Quotes
Table of Contents
A Quote is the first step in understanding what services a potential client wants. Your invoice application was configured so that the potential client fills out most of the quote details for you. Then with the additional details you gather from them, you might be editing the Quote record prior to sending it out for review.
If your Quote is approved, an Invoice record is automatically created, but not sent to the client. This allows you to update the Invoice Date according to your business process.
Email Notification
The Quote process is started by your potential client filling out and submitting your services form on the website.
Two things happen after they submit the form:
- A Sliced Quote record is created with the details provided by the potential client
- A WordPress User/Client record is created
You will receive an email notification after a potential client submits the request form on your website.
At this point, you will likely contact the potential client to go over their event details. If there are changes or updates to the Quote, simply update the quote with the new details. At this point your potential client has not received the actual quote, they’ve just filled out the request form.
Editing the Quote
Select the Title link or Number link on the related Quote.
Line Items
If the client selected items on your website request form, there will be line items already created. If there are changes to be made after connecting with the client, you’ll likely need to add or remove line items.
To remove a line item, select the red X or Remove Item button.
To add a line item, click Add Another Item and select the applicable pre-defined line item.
After making any changes, then select the Update button to save your changes.
Estimate Acceptance Actions
Deposits
Deposits are completely optional, depending on your business model. They can be set on the Estimate or the Invoice. If a deposit amount is added to the Estimate and it is accepted by the client, it will automatically be added to the Invoice.
Invoice Temp Status
Always select the checkbox for Create invoice in a temp status, which prevents an automatic Invoice sent to the Client before you’ve had a chance to update the Invoice due date.
Estimate Status
BUG ALERT!
ONLY FOR ADMIN-CREATED ESTIMATES
If you don’t change the Estimate Status from Draft/Temp to Pending before you send the Estimate to the Client, they will receive duplicate Review Estimate emails.
This issue has been reported and supposedly, Sprout has put this in the backlog for a fix in a future release.
Estimates created by the potential client filling out the service request form will have a default status of Pending. There shouldn’t be duplicate Estimates sent with an initial Pending status.
Quote Expiration Date
The Quote Valid Until Date is optional and is currently set to 5 days from the time the estimate was created. If you want to change the default time frame, it can be easily adjusted in the Sliced Invoices Settings under the Quotes tab. To adjust it manually on the current Quote, you can just change the date in the Valid Until Date field. Select Update to save your change.
Sending the Quote
To send the quote to the Client, ensure their email address is present in the Client area below. If it is not, the client record will need to be associated to the Quote. You can do that by Editing or Adding a new client record.
Click the Email button to send the quote when you’ve made your updates to the quote.
Terms & Notes
Terms & Notes can be set at the Admin level or directly on an individual Estimate.
Terms and Notes are visible to the client on their online Estimate.
To edit Terms and Notes from the Admin level, go to the Sprouts Invoices plugin > General Settings > Estimates
Save Changes
If you want to add custom text for an individual client, make your changes on that client’s Estimate.