The quote went quiet: a two-week follow-up your team makes by phone
Quotes go quiet for three reasons, and most of them are not a no
If you are working out how to follow up on a quote, start with why it went quiet. A customer who asked you to quote has already told you they want the work done. When the reply stops, it is usually one of three things.
They are busy. The quote landed on a Tuesday night, got read once, and slid down the inbox. Nothing is wrong except timing.
They have a question they haven't asked. The price includes something they don't understand, the start date clashes with a holiday, or they need to talk it through with a partner. A small question left unanswered turns into silence.
They are comparing. They asked two or three businesses for a price. The quote that gets a friendly, useful call often looks like the safer choice, even when it isn't the cheapest.
Some quiet quotes are a real no, and even those are worth a polite close. A lot of software now offers to have AI chase quotes for you automatically. This playbook takes the other route: the follow-up is made by your team, by phone, with plain texts in between, and only to people who asked you for a quote.
What the enquiry call already told you
The best follow-up starts before the quote goes out. The person who rang you usually said three useful things on that first call: roughly what they want to spend, when they need it done, and the worry behind the job. "The last plumber never turned up." "I need it finished before the baby arrives." "I'm not sure my health fund covers this."
Write those down while they are fresh, or let the phone system do it. If you use AutoCall, calls can be recorded and linked to the call record, and each recording can be transcribed with a short summary, action items and the caller's overall sentiment. With your CRM connected, that summary can be pushed back into the client's record as a note, so whoever makes the follow-up call can read it in a minute instead of relying on memory. You can see what a summary looks like on the call analytics page.
Before each follow-up call, read three things: the quote itself (in your job software, whether that's ServiceM8, Simpro, Tradify or a spreadsheet), the enquiry call summary, and any action items nobody has closed. Then you call with something useful to say, not "just checking in".
The two-week plan, day 0 to day 14
Here is the timeline at a glance, followed by what to say on each day, traced through two made-up businesses: a plumbing quote for a hot water system and a physio treatment plan. The wording is example wording only, so adjust it to your business and your voice.
| Day | Touch | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Quote sent, plus a plain text saying it's on its way | The person who quoted |
| Day 2 | First follow-up call | The person who quoted |
| Day 5 | Plain text nudge, if no reply | Office or the person who quoted |
| Day 8 | Second call, about the worry they mentioned | The person who quoted |
| Day 14 | Close-the-file call, then a short text | The person who quoted |
Day 0: send it, and say it's coming. Send the quote the same day if you can, and follow it with a plain text so it doesn't vanish into a spam folder.
Trade example: "Hi Dan, it's Mia from Harbour Plumbing. Your hot water quote is in your email now. I'll give you a quick call on Thursday to go through it."
Clinic example: "Hi Sam, it's Jo from Northside Physio. The plan we discussed is in your email. I'll call you on Thursday in case you have questions."
Day 2: the first call. This is the call that matters most. Open with the thing they told you on the enquiry call, then ask one open question. In Australia, restate the price the way the quote shows it, and be clear whether it includes GST or is plus GST, because that can easily cause confusion. In the US, mention anything that isn't in the quoted price, such as permits.
Trade example: "You mentioned the last plumber didn't show. I wanted to say we've pencilled in Tuesday and Wednesday next week for you. Is there anything in the quote you'd like me to explain?"
Clinic example: "I'm calling about the plan we discussed on Monday. Do you have any questions about the sessions or the times?"
If they don't answer, leave a short voicemail with your name, the business and a callback number, and nothing more personal than "about the quote" or "about the plan we discussed".
Day 5: a plain text nudge. Short, friendly, no pressure, and a reason to reply.
Trade example: "Hi Dan, Mia from Harbour Plumbing. Just a heads up that the Tuesday slot is still free if the quote works for you. Happy to adjust anything. Reply STOP if you'd rather we didn't follow up."
