Hey Team,
A hauler who just picked up the Complete System emailed me this week.
He's got 11 years of customer service experience. Sharp guy. Already running jobs. And he's losing money on photo quotes because jobs are coming in bigger than the pictures showed.
He asked how we handle it.
I'm sharing my answer here because I guarantee he's not the only one.
Here's the framework:
Photos get you in the door. They don't set the final price.
When a customer sends photos, we send back a soft range not a hard number.
"Based on what I'm seeing, this looks like a $400–$600 job depending on what's underneath and how much is there when we arrive. We'll confirm the exact price on-site before we touch anything."
That one response does three things. It gives them a ballpark so they're not walking in blind. It sets the expectation that the price could adjust. And it positions the on-site confirmation as a benefit to them we're being thorough, not shady.
When we arrive, we walk the job, assess the real scope, and confirm the final price face to face. That's when the guarantee kicks in. Once we confirm on-site, that number is locked. No surprises from that point forward.
If the scope changes mid-job with buried work or specialty items you stop, communicate, and give them the choice before you continue. "There's more here than what we quoted for. It would be another $150 to finish. Want me to keep going or stop here?" That's professional. Most customers respect it.
One more thing.
Stop saying "it's just an estimate and could be more." That language makes customers nervous before you've even started. Instead say: "I'll confirm the exact price before we start so there are no surprises." Same information. Completely different feeling. The first one signals uncertainty. The second one signals control.
Soft range from photos. Hard number confirmed on-site. Guarantee starts after confirmation.
That's the system. Tighten that process and the pricing headaches go away.
This is one piece of what the Offer Playbook covers in full how to package and price your service so you stop losing margin on jobs you should be winning.
– Tanner
P.S. — If you've got a question like this one — something you're running into in your business right now — hit reply and send it. I read every one. The best ones end up here.