Snotty Email

I went to look at a fencing job a fortnight ago - I was responsive to the enquiry, travelled the distance to see the job (30miles from home), arrived on time, polite etc etc BUT made the decision that the job wasn't going to be for me. I let it be and I've just received the following email:

"After waiting for quite a number of weeks for a price for some fencing following a visit from you we have decided to accept a quote from another company.
I am very disappointed with your customer service, if you weren\'t interested in our job then it would have been better to have told us instead of not bothering to send a quote.
I certainly wouldn\'t recommend your company to anyone I know."

Rightly or wrongly I didn't go back to them for my own reasons - crap job, awkward digging, boundary problems, working next to main road and generally did not get the right feel about the place.

I'm this close to replying "Dear Mrs Smith, Thank you for your feedback - I hve printed it off and used it to set the fire. Kind regards".

No, thats not wise but does it really bloody matter. I've had a few plumbers at my house to price and some have taken weeks to reply and some haven't at all. Should I write them a snotty letter or is my life not that s*it that it matters?

Replies

PRO

Andrew Watts January 25, 2016 at 10:20pm

Ignore, but in the future let people know if the job is not for you and perhaps recommend an alternative supplier.
- Paul McNulty > Andrew Watts January 25, 2016 at 10:53pm
  
  Got to agree. It's polite to let them know that you aren't going to quote: they might have really liked you and you sound like you were enthusiastic when you went to look at the job?
  
  A next-day email to say "sorry, but we can't quote for xxxxxx reason" is better than leaving them thinking they've found a good company, then they are back to starting again?
  
  You never know what a contact might lead on to, so always be up-front with them and say no. People respect that more than not replying for weeks. Sorry!
B F January 25, 2016 at 10:29pm

Thats not for me to recommend others as that never happens in return.

Just goes to show though, my gut said 'don't bother' and a week later I get an email like that - why would I want to work with someone like that and get £thousands deep.

I will ignore, as I am, and my life is better. (says the man thats started a thread to bitch about it...)
- Paul McNulty > B F January 25, 2016 at 11:01pm
  
  Most of my business is built on recommending others.
  
  I don't do trees, but my tree guy doesn't do maintenance. For 20 years now we've swapped recommendations, and we've both earned a lot of work from a good relationship.
  
  Same with my landscaper, patio cleaner, fencer, all the contacts you build up.
  
  If you don't get anything in return, at least consider that your clients are happy that you've passed hem on to a great contact. It all comes around if you can pass on work you don't do yourself, but the client gets the job done well?
Andrew Midgley January 25, 2016 at 10:52pm

I always make the point when viewing a possible job to inform the customer that am interested or I am not after viewing the job in question. I looked at a job several years ago to do a hedge cutting quote that turned into a hedge reduction quote using chainsaws and ladders. I told them there and then that the job was too big for me. They appreciated my honesty. I make it a point to accept or decline jobs there and then.
Geoff Norfolk January 25, 2016 at 11:03pm

Sorry but I think the customer has a fair point............ you should have let them know the situation and I don't think you can have any complaints about their email........ in their position, I wouldn't have been too happy either.
Andrew Midgley January 26, 2016 at 6:55am

So often you hear of customers saying 'I have had several people turning up to give quotes but not heard anything from them' or 'I had a quote but the guy never turned up to do the job'. This is probably one of the reasons why your potential customer sent you that email. Customers want to know a. how much is it? b. Are you interested? c. When can you do it? Earlier on in my business, I had a message on the phone which I heard when I got back from work. I couldn't be bothered to phone back that evening. The next evening, I made that call and the guy said he find someone else yesterday. This prove the point that you have to make contact and inform them when you can give a quote or if you are interested in the job.

Life's too short to send a response now but learn from this.
Edward Botheras January 26, 2016 at 6:56am

Got to agree with Geoff I'm afraid. I wouldn't have bothered quoting for the job if I had a bad feeling about it. I would have phoned to say I was too busy or whatever.
PRO

Simon Land January 26, 2016 at 7:30am

I agree with the consensus. Talking to many potential clients I hear the same thing over and over again about contractors making appointments but not turning up, not returning enquiries, or never bothering to put in a price following a site visit - it really annoys customers and it would be annoying for me as well!

Personally my rule is always turn up to every appointment you make and always get back to people and let them know whether you want the work or not.

You have to remember that you may be talking to a customer who wants to tell all their friends about the service they received from 'ABC Gardening/Plumbing/Electrician', and their feedback can be either positive or negative.
PRO

Phil Voice January 26, 2016 at 7:56am

I wrote this a few years back:

Tips on choosing your clients

http://www.landscapejuice.com/2008/03/how-to-select-y.html