Before you send another message
Open the original estimate and the latest customer reply together. Check the scope, version, recipient and anything you promised. A customer who asked for a revised fence length needs a corrected estimate, not another reminder to approve the old one.
If you agreed to speak on Friday, keep Friday as the follow-up date. If no date was agreed, choose a reasonable review point for the job and the customer's timetable. There is no single schedule that suits an urgent repair and a project being planned for next season. Ask about their decision timing rather than inventing urgency.
- Did they receive the right estimate?
- Have they already replied through another channel?
- Are you waiting on a measurement, access detail or scope change?
- Did they ask you to wait or stop contacting them?
A first follow-up that gives them something to answer
Use the channel agreed with the customer. Name the job so they can recognize it, check receipt and give them one easy next step. Review the draft before using it. A template does not establish permission to send a text.
Avoid implying that a delivery status proves someone read or accepted the estimate. If the customer says it never arrived, confirm the destination before resending the same version. Record that as a delivery problem, not a price objection.
Template to review and adapt
Hi [name], this is [your name] from [business]. Did the estimate for [job] reach you? If anything in the scope needs changing, let me know and I can review it with you.
Copying sends nothing. Replace the placeholders and use an agreed channel.
When they have questions or need more time
A price question is a conversation about the work, not an automatic request for a discount. Ask which part they want to understand. If the scope changes, make the revision explicit and check that both of you are discussing the same document.
When a customer wants to wait, save their requested date and the reason. Move the next action to that date instead of leaving the estimate overdue. Do not promise a held slot, fixed future price or confirmed visit unless you can honour it.
Template to review and adapt
Thanks for the update. Would you like me to check back around [date], or would you prefer to contact us when you are ready? I will confirm current availability when we speak.
Copying sends nothing. Replace the placeholders and use an agreed channel.
When to stop following up
Stop when they decline or ask you to stop. If there is no reply after your reasonable follow-up, decide whether one closing note is useful or whether to leave the decision with them. Repeated generic reminders can make a small enquiry feel like a sales campaign.
Record 'no response' separately in your notes from a customer saying the price was too high. You do not know why someone went quiet. If they return months later, review the scope, estimate validity and your availability before treating the old estimate as current.
Template to review and adapt
Hi [name], I am closing my follow-up on [job] for now. If you decide to revisit it, you are welcome to get in touch and we can check the scope and current availability.
Copying sends nothing. Replace the placeholders and use an agreed channel.
Turn every reply into a clear next action
Keep one record per enquiry with the job, latest estimate reference, latest customer response, next action and due time. The action should be something a person can complete: 'call to clarify gate access' is more useful than 'follow up'. If someone else is responsible, name them in the action.
In BookedBack, use the Estimates view to review open estimates in follow-up order. Future follow-ups appear there too; their presence is not a reason to call early. Update the job notes and next action after the conversation, or mark the outcome won or closed/lost. These are outcomes you record, not sales attributed to software.
The board can be used before texting activation. Its reminders appear inside the app. A downloaded calendar reminder is a separate copy, so update or remove that copy when plans change. BookedBack does not send these estimate follow-ups automatically, create estimates or confirm appointments.
