Phil Risher says customers aren't just hunting for the cheapest price. They're trust shopping. When someone asks for an estimate, ask diagnostic questions first, starting with "Why are you calling me now?" This positions you as a problem-solver, not a commodity.
You think customers are price shopping? A lot of them are trust shopping. When they reach out to your business and they say, how much does it cost to get my ducts cleaned? How much does it cost to get my toilet replaced? The way that you answer is how they evaluate, am I going to work with this company or not? If you just go and just give them a price, you're instantly a commodity. No trust built. If you go into, hey, let me ask you a couple questions, learn about your specific situation, and be able to give you some type of a price estimate and start to build trust with them. The first question you should ask is, why are you calling me now? What's going on with your toilet? Why do you think that this is a good time? Instant trust builder. If you're just getting price shopped, you're definitely not building trust and you're not asking that question.
The companies that win the next five years won't be the ones gaming the system.
