How do I handle customers who demand a price over the phone?
Short answer
Give a real range when you can, and be honest about why an exact number requires eyes on the job. Refusing to give any number at all loses the call.
Refusing to answer at all costs you the lead
Customers ask for a price on the phone because they're trying to figure out if you're in their ballpark before they commit to a visit. A flat 'we can't quote over the phone' answer, with nothing else, reads as evasive and sends them to the next name on the list. A real range, with the caveat that the exact number depends on what the tech finds, keeps the lead moving and sets honest expectations.
The goal on the phone isn't to give a binding quote, it's to make sure the customer isn't wildly off on what this category of job costs before they book the visit.
Some things genuinely can't be ranged
A water heater replacement, a common repair, or a straightforward install can get a real range on the phone. An intermittent electrical fault or a leak with no visible source truly cannot, and saying so, with the reason, is more credible than making up a number.
Giving a phone range for a common job
Customer
“How much to replace a water heater?”
You
“For a standard 40 or 50 gallon tank replacement, most jobs run $1,400 to $2,200 depending on the unit and whether we need to bring anything up to current code. I can get you a firm number once the tech sees the install, usually within a few minutes of arriving. Want me to get you on the schedule?”
Do not say
- “Don't say 'it depends' with no range at all, it sounds like you're hiding something or you don't know your own pricing.”
Where owners get this wrong
- Refusing to give any number and losing the lead to a competitor who will.
- Giving a lowball number to book the visit, then shocking the customer with the real price on-site.
- Quoting a range so wide it's useless, like '$500 to $5,000.'
Ask your version of this question
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Now run it against your numbers.
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