Quoting - how do you all do it?

[dansk]

Im having a rant this morning - im sick to death of spending 2+ hours on putting a quote together, using PV-Sol, writing the letter, desiging the system, checking this, checking that to send it out and follow it up and be ansewerd with some sort of excuse - customers have absolutly no idea how long it takes to put a comprehensive quote together -

Does anyone else just send an example cost with a FiT breakdown out first? then follow up? and if the prospective client is keen go out and do a full survey? because at the moment, if i get a request to quote i go out to site, run through it all (spending roughley an hour) check the electrics, roof blah blah, then spend a couple of hours designing a system, typeing it up and posting out - am i doing something wrong?

 

[FIT-PV]

I'm afraid we all go through the same situation.

It does get annoying, especially when you do site visits, prepare a full quote which involves quite a bit of time and paperwork.

A lot of people will call a minimum of 3 to 4 companies to give a quote then decide. This can take up to a month or two before they reach a decision.

 

[dansk]

oh well, at least i may still be in with a chance - Glad im not on my own, im just fed up today, its a lot of paperwork and when the customer hasnt no idea of the time and effort - i feel like charging for my quotes, but i wont get anywork then will i!!

Cheers

 

[langstroth2]

I know this might be of little consolation, but as a (potential) solar PV customer I can say that I will make a decision based on a combination of price, equipment offered and the fact I met the supplier on a site visit - no matter how objective I try and be, the adage that people buy from people is very true I think - particularly for such big ticket items where there's such "choice" of spec available. I need to feel a level of trust in the supplier, however subjective that is...

The companies that did a local site visit will be the only ones' making a shortlist. Not all did a complete survey though - the local installers tended to express knowledge of the building types in an area and didn't actually go in the loft for example, but will do a survey if I express desire to proceed. Again it came to trust as to whether I think this is an excuse to bump up the cost later, or a desire to save some time which I can well understand (and based on meeting the individuals, I'm tend to the latter view).

 

[SolarCity]

It takes me 4 hours plus to put a quote together. What infuriates me is when a customer ignores my follow up emails. My quotes are free and of course without obligation but to act the way they do is disgusting and we could do with a Which? report into ignorant and rude customers.

 

[langstroth2]

It takes me 4 hours plus to put a quote together. What infuriates me is when a customer ignores my follow up emails. My quotes are free and of course without obligation but to act the way they do is disgusting and we could do with a Which? report into ignorant and rude customers.

That I agree is just plain rude.

 

[FIT-PV]

I agree totally. Just followed up a customer today to whom I gave a quote to about a month ago. I was referred from a friend of his, and I get no reply to emails and he does not answer my phone calls.

I would much prefer the customer be straight forward and say they have either gone with someone else or they are not going for it at this moment in time. At least I can then log the call as closed.

Before I gave the quote, he would answer emails and phone calls straight away.... Frustrating customers!

 

[dansk]

Thanks - ive had two in as many days comeing back with excuse's - i would love it if a potential customer just phoned and said "would you mind coming round to give me a quick idea how much it would cost to install a solar system, im only curious" at least then you know there not mucking you about and i would gladly do it.

I dont charge for quotes either and langstroth2 i agree, people buy from people mainly and yes its a large investment.

Im a bit happier now, but god i was stressed this morning about it.

 

[dansk]

I would much prefer the customer be straight forward and say they have either gone with someone else or they are not going for it at this moment in time. At least I can then log the call as closed.

Before I gave the quote, he would answer emails and phone calls straight away.... Frustrating customers!

I totaly agree - its mad isnt it - nice as pie before hand, ignore you like the plague afterwards!

Im doing quote as well as reading this, and i know already she aint going to go with me, its just a pricing excersise.

 

[SRE]

Im doing quote as well as reading this, and i know already she aint going to go with me, its just a pricing excersise.

Don't do a full quote, send a price indication and offer a full, formal quote if they decide they are serious. We just haven't got the time to do every survey unless we know the work is very likely to go ahead. I'll spend as long as they like talking to them on the phone and give lots of options and ball park figures which are usually fairly accurate.

It takes me between 2 and 4 hours to do my quotes, I get a bit carried away with trying to give the customer the best option with PVSOL and I'm not doing that unless I'm fairly certain they are going to go ahead at least with someone if not me. After that we just have to sell ourselves when we visit the customer.

