Debate: Should we quote repair estimates over the phone or not?

I used to think it's fine until a guy with a $50 diagnostic fee got mad I said his washer fix would be $200-$300 without seeing it. Now I always say it's a rough guess and they need the in-person look. What do you all do - give ballpark numbers or refuse until you're on site?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahhall4d ago

Oh man, I learned that lesson the hard way too. I started giving ballpark numbers over the phone but now I just flat out refuse to quote anything specific. I tell people, "Look, I can give you a real number once I see it, but anything before that is just me guessing with my fingers crossed." Saved me so many headaches. People get real mad when you say one thing over the phone and then the actual job is different, even if you warned them. Now I just ask what their budget is and if they're flexible, that seems to weed out the folks who want a firm price sight unseen.

the_joseph4d ago

My cousin runs a landscaping crew and he dealt with the same thing last summer. He had some guy call him up and ask for a quote to trim trees and remove stumps, so he gave a rough estimate. Guy showed up two hours late with a different tree than what he described on the phone, and then got furious when the price changed. It's like people hear what they want to hear no matter how many times you say "this is just a guess." The budget question is smart though because it forces them to be honest about what they can actually afford before you waste your gas driving out there.