A customer who gets a quote is deciding three things at once: whether to trust you, whether the price is fair, and whether it is worth fixing at all. A good quote makes all three easier.
ON THIS PAGE
What the customer is worried about
What belongs on it
Words that help and words that do not
Give a choice when you can
When to ask for a deposit
Following up without nagging
An example, in full
Where software helps
They have handed over something they depend on, and they do not know what is going on inside it. The quote is the first proof that you do. They are looking for three things: that you understood the problem, that the price is not a trick, and that they know what happens next.
Their device and the fault, in their words. "iPhone 13, screen cracked after a drop, touch not working at the bottom." It shows you listened.
What you found. One or two plain sentences. "The glass and the display underneath are both damaged." Not "digitiser failure".
What you will do. "Replace the screen and test the touch, camera and Face ID before we hand it back."
The price, split in two. Part and labour. People trust a price they can see the shape of.
What is not included. If the back glass is also cracked and you are not fixing it, say so now.
How long it will take. A day, or "ready by Thursday". Give a real answer, even if it is a range.
The warranty. How long, and what it covers.
How long the quote is good for. A date, so part prices cannot catch you out.
How to say yes. One obvious thing to tap or reply.
Write it the way you would say it across the counter. Skip the jargon, and be careful with "approximately" and "from". A quote that says "from £89" reads as £89 and turns into £140. If the price depends on what you find, say what it depends on and give the highest it could be.
Be straight about bad news. "It is repairable, but at £160 it costs more than a good second-hand one" loses you a job and wins you a customer who tells people.
Two part qualities at two prices works better than one price and a discount. The customer picks, and the pick is theirs. It also gives you an honest answer to "is there anything cheaper?"
Ask when you have to order a part that you cannot return, or the job is large enough that walking away would hurt. Say why in one sentence: "we order the part as soon as the deposit is paid." Most people accept a reason they can follow.
A quote that goes quiet usually has not been refused. It has been put off. One short follow-up after a couple of days is fine, and a second near the date the quote expires. After that, leave it. Make each message about helping: offer to answer a question, or to look at a cheaper option. Do not send the same message twice.
If someone says no, ask why. The answers are very often the same three: too dear, found it cheaper, decided to replace it. They tell you more about your pricing than any report.
It is short, it says what happened in their words, it gives the price in two parts and offers a choice, and it ends with one thing to do.
The slow part of quoting is rarely the writing. It is remembering to send it, keeping a copy, and following up. In do.repair the customer approves from a link or by replying ACCEPT, a decline asks why and keeps the answer, and a quiet quote is followed up for you. You can do all of that with a notebook and a diary if you are disciplined.
How to price phone repairs
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