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Give an estimate, then book an inspection visit

Customers get a clear answer on price straight away, and jobs that need a look first go straight onto your technicians’ calendar.

Good for
  • Painting and renovation
  • Pest control
  • Plumbing and electrical
  • Moving and installation

The situation

Section titled “The situation”

Many home-service jobs cannot be priced exactly without seeing them. Customers still want a rough idea before they invite anyone in. Answering “it depends” loses them; guessing a number causes arguments later. The better path: a real estimate for standard jobs, and an inspection visit for everything else.

How it works

Section titled “How it works”
CustomerAsks the price for a job
tkanaAsks the service, job size, and location
tkanaGives an estimate from your price list
tkanaBooks the job at a free time
Standard job: estimate and book
CustomerDescribes a job outside your price list
tkanaBooks an inspection visit, or opens a ticket for a custom quote
Your teamInspects and sends the final quote
Job that needs a look first

What the conversation looks like

Section titled “What the conversation looks like”

Customer: How much does it cost to paint a living room?

Agent: Happy to give you an estimate. Roughly how big is the room, and do the walls need any repairs before painting?

Customer: About 30 square metres, but there are cracks and some damp on one wall.

Agent: Thank you. Damp and cracks need to be checked before we can give a reliable price, so a technician should see the wall first. I can book an inspection visit on Tuesday at 4 pm or Wednesday at 10 am. Which suits you?

Customer: Wednesday at 10.

Agent: Done. Your inspection visit is booked for Wednesday at 10 am. Your booking reference is PP-3HT9WD.

What you switch on

Section titled “What you switch on”
  1. Put your price list in your knowledge base, with units (square metres, rooms, units) and what changes the price. Say clearly which jobs always need an inspection. See Add a document to your knowledge base.
  2. Set your quoting rules in Additional Guidelines, for example “Quote only from the price list and call it an estimate. Jobs with damp, cracks, or anything not in the list need an inspection visit.” See Write your content, FAQs, and guidelines.
  3. Create an “Inspection visit” service linked to your technicians, and install Book appointments. See Set up your services and resources.
  4. Or keep a person in the loop: install Request appointments instead, so your team confirms every visit. Install one of the two booking skills, not both.
  5. Check Support tickets has a Support team email, for custom-quote requests.
  6. Optional: if customers often do not know which service they need, describe each service in your knowledge base by the problem it solves, such as “Damp treatment: for peeling paint or wet patches on walls”.

What your team sees

Section titled “What your team sees”
  • Inspection visits in the calendar, with the conversation one click away, so the technician knows what to expect.
  • Custom-quote tickets on the tickets board, usually in the Service request category.
  • Visit requests as a Requested appointment card on the ticket, if you use Request appointments. Click Create booking to confirm. See Take appointment requests for your team to confirm.

Tips and limits

Section titled “Tips and limits”
  • The agent never makes up a number. A job not covered by your price list always goes to your team.
  • The estimate is only as good as your price list. Add the factors that change the price (access, height, condition, materials) so the agent can mention them.
  • With Request appointments nothing is reserved, so two customers can ask for the same time. Your team decides who gets it.

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