How to Manage and Automate Quote Follow Ups

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How to Manage and Automate Quote Follow Ups

Sending a quote or cost estimate is only the first step. To convert more quotes into confirmed bookings, you need a consistent, trackable follow-up process.

OctopusPro provides a complete quote follow-up workflow:

  • Set a follow-up date on each quote
  • See all quotes due for follow-up in one place
  • Automate email and SMS quote reminders
  • Log and track phone call follow-ups
  • Allow customers to accept or decline quotes directly from their email or customer portal

This keeps your pipeline organized, helps your team know exactly who to contact next, and increases your quote-to-booking conversion rate.

Using Quote Follow-Up Reminders

Adding or removing a follow-up date from a quote

When you create or edit a quote, you can set a follow-up date so your team knows when to contact the customer again.

  1. Open the quote (new or existing).
  2. Turn on the Follow-up reminder toggle.
  3. Click the calendar icon and select the date you want to follow up.
    The date is saved automatically as the quote follow-up date (also referred to as the “To follow date” field).
  4. To stop follow-ups for this quote, simply switch off the Follow-up reminder toggle.
    This clears the follow-up date and removes the quote from follow-up lists and automations.

Updating the follow-up date from the quotes list

You can also manage follow-up dates directly from the Quotes list:

  1. Go to Quotes > All quotes.
  2. Filter or search for the quote you want to update.
  3. Either:
    • Click directly on the follow-up date shown in the list and select a new date, or
    • Click the Actions button and select Schedule follow-up.
  4. To stop follow-ups for that quote, turn off the Follow-up reminder flag in the follow-up popup.

Important:
If the quote status changes (for example, converted to booking, cancelled, or declined) or the Follow-up reminder flag is switched off, the quote is no longer counted as “due for follow-up” and will be excluded from automated reminders.

Viewing Quotes Due for Follow-Up (Admin Dashboard)

If you prefer to follow up manually, you can work from a central list of quotes that require attention.

  1. Go to Quotes > All quotes.
  2. Use the Follow-up filters or section to view quotes with a follow-up date that is due or overdue.
  3. From this list you can:
    • Open the quote record
    • Email or SMS the customer
    • Call the customer
    • Update the follow-up date or disable the follow-up reminder

This manual workflow ensures no quote is forgotten and gives your team full control over when and how each customer is contacted.

Once a quote’s status changes or its Follow-up reminder is disabled, it is automatically removed from the follow-up count and related lists.

Accepting and Declining Quotes

Customers can accept or decline quotes directly from their quote emails or through the customer portal, and admin users can manage the status from the back office. This gives you clear tracking, accurate reporting, and automatic control over follow-up reminders.

Declining a quote

For customers (via email or customer portal)

  1. Receive the quote
    The customer receives an email with their quote and (if enabled) a link to log in to the customer portal.
  2. Click the Decline button
    • In the quote email, they click “Decline Quote”.
    • If they’re logged into the customer portal, they can also decline the quote from within their portal quote view (when available).
  3. Confirmation
    Once the customer confirms:

    • The quote status is set to Declined.
    • The follow-up reminder is removed.
    • The quote is excluded from future quote follow-up reminders and follow-up lists.

For admins / businesses (manually declining)

Admins can decline quotes on the customer’s behalf for better tracking and reporting.

  1. Access the quote
    • Go to Quotes > All quotes.
    • Search or filter to find the quote you need to decline.
  2. Open actions
    • Click the Actions button (or equivalent) on the quote.
  3. Decline the quote
    • Select the option to Decline the quote.
    • In some workflows you may see options such as Decline all (for all fieldworkers) or individual decline options depending on your configuration.
  4. Add a decline reason (optional but recommended)
    • You can configure decline reasons for better reporting under:
      Settings > General Settings > Forms & Checklists.
    • Storing structured decline reasons helps you analyse why quotes are lost.

Once declined:

  • The quote status is changed to Declined.
  • The To follow date / follow-up reminder is cleared.
  • Quote follow-up automations stop for that quote.
  • The quote appears in Declined quote reports, giving you insight into lost opportunities.

