IMPACT WINDOWS
The window quote has been open since June. Nobody has called. Here is what to send
An impact window job is slow by nature. You measure. You write the quote. The customer thinks about it. Then comes the permit, the order, the wait for the product, the install, the inspection. Any of those waits can be weeks. In all that time, the open quote sits in a folder, and nobody calls.
A note on what this is. We do not know how many open quotes you have, or how many would say yes. A list from your own records will tell you. This post is about making that list and sending one calm text to each name.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Why do window quotes go quiet?
Because the customer is waiting too. They may be waiting on a second quote, on the money, on a spouse, or on the condo board. You are waiting on them. Both sides think the other will call. Nobody does, and the quote goes cold.
Storm season makes it worse. In June the forecast scares people, and the phone rings. Then the storm passes, the worry fades, and the quote sits.
How many open quotes do you have?
Count them this week. Open your estimate software, or the folder, or the email. List every quote from the last twelve months with no yes and no no. Next to each one, write the date, the size of the job, and the language the customer used. That list is the whole project. Nobody else has it.
What should the text say?
One message, calm, with no pressure and no deadline you made up. Here is a sample:
- "Hi, this is Ana from Coastal Windows. We sent you a quote for the windows in June. Do you still want to go ahead, or do you have questions? Either answer is fine."
- "Hola, le habla Ana de Coastal Windows. Le mandamos una cotización de las ventanas en junio. ¿Todavía le interesa, o tiene alguna pregunta? Cualquier respuesta está bien."
Send the one that matches the language the customer used. A text in the customer’s own language is easy to answer, and much easier than calling you back. Do not send both to everyone.
One text per open quote. If there is no reply, let it rest. A second text much later is fine. A text every week is not.
What if the price changed?
Then say so when they reply, not in the first text. Product prices and lead times change, and an old quote may need a new look. Offer to measure again or to update the number. That is an honest reason to talk again.
Is the slow season a good time?
Often, yes. Hurricane season ends November 30, and the panic calls slow down. Your crew may have more room in the schedule. Check with your supplier and your permit office for how long things take right now, so the date you give is real.
Do you need software for this?
Not for twenty quotes. A list and your phone will do. For a few hundred, in two languages, it gets hard by hand. The past customers and open quotes tool on the Crew plan texts each open quote in the language saved on the card. There is no fee per contact. It stops on a reply or a STOP, and nothing goes out between 8 PM and 8 AM. A reply goes to a person on your team.
Related
Made the list?
Bring the count to a 30-minute call. We will write the text with you in both languages, look at how many quotes are on the list, and tell you if your phone can handle it by hand.
