Confirm delivery
Record the sent date, estimate version, amount or range, delivery channel, project, and customer contact preference. Confirm the customer received and can access the correct version.
Lead response SOP 03
Estimate Follow-Up SOP
Give every open estimate an owner, a useful next touch, and a documented outcome—without pressuring homeowners or relying on somebody’s memory.
Purpose and ownership
The estimate is not finished when the PDF is sent.
This SOP begins when an estimate is delivered. Its purpose is to confirm receipt, answer useful questions, capture the customer’s decision, and keep every open opportunity tied to one responsible person and one dated next action.
Primary ownerThe estimator, salesperson, or named coordinator—not “the office.”
First checkpointConfirm delivery the same business day when practical and verify that the customer can open the estimate.
Done meansSold, declined, postponed with a review date, unable to reach after the approved sequence, or closed for another documented reason.
The operating procedure
Confirm → Own → Help → Resolve
Assign one owner and one next action
The estimate owner schedules the next follow-up before leaving the record. If ownership transfers, record the new owner and the reason. An unassigned estimate is an exception requiring manager review.
Review context before every touch
Check for replies, calls, appointments, revised scopes, financing questions, objections, changes in availability, contact preferences, and stop requests. Never send an automated message over an active human conversation.
Follow up with something useful
Ask whether the estimate was received, offer to clarify scope, inclusions, exclusions, options, or next steps, and answer the customer’s actual question. Do not invent urgency, discounts, availability, or savings.
Escalate engagement to the owner
Positive replies, scope questions, objections, price questions, financing requests, complaints, and requests to revise the work go to a qualified human. Automation may organize and notify; it should not negotiate or change the estimate.
Close the loop
Record sold, declined, postponed, lost reason, no-response completion, or another approved outcome. Stop further messages when requested and preserve the reason so the estimate does not re-enter an active sequence.
Example cadence
Use a short sequence that fits the buying cycle.
| Timing | Purpose | Owner action |
|---|---|---|
| Same business day | Confirm the correct estimate arrived and can be opened. | Fix delivery problems immediately; schedule the next touch. |
| About 2 business days later | Offer to explain scope, inclusions, exclusions, and next steps. | Review any reply before sending; handle questions personally. |
| About days 5–7 | Provide a useful clarification tied to the project or decision. | Do not manufacture scarcity or repeat the same “checking in” message. |
| About days 10–14 | Close the loop without pressure and invite a clear status. | Close, postpone with a review date, or schedule an agreed next action. |
This is a starting cadence, not a universal rule. Adjust it for the project type, sales cycle, prior conversation, customer preference, local communication rules, and promised timeline. A reply pauses the sequence until the owner reviews it.
Copyable scripts
Make the next message useful.
Receipt confirmation
Hi [First name], this is [Name] with [Company]. I wanted to confirm that you received the estimate for [project] and that the file opens correctly. Is there anything in the scope, options, or next steps you would like me to explain?
Helpful question follow-up
Hi [First name], I’m following up on the estimate for [project]. If it would help, I can walk through what is included, the exclusions, or the proposed next steps so you can compare your options clearly. What question would be most useful to answer?
Close-the-loop message
Hi [First name], I’m closing the loop on the estimate for [project]. If your plans changed or you prefer no further follow-up, let me know and I’ll update our records. If the project is postponed or you still have questions, reply with what would be helpful and the best time to reconnect.
Need different wording? Use the free Estimate Follow-Up Builder. It creates an editable draft locally and does not send anything automatically.
Status and escalation rules
Keep the pipeline honest.
| Status | Required next step | Stop or escalate |
|---|---|---|
| Sent—unconfirmed | Verify delivery and access; correct email or phone details if needed. | Escalate repeated delivery failures to the owner. |
| Customer has questions | Pause automation and assign the estimator or qualified team member. | Do not let a sequence answer pricing, scope, warranty, or technical questions without review. |
| Revision requested | Create and identify a new version; retire the earlier version from active follow-up. | Do not follow up using outdated scope or pricing. |
| Postponed | Record the customer’s reason and agreed review date. | Do not keep the active cadence running. |
| Declined or opted out | Close immediately and record the stated reason when voluntarily provided. | Stop promotional and estimate follow-up as required. |
| No response after approved sequence | Close or move to an approved long-term status with a future review date. | Do not leave it open indefinitely or continue repetitive messages. |
Measurement
Track process health before claiming revenue impact.
CoveragePercentage of open estimates with one owner and one dated next action.
ActivityDelivery-confirmation rate, touches completed on time, reply rate, and average days open.
OutcomeSold, declined, postponed, revised, no-response, and lost-reason rates—plus collected revenue when available.
Compare a documented starting position with later results. Do not attribute every sale to follow-up or promise appointments, sales, revenue, or savings. Track workload and opt-outs so a “better” sequence does not create a worse customer experience.
Manager checklist
Put the SOP into operation.
Put it into practice
Start free—or get hands-on help.
Draft a message with the free builder. For a roofing team that wants help setting up ownership, a tracker, approved messages, and a closing review, the fixed-scope 14-day pilot is $500 with no automatic renewal. Scope and delivery capacity are confirmed before payment.