Clinic example: "Hi Sam, Jo from Northside Physio. Thursday afternoons still have times free if you'd like to start the plan. Reply or call any time, or reply STOP if you'd rather we didn't follow up."
Day 8: the second call. Go back to the worry they mentioned and offer a real option: a staged job, a different start date, a smaller first step. If they're comparing, ask what would help them decide, and answer that.
Trade example: "I know timing mattered. If the week before Christmas is tight, we could do the install first and the extra tap in January."
Clinic example: "Some people prefer to start with one session and decide from there. Would that suit you better?"
Day 14: close the file politely. Call once more. If you reach them and the answer is no, thank them and ask, lightly, what tipped it. If you don't reach them, send one last text and stop.
Trade example: "Hi Dan, Mia from Harbour Plumbing. I'll close off your hot water quote for now so it doesn't clog your inbox. It's valid until [date] if you'd like to go ahead, and you're welcome to call any time."
Clinic example: "Hi Sam, Jo from Northside Physio. I'll leave the plan we discussed with you for now. Call us whenever suits."
Who makes which touch
Staff calls are for the decision moments: day 2, day 8 and day 14. Ideally the person who quoted makes them, because they saw the job and can answer questions on the spot. If that's a technician on the tools, an office manager with the enquiry summary in front of them is the next best thing.
Plain texts carry the light nudges: the quote is on its way, the slot is still free, the file is closing. They should sound like a person wrote them, with a first name and the business name, and no links unless the customer asked for one.
Every text should say who it's from and make opting out easy, and any request to stop is honoured straight away.
Calls go out from your business number (your existing number in most setups, if it supports SIP trunking), so the customer sees the same number they rang in the first place. That can make them more likely to pick up, and it's easier for them to save you in their contacts.
When the client rings back about the quote
The best outcome of a follow-up is the customer calling you. Make sure that call lands well.
With a CRM connected, AutoCall looks up the caller's number as the call arrives, so whoever answers can see who it is, and the note from the enquiry call, before they say hello. Nobody has to ask "sorry, which quote was that?" If everyone is busy, a queue can offer the caller a callback that keeps their place in line, and when it connects, your team member hears a short private message saying it's a callback and who it's for.
If the client rings back after hours, how that call gets answered is a coverage question, which we cover in our hybrid phone coverage guide.
When to stop, and how to close the file politely
Two weeks and three calls is enough for most quotes. Past that, you're more likely to annoy someone who might come back next year than to win the job this month. Stop sooner if they say no or ask you to stop.
Closing the file properly keeps the door open. Thank them, tell them how long the quote stays valid, and note the reason in your records if they gave one. Price, timing and "went with someone else" are all useful to know when you quote the next job.
Customers who do go ahead become existing clients, and that's where repeat revenue lives. One outbound reactivation result shows what existing clients can be worth, and it isn't a quote follow-up figure: a premium vacuum distributor in Western Australia, on a $1,500 monthly AutoCall fee, earned $30,000+ over two weeks from AI voice and SMS calling existing clients.
Common questions about chasing quotes
How many times should I follow up a quote before stopping?
Three calls and two or three plain texts over about two weeks is a sensible limit for most quotes. Stop sooner if the customer says no or asks you to stop, and close the file with a polite last message that says how long the quote stays valid.
Should I call or text first when following up a quote?
Text first to say the quote is on its way, then call for the first real follow-up. A call lets you answer questions on the spot and bring up what the customer told you on the enquiry call. Texts work best for light nudges in between.
Who should make the follow-up call?
Ideally the person who quoted, because they saw the job and can answer questions straight away. If they're out on jobs, someone in the office can make the call with the quote and the enquiry call summary in front of them.
Walk one open quote through with us
Bring one open quote to a 30-minute revenue check. We walk through how the enquiry call record, your team's follow-up call and the client's callback sit on one platform.
Book a 30-minute revenue check, or call AutoCall on 1800 403 307 in Australia or (888) 882-2918 in the US.