AI chat tools · ChatGPT · Claude · Grok · All guides
AI chat for estimate follow-up
Most open fence estimates die from silence, not price. A chat tool can draft the nudge in seconds. You keep it honest and send it yourself.
The cadence we recommend
- Same daySend the estimate with a two-line summary: what is included, what is not, and when you can start.
- Day 2Short check-in. Ask if they have questions on gates, height, or material.
- Day 5Last nudge. Offer a quick call. Mention the real install window.
- Park itNo reply? Tag it for spring or fall and stop. Long drip sequences feel like spam on a fence bid.
Prompts
Prompt · Day 2 follow-upAny chat assistant
Write a text message follow-up for a fence estimate. Facts: 160 ft 6 ft cedar privacy, 1 walk gate, sent estimate Monday. Our next open install window is the week of the 18th. Tone: like a local contractor, not a marketer. Under 300 characters. No emojis. End with a simple question.
Prompt · Price objection, honestAny chat assistant
A homeowner says our quote is higher than another bid. I do not know the other bid's details. Draft a reply that asks what is included in theirs (post depth, concrete, gate hardware, haul-off, permit) and briefly explains what is in ours: [paste our line items]. Do not trash the competitor. Do not offer a discount. Under 120 words.
Prompt · Lost-bid logAny chat assistant
Here are my notes from 10 lost fence bids this month (customer names removed). Group them by likely reason (price, timing, scope, no response, went DIY). For each group give me one change I could test on the next 10 bids. Only use what is in the notes. Say so if the sample is too small to tell. [paste notes]
Do not
- Do not let it make up urgency ("prices go up Friday") unless it is true.
- Do not send AI text without reading it. One wrong gate count kills trust.
- Do not blast every lead the same message. Two sentences of real job detail beats a template.
Shop guardrails
- Never paste full customer card numbers, bank info, SSNs, or gate codes into any chat tool.
- Strip names and addresses when you can. Job number + street name is usually enough context.
- Check the business terms of the plan you pay for. Free consumer tiers and business tiers can treat your data differently.
- A human sends it. Drafts go out only after someone in the office reads them.
- No invented numbers. If the tool gives you a price, lead time, or code rule you did not feed it, throw it out.