Quote Follow-up Cadence SOP

Purpose

Define the structured follow-up cadence on outstanding quotes - the difference between 30% close rate + 60% close rate is rarely the quote itself; it's whether you followed up consistently. Most service businesses send a quote + then go silent, losing 30-40% of business to whoever followed up second. A documented cadence makes the difference.

Scope

Applies to:

• All outbound quotes sent (residential + light commercial)
• Estimates that haven't been approved or declined within 48 hours of send

Excludes:

• Quotes specifically marked "wait for customer to call" (rare; usually a misunderstanding)
• Emergency quotes (different cadence - same-day follow-up)
• Quotes specifically declined by customer

Responsibilities

• CSR / Office owns the follow-up cadence
• Owner / GM reviews quote-aging weekly + reaches out personally if needed
• Original technician does the in-person follow-up at the appointment

Cadence

Day 0: Quote sent

• Quote delivered via email
• Confirmation text/SMS: "Quote sent. Reply with questions anytime."

Day 1 (24-48 hours later): First check-in

• Phone call OR text (not both)
• Script: "Hi, [TECH/OWNER] here. Did the quote come through OK? Any questions I can answer right now?"
• DO NOT pressure. Just gauge interest + answer questions.
• Outcome: customer is approving, declining, has questions, or radio silent
• Document outcome in CRM

Day 3: Second check-in

• Phone call if no response from Day 1
• Voicemail script: "[NAME], wanted to follow up on the quote. Any questions or want to schedule? I have [TIMES] available this week. Call/text me back at [NUMBER]."
• If they answer: see Day 1 script
• Outcome documented

Day 7: Third check-in

• Email check-in (different channel from prior touches)
• Subject line: "[CITY] - quote for [SERVICE]"
• Body: brief, warm, restate value + offer to discuss
• Example: "Wanted to follow up - quote we sent on the [DATE] still good. If timing isn't right or budget changed, just let me know + we can rework. Otherwise, available to start [DATE]. -[NAME]"

Day 14: Final check-in

• Phone call
• Script: "Hi, [NAME]. Wanted to circle back one more time on that quote. If now isn't right, no problem - I'll close it out + check back in 90 days. If you want to revisit, I'm here. What works?"
• Get a definitive answer.
• Outcome:
  • Approve → schedule the work
  • Decline → ask "Anything specific?" + document for trend analysis
  • Delay → set 90-day reminder + close in CRM

Day 90 (only if customer indicated delay):

• Single touch via email or text
• "Hi, [NAME]. 3 months ago we quoted [SERVICE]. Still on your list? Just checking before I take it off. - [NAME]"

What NOT to do

• No daily follow-up. Spamming costs more business than it gains.
• No high-pressure tactics. "This price is only good for 24 hours" - false urgency damages trust + reputation.
• No mass email blasts. Each follow-up is personal, one-to-one.
• No different person each time. Continuity matters; tech + customer should match.
• No "just checking in" without value. Each touch should answer a question, add a date, or offer something specific.

Tracking + reporting

Weekly review:

• All quotes sent within last 14 days
• Status: Pending / Won / Lost / Follow-up Scheduled
• Conversion rate by tech (quoted vs won)
• Average days from quote to decision
• Top reasons for losses (price, timing, no-show, etc.)

Monthly:

• Conversion rate trend over time
• Pipeline value (quotes sent × close rate × average value)

Special situations

Customer says "wait until spring":

• Document the date
• Send a single reminder 30 days before
• Don't pressure earlier

Customer asks for revised quote:

• Revise within 24 hours
• Send same way (email + text confirmation)
• Reset the cadence (Day 0 again)

Customer is rude / dismissive:

• Document briefly
• Move on. Some customers are worth following up; some are not.
• Don't waste tech time on customers who don't value your work

Quote is for emergency service:

• Same-day decision usually
• Don't follow up after 24 hours; redirect to whichever customer is paying NOW

Acceptance criteria

• 4 follow-up touches over 14 days, documented
• Quote outcome captured in CRM (Won / Lost / Delay / No Response)
• Loss reason captured for "Lost" quotes
• 90-day reminder set for "Delay" quotes
• Weekly review of pipeline + close rate

Common pitfalls

• Following up too aggressively: damages relationship + reputation
• Following up too passively: customer goes with whoever calls them
• Inconsistent tracking: can't measure or improve what isn't tracked
• No documented "Lost" reasons: can't fix problems you don't know about
• Same person doing tech work + follow-up: usually breaks down; CSR owns follow-up cadence

What to do when close rate is below 50%

1. Audit the quotes: are they actually high quality? See: Universal article - Write Quotes That Win the Business.
2. Audit the discovery call: were customers properly qualified? See: Sales Discovery Call SOP.
3. Audit the technician: is the tech building trust during inspection? Ride along.
4. Audit the price: are you priced way above market? Adjust if so.
5. Audit the timing: do you follow up within 24 hours? Or 7 days?

References

• Service Roundtable inbound-call benchmarks
• Manuall internal: Sales Discovery Call SOP, Handle Common Customer Objections