 

[northernsun]

nice thread!! Yup, its bloody infuriating, especially when you find out that after your hard work trying to build a great system - this is how I try to be better than the big boys and their "knowledgeable" salesmen, you find out that despite going the extra yard, and trying to be be competetive on price they still go for cheapest quote with whatever the other installer has got a good deal on. poxy modules, poxy inverter but £500 less than your quote which would give them the best payback!
On the flip side it does feel good when you get the job and the reason the client gives is because you went that extra yard, designed the system, told them everything honestly and generally "earned" the job.


I had a great customer (well, potential) customer who i conversed with over a few weeks, designed him a great system for what was a difficult job but was unlucky enough to run up against another company who did the same but were a bit cheaper. The customer said that this was the only thing between us and the other quotes from larger companies were pathetic in terms of info and knowledge. Although we didnt get the job, he wrote to us thanking us for our diligence and saying he would heartily recommend us to his friends. So, no job, but still got a bit of recognition for the work and a polite thank you for our time- now thats how things should be!

 

[dansk]

I had a great customer (well, potential) customer who i conversed with over a few weeks, designed him a great system for what was a difficult job but was unlucky enough to run up against another company who did the same but were a bit cheaper. The customer said that this was the only thing between us and the other quotes from larger companies were pathetic in terms of info and knowledge. Although we didnt get the job, he wrote to us thanking us for our diligence and saying he would heartily recommend us to his friends. So, no job, but still got a bit of recognition for the work and a polite thank you for our time- now thats how things should be!

I think thats an insult mate - cheeky git, thanks for all your design work, ive now gone to someone else with the info, told em what i want and got it cheaper all thanks to you!!

Customers eh?

At least they said thanks, and yes it nice to win a job when its down to your good honest customer service.

The line i like from customers is "xyb company have quoted on "such and such panels" why are yours better? and they can get 25 panels on the roof, your stood there thinking OMG if only they knew..........

 

[Dale200bhp]

I have lost loads of Jobs to pottential good customers to the bigger pushy salesman type companys. I Just lost a job last week because I ask for 25% deposit, I thought this was normal?

I looked at a job three months ago where the roof was all up and down and sagging pantile roof built in the 1800,s facing north east east east, shaded by the main house and the church just next door, I told the customer that I wouldnt even entertain installing panels on that old roof plus the considerable amount of shade, He was very disapointed, but I dont want any come back in a few years when the yeild is low!
Guess what drove past the other day and some big company were just banging them on!

I dont think the MCS scheme is really working! Just like Part P, making it hard work for people who want to do it right.

 

[1shortcircuit]

I know this might be of little consolation, but as a (potential) solar PV customer I can say that I will make a decision based on a combination of price, equipment offered and the fact I met the supplier on a site visit - no matter how objective I try and be, the adage that people buy from people is very true I think - particularly for such big ticket items where there's such "choice" of spec available. I need to feel a level of trust in the supplier, however subjective that is...

The companies that did a local site visit will be the only ones' making a shortlist. Not all did a complete survey though - the local installers tended to express knowledge of the building types in an area and didn't actually go in the loft for example, but will do a survey if I express desire to proceed. Again it came to trust as to whether I think this is an excuse to bump up the cost later, or a desire to save some time which I can well understand (and based on meeting the individuals, I'm tend to the latter view).

I can understand that you guys get frustrated but somehow you need to stay positive knowing there are customers like above about.

It is a large investment and you need to sell yourself each and every time.

Easy to say I know but think of it as a numbers game, If you quote enough idiots/time-wasters IT WILL pay you back.

Keep your head up and stay positive :thumbsup

 

[pcollins]

We do a site survey for all installs, and like the everybody else usually spend a good 2 hours on the quotes afterwards. It is a nightmare, particularly when you're doing evening visits as you're busy with installs etc (not that I'd ever complain about being on an install!)

We do, where we can, give customers an approximate install cost during the site visit when we've seen what the job entails and we also give them a SAP calc. We make it clear that this is rough and we'll follow up with a written quote. It helps to see customers reaction, gives an idea of how serious they may be. We don't apply any pressure, or discount it if they then turn around and say "I've been offered this for £--- by somebody else"

We have been given at least one job on that, equally we've been spared the time of designing and quoting by a customer who decided it wasn't worth his while. So I think it works for us.

What really gets my goat is when we go to a job where the person before us has said they'll get 18 panels on a roof that will not leave any room for clearances either side, may even overhang and certainly isn't within regs (plus how on earth do you get a rail in that close to a ridge!) It really narks me, but all we can do is submit a quote for a smaller array and point out that it is within regs etc.