How to respond to quote requests and win more work

When a customer requests a quote through Annuvell Local, the request goes to the leads page in your dashboard. How quickly and how clearly you reply is one of the few things entirely in your control. This guide explains what arrives, how to keep track of it, and how to answer in a way that makes it easy for the customer to say yes.

What a customer has to do to send a request

It helps to know what the customer went through before the request reached you. To send an enquiry, a customer must sign in with a verified email address. The form asks for:

• their name;
• what they need help with, in their own words;
• their preferred contact method, email or phone;
• a phone number, which is required if they prefer to be phoned.

They also confirm that Annuvell Local may pass the details to the business they chose. After submitting, they receive a reference and a note that a response is not guaranteed. In other words, the person on the other end has made a deliberate effort and is waiting to see whether you reply.

What you see on the leads page

Each lead on the leads page of your dashboard shows the customer's name, their email, their phone number if given, a budget where one was supplied, their message, the business the request was for and the date and time it arrived. New requests are highlighted and labelled "NEW".

Three actions are available on every lead:

• Mark read once you have looked at it;
• Responded once you have replied;
• Archive when it no longer needs attention.

Using these consistently means the page always shows you what is outstanding, which matters most when requests arrive on a busy day.

Writing a reply that wins work

A reply has three parts to get right: the channel, the content and the drafting.

Reply through the channel the customer chose

The preferred contact method is there for a reason. A customer who chose email may be at work and unable to take a call; one who chose phone may not check email often. Respect the choice, and if you cannot reach them that way, try the other after a reasonable interval rather than instead.

What a useful reply contains

Customers compare more than one business, so a clear reply is more persuasive than a fast but vague one. Aim to cover:

• whether you can do the job described, and if not, whether you can do part of it;
• what you need from them to give a firm price, such as photos, measurements or a visit;
• an indicative timescale for when you could start;
• any questions their message left open.

If the customer gave a budget, address it directly. If it is unrealistic, say so politely and explain what is achievable within it. Being candid at this stage saves both of you time.

Drafting replies with the assistant

During the free AI trial the lead reply assistant can draft a courteous reply for you to edit. These are drafts only; nothing is sent automatically, and you decide every word that goes out. Treat the draft as a starting structure, then add the specifics that only you know, such as availability and pricing.

Habits that help over time

• Check the leads page at least once on every working day.
• Mark leads as read as soon as you open them so nothing is mistaken for new.
• Keep the details on your public profile current, because customers read them before they write to you. Your listing dashboard flags missing fields.
• Archive leads you have finished with, rather than leaving them to pile up.

Next steps

• If you have not yet claimed your listing, start at Find my business; quote requests are only delivered to claimed, approved listings you manage.
• Open the leads page and clear any requests still marked new.
• Check the FAQ for how enquiries are delivered, and make sure your profile answers the common questions before customers have to ask.