Quoting and Payments

How do you follow up on a kitchen quote without sounding desperate?

6 min read

Kitchen fitting is a high-consideration purchase. The average UK homeowner takes 3 to 6 weeks to commit to a £12,000 to £35,000 kitchen, and most fitters lose the deal in that gap because they sent the quote and went quiet. This article gives you the exact 14-day follow-up sequence that recovers around 25% of the quotes you would otherwise have written off.

Why do most kitchen quotes go cold?

Three reasons. The customer is comparing four quotes and forgets which fitter sent which. The customer is waiting on a partner to agree before signing. The customer is genuinely interested but distracted by life and needs a nudge. None of those reasons mean "no" — they mean "not yet, and remind me".

When should the first follow-up go out?

Day 3 after the quote is sent. Earlier feels pushy; later and you are forgotten. The first message is short, friendly, and asks one specific question: "Did the layout work for the way you cook?" — not "Have you decided yet?" Specific questions get replies. Generic chases get ignored.

What does the full 14-day sequence look like?

Day 3: short specific question. Day 7: a relevant case study photo of a similar kitchen you fitted nearby. Day 10: a soft deadline, e.g. "I have a slot in March if you would like to hold it". Day 14: a clean break message — "I will assume timing is not right; happy to pick this up whenever you are ready". The Day 14 message recovers more deals than any other because it removes the pressure.

Should I phone or email for kitchen follow-ups?

SMS for Days 3, 7, and 14. Email with attached case study for Day 10. Phone calls feel intrusive at this stage and mostly hit voicemail anyway. The data on UK home services follow-ups consistently shows SMS open rates above 95% versus email at 25 to 35%.

How do I run this sequence without doing it manually?

Set it up once in The Keystone OS. The system triggers the sequence the moment you mark a quote as "sent", pauses automatically when the customer replies, and resumes if they go cold again. You write the templates once and recover 25% more revenue forever.

Frequently asked questions

How long should I wait before following up on a kitchen quote?

Three days for the first nudge, then days 7, 10, and 14. Earlier than day 3 feels pushy, later than day 14 is forgotten.

What should the first follow-up message say?

Ask one specific question about the design, not "have you decided?". For example: "Did the layout work for the way you cook?" Specific questions get replies; generic chases get ignored.

Is SMS or email better for kitchen follow-ups?

SMS for short nudges (95%+ open rate in the UK), email for longer messages with attached case studies. Phone calls feel intrusive at the quote stage and rarely connect.

Can I automate the whole sequence?

Yes. The Keystone OS triggers a 14-day sequence when you mark a quote as sent, pauses on customer reply, and resumes if they go cold. You write the templates once.

Where to next?

Local pages for kitchen fitters

Ready to plug the leak?

The Keystone OS is built for UK kitchen fitters turning over £500k to £5m. Only one kitchen fitter per postcode — once your area is taken, no other kitchen fitter in the same district can use the system. Check if your postcode is still open, or run the 60-second loss calculator to see what your firm is losing today.