Bid Follow Up

[stanlee]

So do you always follow up on a bid, and if so, what have you found to be the most effective means of a follow up, and what have you found your clients to be the most receptive to?

 

[ATH]

I don't. A pretty high % of places I visit end up in work...if they like what I offered I have the job. I they don't I don't have time to worry about it. I know a good salesman would disagree...but that is just me.

 

[climbhightree]

No follow up here either.

I leave a printed estimate, with them before I leave. On the estimate it states that if they would like us to do the work, please sign and return the estimate.

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[Toddppm]

Me neither. Funny some people I've never even met will sign and mail back the proposal without even calling with questions? I call them to confirm when I get it but are they really that pressed for time?

 

[ATH]

In reply to Toddppm:
They don't have the time or they may have gotten a reference from a friend and, frankly just don't care that much to take the time. I used to assume everybody wanted to know everything before making a decision (I do...my wife says "to a fault"!). To some, more is less. Just do it right, treat me fair, and be done.

 

[Toddppm]

Yeah, I just find it weird. A lot of times I think it must be a referral too and always try to ask how they heard about us. People won't even mention if they were referred a lot of times unless they're asked.

 

[stltreedr]

i do sometimes. most of the time if i hadnt heard back i didnt get the job, but I have snatched a few from the competition at the last minute

 

[stanlee]

It's interesting to hear that you guys don't follow up. I've always heard that it's good business practice, so I started emailing or calling just to thank them for the opportunity to give them an estimate on the work and to call with any questions. However I don't know if it's made a difference in getting the job or not.

 

[climbhightree]

I don't because if I'm the customer, I wouldn't want to be followed up on...and would consider it harassing, or the business is being nosey who and how much I went with. I try to answer all potential questions at the time of the estimate. Beyond that, if they have more questions they are free to call me.

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[2treeornot2tree]

I try to follow up every bid. Sometimes it don't happen but I have gotten jobs I might not of gotten because i followed up. I have just started a new thing of sending every customer a thank you post card about a week or so after completing the job.

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[tidy]

I found myself feeling a bit like a beggar when ever I follow up on quotes but in all honesty its good practice, sometimes you catch people that were in two minds between yourself and the other best offer-your follow up call seals the deal in those cases. I can understand that customers don't want to be harassed but the fact of the matter is that to follow up is only ONE phone call - that's all it is just ONE quick phone call and that is not harassment, if you gave your time to visit their property and provide a fair estimate then they owe you the courtesy of receiving ONE phone call as follow up- old school courtesy would stipulate that they actually owe you a follow up call to let you know that they chose somebody else but to thank you for your time etc anyway-this is extremely rare but it does happen from time to time..... But yeah most of the time I just prefer to assume someone else sold the deal better.

I don't actively undercut the competition but after submitting my bid I sometimes see if the customers are willing to tell me what the other guys bid at, If I'm only slightly higher I suggest that its possible we can negotiate but leave it at that, I'm assuming that's not uncommon for those in a similar position where its a start up biz and the flow of work can become patchy???

 

[mckeetree]

Follow up on the good stuff...let the rest of the **** fall where it falls. Before starting this business 28 years ago I was working for Park Cities Tree Service in Dallas. I did A LOT of the estimates for that Co. the last year I worked there and they had a policy of following up on EVERY estimate. Tougher back then...no email...no text. Very few people had cell phones, very few. So you land line called them or actually wrote them a letter to follow up. Yep, we used to write letters to clients. Some of that **** wasn't worth following up on but that was what they wanted us to do. I remember writing this old man about a gutter clean out job that went back and forth and back and forth and finally resulted in nothing.

 

[Valandscaper]

I am a start up an I follow up on nearly every job except the ones I want to steer clear of. It has worked out very well for me. Around here people see it as customer service which is smoothing that is severely lacking with most local companies its one of the ways I set myself apart. I simply say hello and ask if they have any further questions. Most will have at least one that they didn't think of while I was there. I've gotten a lot of work this way.