WindowBossPro Blog — Quotes & Estimates

Quoting Window Cleaning Over the Phone or by Text

Driving out to every house before quoting is a luxury most window cleaning companies cannot afford in busy season. Many quotes happen over the phone or by text. Done well, a remote quote is accurate, fast and respectful of everyone's time. Done badly, it is a guess that falls apart on the first visit.

Most Quotes Start Remote

In Pricing Recurring Window Cleaning: Quarterly, Twice a Year and Monthly Visits we priced plans by frequency. Before any of that, someone has to come up with the first number, and very often that happens on a call or in a text thread. Here is how to make those quotes hold up.

The Questions to Ask

A remote quote is only as good as the answers you collect. Work through the same list every time:

• Address. So you can check the house on a map and know the drive.
• Sides. Outside only, inside & outside, or inside only.
• Stories. And whether the back is taller than the front.
• Rough window count. Ask them to count, or count from photos.
• Screens and tracks. Wanted or not.
• Hard water, paint or construction mess.
• Special glass. French doors, skylights, sunroom.
• One time or regular.
• Access. Gate codes, pets, parking.

Asking in the same order every time keeps quotes consistent across everyone who answers the phone.

Photos Make Remote Quotes Work

Ask for a photo of each side of the house by text. Four photos tell you more than ten minutes of description. Look for upper windows, French panes, sunrooms and hard-water haze on low windows. Map images can help, but they are often old and rarely show the back clearly.

Two-way texting from the office in WindowBossPro keeps the photos and the conversation with the client, so if someone else builds the estimate or schedules the job, they can see what the customer sent. Counting tips are in Counting Windows for an Estimate: From the Curb, From Photos or on a Walkthrough.

When to Give a Range

Sometimes a customer wants a number before sending anything. It is fine to give a range: “Most two-story homes your size are between $180 and $240 for the outside with screens. If you text me a few photos, I'll send an exact price today.” A range answers the question honestly and gives the customer a reason to send photos.

Avoid giving a firm price on the phone without a count. A number spoken out loud tends to become the number the customer remembers, even if the house turns out to be twice the size.

Always Follow With a Written Estimate

A verbal quote is not an estimate. Once you have enough information, build the estimate from your service list and send it so the customer can approve it online. The written estimate does three things a phone call cannot:

• It shows each line, so the customer knows exactly what is included.
• It records what was agreed, so there is no argument later.
• When approved, it becomes scheduled services without anyone retyping it.

Text the customer that it is on the way: “Your estimate for outside windows and screens is ready. You can approve it online and we'll get you on the schedule.”

Protect Yourself on the Count

Remote quotes carry a risk that the count is off. Say so on the estimate: “Quoted from customer photos. Final count confirmed on the first visit.” If the crew finds more windows, they note it and the office talks to the customer before or right after the job. Most customers accept an adjustment when it was explained up front.

Record the window details on the job either way: number of windows, stories, sides, extras and access notes. If the first visit corrects the count, update it so every future visit and quote starts from the right number.

Make Phone Quotes Consistent Across the Team

If more than one person answers the phone, write your question list down and keep it next to the phone or pinned on the office computer. The same goes for the ranges you are comfortable giving. When the owner says “$180 to $240” and the office helper says “about $150,” customers notice. A short script and one shared service list keep everyone on the same numbers, and the written estimate makes the final price the same no matter who built it.

Fast and Right

Phone and text quotes let you answer leads while you are on a ladder across town. Ask the same questions every time, get photos, give a range if you must, and always follow with a written estimate the customer approves online. For more on quoting in WindowBossPro, see the window cleaning estimate software page.