The Lowest Quote is NOT what wins a job.

Speed of response is more important than the lowest price.

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Some customers will always seek the “Lowest Cost” for property maintenance, repairs or renovation. For them, cheapest is best. There’s not much that can be done to persuade them that cheap does not necessarily equate to good value and that cheapest rarely equates to reliability and quality.

What is “Speed of Response”?

• Quickly responding to an enquiry
• Getting round to survey a job fast
• Rapidly sending a quote after a survey
• Being available to do the job almost immediately
• Promptly responding to questions
• Following up quotes in a short space of time

But Tradespeople are busy people.

Yes, and so are customers.

• When they don’t get an answer on the phone instantly they will try someone else
• If they are happy with an early responder they won’t wait for other tradespeople, they don’t have time
• Customers conclude a lack of interest when they don’t receive a quote or answers to questions in a short space of time. And no one wants someone to do a job they aren’t interested in.

Get in before a competitor

By responding quickly a tradesperson will stop other tradespeople from getting a look in.

Why would a customer waste their time trying to save a few £s when they have a reasonably priced and competent tradesperson showing they are keen to do the job? As long as a customer is satisfied they are receiving good value they rarely seek three quotes on small to medium sized jobs.

Why is speed of response the primary factor?

There are two main reasons.

1. The Internet:

• The internet and particularly the internet on mobile devices means customers can quickly and easily find a tradesperson (or another tradesperson).
• Having an “instant” response mechanism creates an instant response expectation. Whether that is practical for tradespeople is another matter.

2. The reputation of trades people

• Lets’ face it, the reputation of tradespeople is not good; they turn up late (if at all), they don’t communicate, and they don’t send quotes when they say they will.
• When a customer finds a tradesperson who appears not to fit this stereotype they are likely to be so relieved they don’t waste their time looking for others.

Less is more 

As we said above, Tradespeople are busy. However, we would suggest that they can be just as profitable (or more so) with fewer customers that they respond to quickly, than with many customers that they respond to slowly.

HomeForce helps tradespeople respond quickly to customers and helps customers find trades people who respond quickly.