Why decline in OctopusPro?

Declining a quote within OctopusPro instead of just “ignoring” it provides:

  • Clear status – moves the quote from To follow to Declined for clean tracking.
  • Automated management – automatically stops follow-up reminders.
  • Better reporting – shows how many quotes are declined and why.
  • Efficient reassignment – helps dispatchers reassign work efficiently when jobs are declined by customers or fieldworkers.

Accepting a quote

Quotes can be accepted directly by the customer via the email/portal link, or by your team by converting the quote into a booking from the back office.

For customers (via quote email / customer portal)

  1. Find the quote
    • The customer opens the quote email they received from your business.
  2. Click the Accept button
    • They click the “Accept Quote” button or link in the email.
    • This opens their customer portal to review the quote and proceed.
  3. Self-schedule (if enabled)
    • If self booking for customers is enabled in your customer portal settings, the customer can:
      • View live availability.
      • Select a preferred date and time.
      • Confirm the booking.
    • If self-booking is not enabled, the customer can accept the quote but cannot schedule themselves. In this case:
      • The quote is marked as accepted, and
      • Your admin/sales team will contact the customer to schedule the booking.
  4. Confirm
    • When the customer confirms, OctopusPro:
      • Updates the quote status (e.g. accepted / converted depending on your workflow).
      • Finalises the booking (for self-scheduling scenarios).
      • Stops further quote follow-up reminders.
      • Sends confirmations and notifications according to your settings.

For admins / office users (converting to a booking)

If the customer has accepted the quote (verbally, by email, or via the portal), an admin can convert the quote to a booking.

  1. Locate the quote
    • Go to Quotes > All quotes.
    • Find the approved quote.
  2. Convert to booking
    • Click the Actions button.
    • Select Convert to booking.
  3. Schedule the job
    • The booking form opens with customer, service, and pricing details pre-filled from the quote.
    • Add or update:
      • Booking date and time
      • Fieldworker(s)
      • Any additional booking details required
  4. Save and send
    • Save the booking.
    • OctopusPro can:
      • Update the quote status to reflect that it has been converted.
      • Send booking confirmations to the customer.
      • Update calendars and send calendar invites.
      • Send a PDF booking confirmation if configured.

Key features of the accept/convert workflow

  • Automated process
    • Statuses update automatically when quotes are accepted/converted.
    • Follow-up reminders stop once the quote is no longer pending.
  • Customer portal
    • Customers can review, accept, decline, schedule, and pay online (if payment options are enabled for your portal).
  • Fieldworker app
    • Fieldworkers can see accepted jobs in their schedule and manage appointments from the fieldworker app.

Activating and Configuring Quote Follow-Up Automation

Automated quote reminders help you maintain timely follow-ups without manual tracking.

1. Open automation settings

  1. Go to Settings > Communications > Automation.

2. Enable the quote follow-up automation job

In the Automation section you will see several jobs related to quotes.

  • Look for the “Quote reminder” automated job.
  • This job is linked to the quote’s To follow date field (the follow-up date).
  • Switch this job ON to enable automated quote reminder messages.

You can enable or disable other quote-related automation jobs as needed.

3. Configure reminder timing

Once the quote reminder automation is enabled, set when reminders should be sent:

  • Reminders are triggered based on the To follow date on each quote.
  • You can schedule reminders to go out a set number of days, weeks, or months after the follow-up date.
    • Example: Send a reminder 7 days after the To follow date if the quote is still pending.

4. Customize reminder templates

To adjust the content of your automated reminders:

  1. Go to Settings > Communications > Templates.
  2. Edit the email and SMS templates used by the quote reminder automation.
  3. Customize the subject, body text, placeholders, and branding to match your tone of voice and policies.

5. Set a maximum number of reminders (cap)

To avoid over-messaging customers, you can limit how many reminders are sent per quote:

  • In the quote reminder automation job, set the maximum number of reminders.
  • This helps protect your sender reputation and reduces spam complaints.
  • If you want reminders to continue until the quote is actioned, leave this field blank to allow ongoing reminders (until one of the stop conditions is met).

