Automatic quote follow-ups: what to automate and what to keep
Most tradies know they should follow up and most forget. Automating it fixes the forgetting. The trick is deciding what goes on its own and what waits for your OK.
Updated
Following up a quote wins jobs. Silence usually means "not yet", not "no", and the tradie who checks in is often the one who gets the work. The problem isn't knowing that. It's remembering to do it at 8pm after a full day. Automatic quote follow-ups fix the remembering. For the full how-to, timing and wording, see how to follow up a quote.
Two ways to automate it
There are two levels, and it's worth knowing which one you're turning on.
- Ask first. The follow-up is written for you and lands in a list when it's due. You read it, change a word if you like, and tap Send or Skip. Nothing reaches the customer without your OK.
- Send on its own. The same message goes by itself when it's due, inside business hours. You only hear about it when the customer replies.
Ask first suits most tradies to start with. You'll see what the messages say and which customers you'd rather ring. Once you trust the wording, letting it send on its own saves the taps.
The timing
A plan that works for most jobs:
| When | What it does |
|---|---|
| 2 to 3 days after sending | Checks they got it and offers to answer questions |
| About a week after sending | A short nudge with something useful, like a start date |
| Before the quote expires | Lets them know the price won't hold forever |
If the customer told you when they'd decide, follow up the day after that instead. And if they've opened the quote several times, they're thinking about it. A phone call might beat a message.
What to automate, and what to keep for yourself
Automate:
- The reminder that a quote has gone quiet
- The first and second check-in messages
- The "your quote runs out soon" note
- Thank-you and booking messages after they accept, and reminders on unpaid invoices
Keep for yourself:
- Bigger jobs where a phone call does more than a text or email
- Customers who've asked a question you haven't answered
- Anyone who said the price was more than they expected. Ring them and offer options, not a discount.
- Quotes on hold
Wording that doesn't annoy
An automatic message still has to sound like you:
Hi Sam, just checking you got the quote for the deck. Happy to answer any questions or walk through it on the phone. Cheers, Jordan
Short, their name, the job, an easy next step. Leave out guilt ("I've been waiting to hear back") and fake urgency. More examples are in how to follow up a quote.
How Karven does it
In Karven, follow-ups start in Ask me first. When a quote has gone quiet, the follow-up is already written: at 3 days, and again at 7. It waits under Needs you on your Today screen with Send and Skip, and you can change the wording before it goes. Quotes on hold are left alone.
Rather it ran itself? At the top of Automatic messages, switch to Send automatically and the follow-ups go on their own between 9am and 6pm. You can switch back any time. The same switch covers the after-sale messages and invoice reminders.
Karven also sends the quote itself by email with the PDF attached, now or at 8am the next morning. If the customer rings back months later, the quote page keeps your private breakdown of how you priced it. See how follow-ups work.
Checklist
- Decide: ask first, or send on its own
- Follow up at 2 to 3 days and about a week, and before the quote expires
- Send in business hours only
- Keep it short and in your own words
- Stop when they reply, and never chase quotes on hold
- Ring the bigger jobs and the price objections yourself
Common questions
- Should quote follow-ups be automatic?
- The reminder to follow up should be. Whether the message sends on its own is up to you. Many tradies start by having the follow-up written and waiting for a tap, then let it send itself once they trust the wording.
- When should an automatic quote follow-up go out?
- A common plan is two to three days after sending, then about a week, then a polite last message around two weeks. Send during business hours, not at 10pm.
- Will automatic follow-ups annoy my customers?
- Not if they're short, friendly, spaced out and stop the moment the customer answers. Two or three messages over a fortnight is plenty. Daily reminders and fake deadlines are what annoy people.
- What should an automatic follow-up say?
- Their name, the job, the total, a link straight back to the quote and an easy way to ask a question. Keep it to a few lines and sign it with your name.
- Which quotes should never get an automatic follow-up?
- Quotes on hold, quotes where the customer is waiting on an answer from you, and anyone who has said no or asked you not to contact them.
Write and send the quote from your phone
With Karven, your customer gets a clear quote, you keep a private breakdown, and a follow-up is ready when a quote goes quiet.
- A clear quote on their phone
- Your private breakdown, kept for later
- Follow-ups Karven writes for you
Free for 21 days, with no card needed.
Related guides
How to keep a record of how you priced a job
A customer rings back in March about the quote you sent in October. You can see the total, but not how you got there. Here's what to write down while you price, so you never have to guess.
Quote breakdown: what to show the customer and what to keep
Every quote has two sides. The customer needs enough detail to trust it and compare it. You need every cost, hour and profit figure behind it. They're not the same breakdown.
How to quote a fencing job (Colorbond, timber and pool fences)
Measure the run, count the posts, price per metre, add gates and removal. A plain guide to fencing quotes, with a Colorbond example that adds up.
How to quote a carpentry job (decks, pergolas, floors and doors)
Decks, pergolas, flooring, doors and trim. How to measure, which units to price in, when approvals come into it, and a deck quote that adds up.