Home – New › Forums › Find the help you need › How to decline a quote……
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February 27, 2013 at 3:10 am #982044Up::0
Can you say no? How does your business decline an offer/quote?
How do you, as a business, prefer to be told?
Hints and tips welcome!
Fiona @opshoppers
February 27, 2013 at 3:17 am #1134494Up::0Fiona @opshoppers, post: 153042 wrote:Can you say no? How does your business decline an offer/quote?How do you, as a business, prefer to be told?
Hints and tips welcome!
Fiona @opshoppers
Are you saying that you asked for a quote on a product/service and don’t wish to go ahead? Either just ignore the quote or send a friendly email saying the reasons you have chosen not to go ahead.
If you have given a quote and now don’t wish to honour it…that is a whole other ballgame. Unless there is a really good reason not to honour the quote, I think you may be bound to do the job.
Our business rarely gets told why we don’t get go aheads from quotes. There are many reasons why people don’t go ahead. If the boys go to a quote that looks like is going to be a problem they simply over quote it… sometimes they still get the job so the extra padding allows for problems.
February 27, 2013 at 6:25 am #1134495Up::0Fiona @opshoppers, post: 153042 wrote:How do you, as a business, prefer to be told?Fiona @opshoppers
I like to be told, that’s it! I waste so much time and money providing free quotes and I don’t mind of you don’t choose me, but please get back to me and let me know! Would love to be told why to so I know where to improve.
As for declining offers to my business, I politely tell them then it either does not suit or I have found a better offer at X etc etc.
February 27, 2013 at 11:31 pm #1134496Up::0Just a simple “thanks for taking the time to put a quote together for us, we’ve decided not to go ahead with your company” is sufficient.
When I send my quotes I’ll often ask people to let me know as soon as they can if they decide not to use me so I can reassign that time in my schedule. Otherwise I may have to turn away other potential clients because I’ve already allocated that time to your project (or I face the prospect of being so overbooked that I can’t manage my workload, which I’d rather not do).
March 1, 2013 at 7:56 pm #1134498Up::0Yes, a polite “thanks but no thanks” would be great. I hardly ever get a response when a quote is declined, and when I do, I am so grateful.
Like Anna, I find it much easy to schedule stuff when I know what’s going one.
Biggest fear as a freelancer? That no quotes are accepted. Second biggest fear? That they are ALL accepted at once!
Cheers
Nicole
March 4, 2013 at 4:10 am #1134499Up::0Hello,
I do like to get a response and I keep a record of every quote, a brief description, where the lead came from and also if the project goes ahead or not. This way, I can keep track of both where customers are coming from and also where I might need to make some changes to pricing or my quoting format etc.
March 5, 2013 at 10:11 am #1134500Up::0ShanDesign, post: 153643 wrote:Hello,I do like to get a response and I keep a record of every quote, a brief description, where the lead came from and also if the project goes ahead or not. This way, I can keep track of both where customers are coming from and also where I might need to make some changes to pricing or my quoting format etc.
I agree. To a potential client, I believe that a short, honest “thanks, but no thanks’ can go a lonnnnng way.
Regards,
Fiona @OpshoppersJuly 26, 2021 at 3:09 pm #1229006Up::0Great topic and everyone faces this issue.
Prospects usually ‘move on’ and a quote becomes less of a priority if they are no longer proceeding with your quote or if they are proceeding with an alternative option.
Sometimes it can be a time issue. Naturally if you are quoting you are keen to hear. For a prospect it maybe that they are just considering and not ready to proceed (they are ‘window shopping’).
I would not expect a response from a prospect if they are not proceeding and you haven’t followed up to ask.
Always add in your quote how you will follow up .. and that you will follow up (indicating at any time, they can also make contact with questions). Check up with a friendly ‘checking in’ email asking the status and indicating you are keen to help.
If you don’t hear after that, either put this down as a ‘no go’. Pending your type of business, consider sending an email ‘hello how are you’ every so often, offering help and asking to be considered for any projects. This works for me.
It is disappointing .. remember, it usually isn’t personal, just business !
July 31, 2021 at 1:37 pm #1229801Up::0Interesting topic…
Can you say no, of course, you are the person seeking quotes… but how?
We, IMO, it depends on the reasons and motivations from yourself. Are you declining on price? or dont like the company? or other, each of these aspects need to be considered first and foremost.
Always be polite, and this is in general, as you never know if or when you may cross paths with this person in the future. For us, the response is based on our reasons.. if its price and willing to accept a modified quote, we suggest that they are on par with others both professionalism although price has excluded them from decision making..
If its as you feel its not a suitable business to work with for whatever reason, advise them, politely. Thanks for quote, unfortunately we have opted for another option that excluded your quote from consideration.
And, move on
Jason Ramage | Lucas Arthur Pty Ltd | E: [email protected] P: 61 3 8324 0344 M: 61 412 244 888September 2, 2021 at 10:27 am #1230556Up::0What do you mean? If you actually reply I already love you 50x more than the people who just instead ghost my follow up call/emails.
If you actually give a reason (price, product, time, other?) even better.
Eg if you say “thanks but one of the directors decided to use his cousin…” then I know not to bother you again.
If you say “we love it but X is $100 cheaper” then I can decide whether to give a counteroffer. -
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