Tips for Pre Screeing Customers on the Phone

You don't want just any customers, you want exceptional customers that pay their bills quickly and won't nickle and dime you on each job you do. I offer free estimates but if a customer specifically ask for a "free written estimate," that raises a red flag for me. I have learned over the years that approximately 80 percent of customers that ask specifically for a "free written estimate" want a few things but normally they will not hire you to do the job. They either want multiple written bids for their home owners insurance so they can get the money and do it themselves or have a friend do it or they want a written bid to negotiate with another contractor on price. I don't want to waste my time on dead end leads so I will normally let these calls go.