Follow up on a quote in five steps
In short
Agree on a follow-up date and contact method when you send the quote. If there is no agreed date, a short check after three to five business days can be a starting point for ordinary, non-urgent work. If there is still no reply, consider one final message roughly a week later, then stop unless the customer asks you to reconnect. These timings are editorial suggestions, not tested conversion benchmarks. Adapt them to the project, quote expiry and customer’s wishes; stop immediately if they decline or ask for no more contact.
Step 1
Choose timing around the customer’s decision
Ask when the customer expects to decide and whether they prefer an email, message or an agreed call. A small repair and a renovation awaiting finance or approvals need different amounts of time. Set your reminder from that conversation rather than sending every customer the same sequence.
At quote delivery, you could say: “I’ve attached quote [reference] for [work]. When would be a useful time to check back, and which contact method suits you?” Make the scope, expiry date and acceptance process clear in the quote itself. Do not imply that a start date is reserved unless you have actually agreed to hold it.
A follow-up timing decision table
| Customer or quote situation | Practical next step |
|---|---|
| A decision date was agreed | Contact them on that date using the agreed method. Avoid additional reminders beforehand. |
| Ordinary work, with no agreed date | Consider a first check after three to five business days. Allow longer if the customer needs it. |
| A large project is awaiting approvals, finance or other decisions | Ask for a realistic review date and pause until then. Do not apply a short repair-job schedule. |
| The quote will expire before your planned follow-up | If contact is permitted, explain the actual expiry and what would need rechecking afterwards. Avoid invented urgency. |
| They have declined, chosen someone else or requested no contact | Stop the follow-up sequence and update your records. |
Step 2
Send one short, permitted check-in
Refer to the specific job and quote, then offer to answer a question. Use one channel rather than sending an email, SMS and voicemail together. The examples below are original illustrations, not customer-tested templates. Replace bracketed details with accurate information and use them only where contact is permitted.
First follow-up: “Hi [name], it’s [your name] from [business]. I’m checking that quote [reference] for [work] reached you. Is there anything about the scope or timing you’d like me to explain? You can reach me at [contact details]. To stop quote follow-up messages, reply STOP.”
Quote follow-ups that promote your service can be commercial messages. Do not assume that a personal message or a quote enquiry gives permission for unrelated marketing. ACMA requires consent, sender identity, contact details and an easy unsubscribe for commercial electronic messages. Keep evidence of consent and honour unsubscribe requests within five working days; stop this sequence as soon as a request arrives.
Use “reply STOP” only on a channel that accepts replies, and monitor it. Required unsubscribe facilities must work for at least 30 days and cannot require an account login. Check ACMA guidance before using an automated sequence or a new messaging provider.
Step 3
Answer the question behind the delay
If the customer replies, ask what they need to decide. It might be an unclear inclusion, a competing quote, timing, budget or permission to proceed. Answer that point instead of immediately offering a discount. If they want more time, agree on a new date and pause other reminders.
Clarification example: “Thanks, [name]. The quote includes [specific inclusion] and excludes [specific exclusion]. If you’d like [additional work], I can prepare a revised quote showing the change and any effect on timing. Would that help you compare your options?”
If the budget is the issue, discuss whether a smaller scope is suitable and price it separately. Do not remove necessary safety work or required compliance steps to meet a price. Keep revisions in writing with a new version or date, state which quote they replace, and explain any changed assumptions before seeking acceptance.
For a timing question, check current capacity before promising a start. The ACCC’s accuracy requirements cover quotes and spoken or written business communications, including price and delivery claims. Explain genuine constraints without making up competing customers or a “today only” price.
Step 4
Close the follow-up without pressure
If the first message receives no reply, one final message about a week later is an optional stopping point for the ordinary-work example above. Skip it if the customer has declined, withdrawn consent or asked for more time. Silence does not mean they accepted the quote, and it does not tell you why they have not replied.
Final message: “Hi [name], it’s [your name] from [business] about quote [reference]. I’ll leave the decision with you and won’t send more follow-up messages. If you want to revisit the work, contact me at [contact details] and I’ll check the quote and current availability. To stop quote follow-up messages, reply STOP.”
Do not restart the sequence on another channel because the customer did not answer. If they say they chose someone else, a brief acknowledgement is enough. If they invite you to ask for feedback, make it optional and accept their answer without arguing about another company’s price.
Step 5
Record the outcome and the next agreed action
Keep the quote reference, sent date, agreed contact method, follow-up dates and latest status together. Use statuses such as awaiting decision, customer requested pause, accepted, declined and no response. Record an actual reason only when the customer provides one; do not label an unanswered quote “too expensive”.
Before booking accepted work, confirm the applicable contract requirements, final scope, price and scheduling arrangements. A follow-up message is not a substitute for the documents your trade and jurisdiction require. If the customer returns after expiry, review the old quote and issue current terms before proceeding.
Review your records periodically for recurring questions, unclear quote wording and time spent chasing. Improve the original quote when the same question keeps coming up. This is more useful than increasing message frequency without evidence that the customer wants further contact.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 6 October 2026
- business.gov.au: prepare quotes
Written scope, terms, revisions, expiry and acceptance details. The suggested follow-up schedule and messages are original editorial examples, not research-backed conversion claims.
- ACMA: avoid sending spam
Consent, sender identification, contact details and functional unsubscribe requirements for commercial electronic messages. Checked 6 October 2026.
- ACCC: false or misleading claims
Accuracy requirements for business communications, including quotations and claims about price, availability and future delivery. Checked 6 October 2026.
