For me it is clear. As soon as they don't want to give a cc to be on file to guarantee the booking.
That's a big one! I require CC and a deposit on all quotes before we even put them on the schedule. It cuts down on a lot of tire kickers and helps with cash flow.
I'm running into this a lot lately. I typically do "free estimates"...well it's free to them. It costs me a good bit in gas, driving time, meeting time, and time putting together an estimate (for the more complicated jobs). Plus, I'm not getting 75% of those jobs. My handyman business is only two years old and I'm still working on building a customer base. Just wondering, when do I stop doing estimates for free?
Been there with my lady employer amd with my own company. You stop offering free estimated "like everyone else" when you start believing that the value you offer is (a) better than others and (b) value your time and expertise as worth charging for. *you just need to work on how you communicate that value on the phone to weed them out before driving there. And raise your prices to continue validating that you are not "like everyone else". Compete on value, not price. What makes songwriting a good deal is not price, it's more VALUE than the price. The inspection is $99, the estimate is free. Then roll the cost into the job. Once they commit some money, they are likely to continue
Auto correct ☝️last employer
Maybe instead of a free estimate, figure out how you can implement some sort of lead magnet like a "47 step checklist home owners are avoiding" that someone can purchase which allows you to do their diagnostic call in person, you walk through the checklist and prescribe the fixes they need, and whatever they purchased for the checklist you just apply to their final fix. So you no longer just head out to people's homes for free and only work with the individuals who raised their hand.
