Delayed responses to enquiries: why specialist firms are missing out on opportunities

A enquiry comes in whilst you’re with a customer, up a ladder or have finally started your evening. Yet that visitor expects a prompt response. Responding to enquiries too late is therefore rarely a matter of disinterest, but usually down to a process that doesn’t fit with how a specialist company operates.

A standard email inbox is often the weak link here. An enquiry ends up buried amongst emails from suppliers, newsletters and messages you meant to look at later. By the time you spot it, you first have to work out exactly what the customer wants. That makes responding quickly unnecessarily difficult.

Why do new enquiries get left lying in your inbox?

An email inbox is designed for messages, not for following up on sales opportunities. You don’t always immediately recognise which message is a serious enquiry. And if several people are checking the same inbox, it quickly becomes unclear who should make contact.

On top of that, enquiries rarely arrive at a convenient time. Many private customers look at verandas, window frames or sun blinds in the evening, at the weekend or between appointments. You’re often out and about or not at work at those times.

These are common reasons why following up on new enquiries gets neglected:

• The enquiry gets lost amongst other emails.
• The customer has provided too little information to be able to respond straight away.
• No one knows who is responsible for calling them back.
• You only see the enquiry when you’re back at your computer.
• The customer receives no confirmation and doesn’t know whether their message has been received.

The latter may seem like a minor issue, but to the customer, silence can quickly feel like a lack of interest. Especially if they’re requesting information from several companies.

Why does an incomplete enquiry take extra time?

Imagine: a customer sends a message on a Saturday evening saying: “How much does a canopy cost?” That’s not much to go on. What are the width and depth? What sort of roof? Is installation required? What colour and extra options does the customer want?

You send an email back on Monday with questions. The customer replies to some of them on Tuesday. Then there’s another round of questions. Before you know it, a week has gone by before you can even quote a price.

That’s not because you’re slow. The problem is that the information only comes in bit by bit. You can only reply to an enquiry straight away if you know immediately what it’s about.

A configurator can handle this differently for products with a fixed pricing structure. The visitor first selects dimensions, materials and options, sees a price that updates in real time, and then submits their enquiry. Via the configurator for quotation requests, that enquiry comes through with the selections and the calculated price included. You then don’t have to start calculating from scratch before you respond.

Not every enquiry fits into a form. With a complex renovation or a tricky situation, you often need to visit the site first. But even then, it helps to ask the basic questions in advance: what work is involved, where is it, what are the approximate dimensions, and when does the customer want to start?

How can you respond more quickly to leads when you’re out and about?

Responding more quickly to leads doesn’t start with refreshing your inbox all day long. It starts with ensuring that a new enquiry stands out the moment it comes in.

With notifications on your phone, you’ll be alerted straight away to things like a new configurator enquiry, a chat message or an accepted quote. You decide for yourself which notifications you want to receive. That way, you don’t have to check every email to see if anything important has come in.

A second step is to have the enquiry land in one central location. If the details, conversations and quotation are all linked to the same customer file, you won’t need to search through separate folders or private messages. A colleague can also take over the conversation without the customer having to repeat everything. You can read more about this under ‘Centralised customer data management’.

Also think about the initial response. It doesn’t always have to be a phone call. If you’re at work and can’t call straight away, an automatic confirmation is useful. The customer will then know that the enquiry has been received and what they can expect.

What happens with an automatic confirmation?

An automatic confirmation is no substitute for personal contact. It is an initial indication that you have seen the customer’s enquiry. This prevents someone from thinking, after a few hours, that the form didn’t work or from looking elsewhere.

You can keep such a message brief and to the point. For example: the enquiry has been received, you’ll review it and get back to them. If the customer has already sent a complete specification, you can respond to it in a much more targeted way later on.

Practical example: a sun protection company receives many enquiries outside working hours in the spring. Previously, these all arrived in a general email account. On Monday mornings, someone first had to sort through the messages to find the new ones, then ask for measurements and control details, and only then calculate a price.

With a form where the customer selects the width, projection, fabric, frame colour and operating mechanism, the enquiry is received in a much more complete form. The owner receives a notification on his phone and the customer gets an immediate confirmation. He may not be able to conduct the full sales conversation on a Sunday evening, but he does know which enquiry requires priority attention on Monday morning.

For appointments that require a visit, you can also let customers choose an available time themselves. Letting customers book their own appointments saves back-and-forth messaging and gets the initial conversation underway more quickly.

What do you still need to do yourself when new enquiries come in?

Automatic confirmations, notifications and complete enquiries take the preparatory work off your hands. They speed things up and ensure enquiries don’t go unnoticed. But they don’t automatically conduct the conversation that wins a customer over.

You still need to make time to call back, answer questions and assess whether a job is suitable. Personal contact is essential, particularly for larger sums or unusual situations. The difference is that you no longer have to start by searching, calculating and asking questions.

So make a simple agreement with yourself or your team: who handles new enquiries, when does this happen, and what do you do if you can’t call straight away? Set up a task where necessary and keep ongoing processes visible. This way, ensuring enquiries aren’t missed becomes a standard working practice rather than just a good intention for a quiet Monday.

Would you like to see how Klantly can support your specialist business with notifications, complete enquiries and follow-up? Get started for free and discover what’s possible, with no obligation.