Why open estimates go cold
A homeowner gets three quotes for a new system or a repipe, says "let me talk to my partner," and the tech moves on to the next job. Nobody owns the follow-up, so the quote just ages in the software. A back-office team gives every open estimate an owner, a next step and a date.
What's usually included
- A daily or weekly pull of estimates that were presented but not sold or declined.
- Follow-up by email or text through your software, using wording you approved, at set intervals.
- Logging the customer's answer in the estimate record: bought elsewhere, waiting on financing, wants a second option, not now, no reply.
- Booking a return visit when the customer wants to talk options in person.
- Passing questions about equipment, sizing or price straight back to the tech or comfort advisor who wrote the estimate.
- Closing out dead estimates so your close-rate numbers are honest.
What the team says, and what it doesn't
The support team is not a sales team. It confirms the customer got the estimate, asks whether they have questions, and offers a time to talk. It doesn't change prices, invent discounts, push financing terms or describe equipment performance. Those conversations belong to your licensed tech or salesperson. Write that boundary into the playbook in plain words.
| Estimate type | First follow-up | Stop after |
|---|---|---|
| Small repair (under your set threshold) | Next business day | Two tries |
| System replacement or repipe | Two to three days | Three tries over a few weeks |
| Commercial or property-manager bid | Per the client's process | When the bid date passes |
These are starting points. Choose intervals that match how your customers buy.
Texting and consent
Texting customers about estimates they asked for is common, but rules on automated texts and marketing messages are strict. Make sure your software records consent, honors opt-outs like STOP, and that the follow-up stays about the customer's own estimate. Your attorney can tell you what your state requires on top of federal rules.
How to measure it
- Open estimates by age and dollar value.
- Share of open estimates that got at least one follow-up.
- Estimates revived into a return visit, and how many of those sold.
- Reasons for lost estimates, grouped, so you can spot pricing or product gaps.
FAQ
Should follow-up come from the tech's name?
Some shops prefer it because the customer met that person. Others use the office name. Either works if replies land somewhere the support team watches.
Can the team chase financing applications?
They can remind customers that an application is pending and pass questions on. They shouldn't advise on loan terms.
Want this off your desk? Tell us which tickets you'd hand over first and roughly how many jobs you run a week.
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