customer emails and quotes?

[jcooper]

Hey,
I posted this elsewhere, needless to say not much good advice.


We have recently been getting emails from customers for quotes. This is great! It's working.

But, How specific do you get in your response(price) to potential clients from emails.

example: some guy wants a quote for one room, white couch and two arm chairs. No phone number, just email!
Come on guy...Many email like this!

Emails that do give out a phone number, how many times will you call back or email.

I need to have a method for closing these. Either I give out a price(dumb) or just tell them to call(they wont).

I've tried it both ways, giving out a price(through email) and explaining why client should/needs to call.

Neither has given me the results I get from the phone, and I expect this.


Just wondering how some of you handle this?

I do not want prices on my website.

 

[Jack May]

Hey jcooper.

We get quite a few of these through our website.

We do a little sales spiel and tell them an indicitive price based on the (often very) limited info they have supplied.

I always put in a variable price and not fixed figure. eg $135-150 BASED ON YOUR DESCRIPTION.

I usually tell them that furniture and stains will also vary the price and we're best to discuss this further if they want.

We're not the cheapest price in town but I do find that the web/email enquiries have a high conversion rate.

If you're not converting them, my gut feeling is that the fault possibly lies in your advertising (presumably web based?) or in your responses.

Those email without info are the new age price shoppers, if you already have the right advertising that they are responding to, then the job is half done.

Now if you are competing in the price shopper market, then they are only interested in that final figure and if they sent off 45 emails then they only want the cheapest.

Identify your target market and see if your advertising pre qualifies...

Something to think about anyway.

John

 

[Desk Jockey]

We periodically get anonymous emails from our website.

Who knows if they are potential customers, competitors, or Odin having fun at my expense. :x

I usually give ball park figure, explaining that without seeing it's difficult to give an accurate quote. Then I offer to come out and take a look at the piece free of charge.

If they don't want an on-site quote then I would ask the same questions I would as if they were on the phone.

Mrs Cooper,
How old is the piece?
Has it ever been cleaned before?
What condition is it in?
Heavy or moderate soiling? (they lie)
What color? (lighter more work)
Does it have a nap or pile? (additional time)
Loose Pillows? (additional time)
What size? lin/ft (additional time)
Do you know what material it's constructed of? (synthetic or natural fiber)


By then you should have a good idea of what to charge and I give them a price. If it's a real customer or your competitor they know you are serious about what you do and the factors that go into the pricing.

Don't pressure them with getting their number, but let them know if they would like to talk to you more about it, you're available at your number

You can always write it out in word and save it for the next time you are anonymously emailed, then it's just cut and paste.

Good luck!
8)

 

[jcooper]

thank you..

Very much! Nice job, guys.

 

[Ron Werner]

I would get quite a few requests for quotes. They would give me their room sizes and I would give them a price based on that info, also explaining that there may be variable to consider, ie soiling, furniture, etc.

The only ones that I closed were ones that I was able to actually speak with on the phone.

So I have stopped giving quotes via email but rather I request a time when I can come over and observe what their needs are and give them a real quotation that they can count on.

 

[jcooper]

thank again guys

great job.

 

[Scott]

I usually tell them it'll be somewhere between $125 and $200,000.

Scott

 

[alazo1]

Are they filling out a form for request?. If they are you can have a phone number field that is mandatory for the user to fill in.

Albert