phone estimates

M

mario

New member
because of the high gas prices would it be better to give over the phone estimates? instead of driving over there.
 
How do you give an estimate without seeing the property first?
 
I never give commercial estimates over the phone.I always spend the time to drive out and look at the site and make other suggestions for services that they may need. It also builds a bond between you and the customer.

On the other hand. I dont drive out for residential. I know that yes, it could build a better bond, but I dont do $500 house washes or roof cleanings. My house washes are $175-$275 and I cant be out all day quoting these things. In colorado there arent to many variables that come with a house wash. Houses out here are usually just dusty and have cobwebs. I dont have to deal with algea or mold like the east coast and southern states. Therefore I can ballpark them over the phone and give them an exact quote once I am there and have sold them on our services.

Do whatever works for you. I just dont waste my gas driving all over Denver giving residential quotes.
 
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Russ - your right. I never bid residential either.

It is commerial that i ALWAYs look @. Plus I think it gives you the opportunity to make a connection with the person you are giving the bid too. A face to face is always better than an over the phone...IMHO
 
We will give a phone est. with the schduling of the job. The customer with give job specfic's and we will discuss job details. We will give a ballpark price that will be firmed up before the job starts. This is only done on quotes an hour or more away. The customer will give an approval to the ballpark price before we make the drive. In 22 years of service, we have always serviced all jobs that have been quoted this way. This gives them an idea of price right away while letting us set up the work without all of the windshield time. We have also found that by doing it this way, the customer dosen't have to wait or call on compeitors for other quotes.
 
Joekul said:
We will give a phone est. with the schduling of the job. The customer with give job specfic's and we will discuss job details. We will give a ballpark price that will be firmed up before the job starts. This is only done on quotes an hour or more away. The customer will give an approval to the ballpark price before we make the drive. In 22 years of service, we have always serviced all jobs that have been quoted this way. This gives them an idea of price right away while letting us set up the work without all of the windshield time. We have also found that by doing it this way, the customer dosen't have to wait or call on compeitors for other quotes.
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Joe, you copy cat. Thats exactly what we do on most. Often the prices are already done.

We have corporate price agreements in writing, most of the time price is never discussed. We bill them for the work requested.

Thats the way real pressure washing is done...

We sold collectivly about 62 loctions this week. all 30 & 15 day maintenance programs,
 
In 19 yrs I've never giving a residential estimate over the phone.

This Saturday I have 36 estimates to do, plus I did 12 tonite after I finished working.

There are way to many variables to give an estimate over the phone and not have some type of misunderstanding about the outcome of the job.

What if there's rust on the siding or shot gun fungus? How can you bid that over the phone? Most customers don't even know what that is.

While the other (lazy) guy is throwing out some number over the phone I took the time to drive out, look over the job, meet with the customer, show them our equipment, give them a demo if necessary and print out an estimate from the computer in my truck on the spot.

Who do you think gets the job?
 
I have started giving them out also,I have a $125.00 minimum to show up.

Gas is $2.45 gal here and it just doesn't make sense to travel all over the country to try and save someone a few bucks on a house wash.

I find the people that REALLY want their home cleaned just jump on the price and the ones that are shopping around wouldn't use you if you were the $49.00 a house guy because they think they can get it for $48.00 from someone else
 
apluspower said:
While the other (lazy) guy is throwing out some number over the phone I took the time to drive out, look over the job, meet with the customer, show them our equipment, give them a demo if necessary and print out an estimate from the computer in my truck on the spot.

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So Brian - Basically what your saying is anyone who gives out an estimate...ESTIMATE over the phone is lazy.... Give me a break.
Have fun wasting gas driving out to everyones house that calls for a price.. But you had 40 estimates so I guess you know it all
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cajun cleanin said:
I have started giving them out also,I have a $125.00 minimum to show up.

Gas is $2.45 gal here and it just doesn't make sense to travel all over the country to try and save someone a few bucks on a house wash.

I find the people that REALLY want their home cleaned just jump on the price and the ones that are shopping around wouldn't use you if you were the $49.00 a house guy because they think they can get it for $48.00 from someone else
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????? I didnt know it was that low anywhere in Alabama , did you mean 3.45 ?
 
PowerWash Pros said:
apluspower said:
While the other (lazy) guy is throwing out some number over the phone I took the time to drive out, look over the job, meet with the customer, show them our equipment, give them a demo if necessary and print out an estimate from the computer in my truck on the spot.

QUOTE]



So basically anyone who gives out an estimate...ESTIMATE over the phone is lazy.... Give me a break. Have fun wasting gas driving out to everyones house that calls for a price..
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I will say this , I close 90% of my phone sales for residential , I take the good with the bad , we take care of the house .... what ever it needs and if there is a problem we point it out before hand but like I said earlier I can take residential or leave it , its not really what we target anyway like today we spent time on the phone scheduling 75 shopping centers with one company thats what I like !
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I am always happy to give a phone estimate if the person lives to far away to make a visit reasonable. 9 of 10 times I get the job. AND, when I show up to start the job, I raise the price probably 50 percent of the time and the customer is happy. It's a great way for me to do business.
 
I usually will drive to the property but in some cases I will give an ESTIMATE over the phone. These are the people who you can tell are price shopping anyway and I am not going to be the lowest price guy so why waste the gas and my time.
 
apluspower said:
In 19 yrs I've never giving a residential estimate over the phone.

This Saturday I have 36 estimates to do, plus I did 12 tonite after I finished working.

There are way to many variables to give an estimate over the phone and not have some type of misunderstanding about the outcome of the job.

What if there's rust on the siding or shot gun fungus? How can you bid that over the phone? Most customers don't even know what that is.

While the other (lazy) guy is throwing out some number over the phone I took the time to drive out, look over the job, meet with the customer, show them our equipment, give them a demo if necessary and print out an estimate from the computer in my truck on the spot.

Who do you think gets the job?
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Brian, I am much more in your camp. I understand the burden of estimates in both time and money but it does sound lazy to give bids over the phone. Not only that, it costs you money in the long run because a) you are not building a relationship with the customer and b) you can't see if they need other work performed. If you are new guy or don't have your phone ringing off the hook (I'm talking 10 plus calls per day), suck it up. You need to meet with every single customer.

Now if you sell on price, have no ability to upsell, you don't care if you get the work or your phone rings so much that you just can't keep up, then phone selling may work for you. If you want to qualify your customers tell them you have a minimum charge (mine are $425 on a housewash and $550 on a deck) and that will help eliminate the tire kickers. In addition you should phone interview your leads. I have a set of questions I ask and I outright tell people I am the most expensive. Some it intrigues, others it turns off.

Does it work to visit people and build relationships? My first year doing resi work it was me and a helper. April gross dollars: $4500 Fast forward to 2008: If Mother Nature cooperates we will hit eleven times that for the month of April. That's with zero direct marketing thus far. 65% of it is from repeat and referrals.
 
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