6. When automated reminders stop

OctopusPro automatically stops sending quote reminders when:

  • The quote is converted to a booking, or
  • The quote is declined by the customer or by an admin, or
  • The Follow-up reminder is manually turned off for that quote, or
  • The customer unsubscribes / opts out from further reminders.

Streamlining Quote Follow-Ups by Channel

You can follow up on quotes via email, SMS, and phone calls. OctopusPro supports both manual and automated communication.

Follow up via email

Manual emails

  • Ideal for personalized communication and high-value quotes.
  • Use email templates and canned responses to speed up sending while retaining a personal touch.
  • You can send individual or bulk manual emails directly from quotes or related lists.

Automated emails

  • Use the quote reminder automation to send scheduled follow-up emails after the follow-up date.
  • Example: send an email X days after the To follow date if there has been no response.
  • Automation ensures consistent, timely communication while your team focuses on sales and service delivery.

Follow up via text messages (SMS)

Manual SMS

  • Good for quick, direct communication, especially when customers prefer mobile contact.
  • Use SMS templates, canned responses, and placeholders to send professional messages quickly.
  • Manual SMS can be sent one-to-one or to multiple customers at once.

Automated SMS

  • Use the quote reminder automation with SMS templates to send automatic quote reminder texts.
  • All messages are stored in the message center, giving your team full visibility over quote-related conversations.

Phone call follow-ups (VoIP & direct calling)

For many service businesses, a phone call is still the most effective way to close a quote.

Integrated VoIP calls (e.g. Twilio)

  • Make follow-up calls directly from OctopusPro via browser or app.
  • Benefits:
    • Call logging against the quote/customer record.
    • Call recording (if enabled) for quality control and training.
    • Automatic recording of date, time, duration, and status.

Direct device calls

  • Trigger calls from your own phone, even if you are not fully using VoIP.
  • OctopusPro can log call attempts, so follow-up activity is still tracked.

Managing Quote Follow-Ups Effectively

Advanced automation with control

OctopusPro’s quote follow-up engine is designed to:

  • Automate repetitive reminder tasks
  • Maintain a clear list of quotes that need attention
  • Give admins the ability to pause or stop follow-ups at any time

You get automation where it helps most, while still being able to step in for high-touch, personalised follow-ups.

Respecting customer preferences

The system automatically honours customer choices:

  • If a quote is accepted, declined, or converted to a booking, follow-up reminders stop.
  • If a customer unsubscribes, the system stops sending further reminders to that customer as configured.

This prevents customers from receiving unnecessary messages and supports a positive customer experience.

Administrative control

Admins can:

  • Turn Follow-up reminder on or off per quote
  • Change the follow-up date at any time
  • Configure automation rules, templates, and reminder limits
  • Decide when to shift from automated reminders to direct outreach (email, SMS, phone)

Why Quote Follow-Up Matters

Following up on quotes is a core part of your sales process:

  • Keeps your business top of mind
  • Shows you are responsive and reliable
  • Gives customers an easy way to accept, decline, or ask questions
  • Helps you identify and resolve objections before you lose the opportunity

With OctopusPro managing reminders, tracking accept/decline actions, and logging communications, your team can focus on meaningful conversations that close more deals.

Limitations and Behaviour of the Follow-Up Date

  • The follow-up date (To follow date) is used for quote management only and does not affect booking schedules, invoice due dates, or other areas.
  • Customers will continue receiving automated quote follow-up reminders based on your settings unless:
    1. The quote is converted to a booking.
    2. The quote is declined (by customer or admin).
    3. An admin removes the follow-up date or turns off the Follow-up reminder flag.
    4. The customer clicks Decline quote or Unsubscribe in the email/SMS, which removes the follow-up.

Whether you manage a handful of quotes or hundreds, OctopusPro’s quote follow-up tools, accept/decline links, and customer portal workflows help you stay organised, respond faster, and convert more estimates into confirmed bookings.

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