The evening gap
An enquiry at 9am that gets a reply at 7pm has already been sent to two other firms. An automatic acknowledgement with a promised callback time holds the customer.
Quotes that arrive too late
A quote that takes ten days looks like a business that will take ten weeks to start. Even a rough figure within 48 hours changes the impression.
No second contact
One polite follow-up a few days after the quote recovers a surprising amount of work. Two is not pushy.
Nothing written down
If enquiries live in a mix of texts, voicemails and a notebook in the van, some will be lost. One list, one place.
Written by Oliver Martin, founder of OMP and director of a UK construction company.