FlashBookedHow to Follow Up a Quote Without Being Pushy
You've done the site visit, priced the job and sent the quote. Then nothing. Most tradespeople hate chasing, so they don't, and a good chunk of the jobs they've already done the work for quietly go to someone else.
Following up isn't pushy. Going silent and hoping is what costs you jobs. Customers who ask for a quote usually do want the work done. They just got busy, wanted to think it over, or are waiting to talk to their partner. A short, polite follow-up is often what tips them over.
Why following up isn't being pushy
Pushy is pressure: discounts that expire at midnight, guilt trips, ringing every day. Following up is service. You're making it easy for someone who asked you for a price to say yes, ask a question or tell you they've gone another way.
Most customers are glad to hear from you. A follow-up tells them you're organised and that you want the job, which is exactly what they're hoping to find in a tradesperson.
When to follow up a quote
The timing matters more than the wording. A simple rhythm works for most trades:
- Day 2: a quick check that the quote arrived and makes sense. Low pressure, easy to reply to.
- Day 5 to 7: a phone call for bigger jobs, or a second message for smaller ones. This is where most questions come out.
- Day 10 to 14: a nudge with something useful, like dates you have free or an answer to a common question.
- Day 21 or so: a final, friendly message that gives them an easy way out.
Emergency and small jobs move faster, so compress the timeline. Big-ticket work like rewires, solar, heat pumps or bathroom refits can take weeks to decide, so stretch it out and lean on phone calls.
What to say: templates you can copy
Keep every message short, specific to their job and easy to answer. Use their name, mention the job, and end with a simple question.
“Hi Sarah, it's Adam from Murphy Electrical. Just checking the quote for the consumer unit came through OK. Any questions at all, just reply here.”
“Hi Sarah, Adam here. I'm just ringing about the quote I sent last week. Did you get a chance to look at it? Was there anything you wanted me to explain or change?” Then stop talking and listen.
“Hi Sarah, I've a couple of days free the week of the 20th if you'd like to get the consumer unit done before Christmas. Happy to hold one for you.”
“Hi Sarah, I won't keep chasing you. If you've gone with someone else, no problem at all, and if the timing's just not right, I'm here whenever you're ready.”
That last one gets more replies than you'd expect. It takes the pressure off, and people who were planning to go ahead often reply to say so.
Five mistakes that make follow-up feel pushy
- Leading with a discount. It tells the customer your first price wasn't real. If price is the issue, let them tell you, then talk about options.
- “Just checking in” with nothing to say. Every message should give them something: an answer, a date, an option or an easy out.
- Too many channels at once. A WhatsApp, a text, an email and a missed call on the same day feels like being hunted.
- Long messages. If it needs scrolling on a phone, it's too long.
- Never stopping. After the final message, move them to a list for a gentle check-in in a few months instead of chasing forever.
What to do when they say it's too expensive
Don't drop your price straight away. Ask what they were expecting, then explain what's included and why. If there's a genuine gap, offer an option rather than a discount: a different spec, a phased job, or doing part of the work now and the rest later. You keep your margin, and they get a way to say yes.
Make it happen every time, not just when you remember
The hard part of following up isn't knowing what to say. It's remembering to do it while you're on the tools. That's why most quotes go cold: nobody decided to let them go, they just slipped.
The fix is a system that does the remembering for you. With FlashBooked's quote follow-up, every quote goes out as a link the customer can accept on their phone, you're told when they open it, and the check-ins above go out automatically in your own words. It pauses the moment they reply, and stops when they accept or you mark the job won or lost.
If you're weighing up whether you need a proper system at all, we've written a straight answer to whether Irish tradesmen need job management software.
Common questions
How long after sending a quote should I follow up?
Two days is a good first follow-up for most trades: long enough for them to read it, soon enough that you're still fresh in their mind. For urgent or small jobs, follow up the next day.
How many times should I follow up a quote?
Three or four touches over about three weeks works for most jobs, ending with a friendly final message that gives them an easy way out. After that, move them to an occasional check-in rather than chasing.
Should I follow up by text, WhatsApp or phone?
Use whatever the customer used to contact you for the first follow-up, usually WhatsApp or text. For bigger jobs, make at least one phone call, because that's where questions and objections come out.
What should I say if a customer says the quote is too expensive?
Ask what they were expecting and explain what's included. If there's a real gap, offer a different option, like a different spec or doing the job in phases, rather than cutting your price.
Want your quotes followed up automatically?
FlashBooked sends every quote as a link, tells you when it's opened, and follows up in your words until there's a yes or a no.
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