When the client says yes — booking the job in after the quote
The days between the yes and day one are where jobs slip away. This guide shows how to confirm the yes in writing, give a start date, and ask for a deposit. It also covers when to order materials and what the client must decide first. It ends with what to do when a yes goes quiet.
When a client accepts your quote, reply in writing the same day. Recap the work, the price and what is not included. Give a start date, or a date by which you will give one. Say what makes the date firm, such as a deposit. Order materials after that. If the client goes quiet, follow up twice, then release the date in writing.
The client says yes. You feel the job is won. It is not booked yet. Nobody has agreed a date, nobody has written anything down, and the client may still be thinking. A few short messages close that gap.
Why the yes is not the end
The time between the yes and the first day is where jobs slip away. There is no date, so the client waits. There is no record, so the details drift. The client goes quiet, or books someone who gave a date first. Each of these is cheap to prevent.
Get the yes in writing
Reply to the client's message with a short recap. State the work, the price, and the quote reference. State what is not included. Ask the client to reply "yes, that is right".
A text or email reply is a record both of you can read later. For a bigger job, point to your terms and conditions. This guide gives no legal advice. If the stakes are high, ask a professional.
The client said yes by phone? Send the recap anyway. It takes two minutes.
Give a date, or a date for the date
A client who has said yes wants a start date. You may not know it yet. Give one of two things:
- A pencilled date. You hold the date for a set time. Say how long.
- A date for the date. "I will confirm the day by Friday." The client knows when to expect news.
Say what makes a date firm. It can be a deposit, or a written yes. Then the client knows where the booking stands.
The deposit
A deposit makes a date firm. It also pays for materials. The guide on deposits and progress invoices shows how to set the amount. The ask itself is a short message. You can copy it from the quote follow-ups pack.
Order materials after the date is firm
Do not buy materials on a pencilled date. If the client cancels, you hold the cost. Wait for the deposit or the written yes. Then order. The guide on who buys the materials covers who pays up front. The materials up-front check shows how much cash you put in.
What the client must decide or prepare
Some jobs cannot start until the client chooses a colour or a fitting. Others need a clear room, or access to the house. List each item. Give a date for each one. For example: "Please choose the tiles by 14 October, so I can order them."
One message with a short list works better than five loose texts.
A yes that goes quiet
Sometimes the client says yes, and then you hear nothing. No date is agreed.
- Send a first follow-up. Offer two dates.
- A few days later, send a second. Try a call.
- Then send a written note. Say you release the date, and that you are happy to find another when the client is ready.
Keep the tone calm. The message frees a slot in your diary.
Keep it in one place
In BizBinder, set the job's scheduled date. Move it out of "quote" when you agree the work. Add a note with what was agreed and when. Then the job holds its own history.
BizBinder does not accept the quote for the client. It does not send a booking message. You write and send each message yourself.
Where the other guides pick up
- Before the yes: chasing a quote you sent.
- The day before the job: keeping the client updated.
- The client cancels: cancellations and no-shows.
- The client adds work: extra work and scope scripts.
The scripts for all of this
The booking in pack has six scripts for these messages. They cover the recap, a phone yes, a pencilled date and a confirmed date. They also cover a far-off start and what you need from the client. Fill in your details once, and every script updates.
Common questions
Is a "yes" by text enough?
A text or email is a record both of you can read later. That is better than a spoken yes. Reply with a short recap of the work, the price and what is not included. For a bigger job, point to your terms. This guide gives no legal advice.
How long should I hold a date with no deposit?
Pick a short, fixed time, such as three to five days. Tell the client the end date when you offer it. When the time ends and you have heard nothing, release the date in writing.
When should I order the materials?
Order after the date is firm. A date is firm when the client pays the deposit or confirms in writing. Ordering earlier puts the cost on you if the client cancels.
Does BizBinder handle quote acceptance?
No. BizBinder has no quote acceptance or approval step, and no e-sign. You set the job's status and scheduled date, and you add a note with what the client agreed and when.
Want the agreed date and terms kept with the job?
BizBinder has no quote acceptance step and sends no booking messages. You send each message yourself. It does give each job a status, a scheduled date and a dated notes history. Set the date, move the job out of quote, and add a note with what you agreed.
You are on the list.
A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.
- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.
- guide How to price a job so the number holds up The quote works only if its number works. Start with the price, then write it up.
- tool Free Quote & Estimate Generator Fill in your business and client details. Add line items, mark any as optional, and set a deposit. A clean quote builds as you type. Turn it into an invoice with one click.
- tool Quote & invoice terms builder Tick the clauses that fit the job and fill in your numbers once. You get a plain-English terms block. Copy it, print it, or send it into the quote generator.