What to ask when getting a quote over the phone

The five questions

Ask every business the same five questions, in the same order.

1. What's the price, or the price range?
2. What's included, and what costs extra?
3. What's the earliest date you can do it?
4. Is there a deposit, call-out fee or diagnostic fee?
5. How long does this price hold?

If they only give a range, ask what puts a job at the low or high end of it.

Details to give them

Give every business the same details, so the prices compare.

• Size or scope: rooms, square feet, or number of items.
• Make, model and year, for vehicles and appliances.
• Your rough address or area, since travel can change the price.
• Your timeline: a date, or a range like "any weekday next week".
• An offer to send photos by email.

Three short examples:

• Moving: "A two-bedroom apartment, third floor with an elevator, about 10 miles, on a weekday at the end of the month."
• Car repair: "A 2016 sedan with the check-engine light on. What's the diagnostic fee, and does it go toward the repair?"
• Home repair: "Paint two bedrooms, walls only, about 12 by 12 feet each. I can send photos."

How many quotes to get

Three is enough for most jobs.

Get more for large or unusual work, like a renovation or a long-distance move, where prices spread out more. If one quote is far below the rest, ask what it leaves out.

Put the answers in one table

Write each business on its own row, with one column per question.

• Business and phone number
• Price or range
• What's included
• Earliest date
• Deposit or fees
• Price holds until
• Notes, such as "needs a visit first"

Before you commit, ask the business you pick to send the quote by email or text.

Let Phone Bud call around

Phone Bud can make one call, or run a campaign that asks a list of businesses the same questions.

Type the business, its number and your questions. For a campaign, add a list of numbers. Each call ends with notes and a transcript, and a campaign puts the answers side by side in one table. More on the quotes page.

Here's a made-up example.

Limits

Phone prices are estimates, and Phone Bud reports what it was told.

• Some businesses quote only after a visit, or won't quote to an assistant. The notes say so.
• It can't pay deposits or give card details.
• It can't transfer the call to you.
• It introduces itself as your assistant, says it's an AI if asked, and never claims to be you or a person.
• It calls US and Canada numbers only.

Related

See how Phone Bud can call a store to check stock or call a business for you, ready-made phone call scripts, and how to leave a voicemail that gets a callback. All guides.

FAQ

What should I ask when getting a quote by phone?

The price, what's included, the earliest date, any deposit or fees, and how long the price holds.

How many quotes should I get?

Three is enough for most jobs. Get more for large or unusual work.

Is a price given over the phone binding?

Treat it as an estimate, and ask for it by email or text before you commit.

Can an AI call several businesses for quotes?

Yes. A Phone Bud campaign asks each one the same questions and puts the answers in one table.