business and differentiate you from your competition.
When finalizing the details of a job to be done we always advise that you enter a final contract with the customer for larger projects. Many tradesmen shy away from this, but a contract just documents the quotation process and provides both sides with peace of mind should things go wrong. You can download our home improvement contract template here.
If you want a personalised copy please just drop us a line here.
For all jobs regardless of size, give the customer a professional invoice with a clear breakdown of all labour and material costs.
Related Articles
Tradesmen Customer Service Tips - How to deliver a happy customer.
Happy customers tell 3 friends – Unhappy customers tell GOOGLE. With the growth of the internet and social media, your business information is now on tap all the time along with its reviews and feedback from your customers. Online ratings are ...
Sample customer replies
A good customer reply makes that all important first impression. We understand you will often need more details before you can provide an accurate quote. While you may include some specific details for certain jobs. Have a good general reply, ...
How do you look to new customers?
Would you call your company from the information you have on your profile? This is the first contact you have with new customers so it is very important that you sell yourself by ensuring your business profile is complete. Have you a full description ...
Cash Flow - Tips on protecting the most important asset in your business
Cash flow is the fuel of any trade or contractor business – meaning every trade professional needs to keep cash coming in to keep a business functioning properly. Your main takeaway is - It is essential to manage your cash flow. In simplistic terms ...
Numbers not in service
Customer number not in service? From time to time, users report bidding on a number that is not in service. In this case, we'll issue a full refund, subject to verifying the number. Please note - You shouldn't report a job where someone didn't answer ...