A customer sends a photo for a quote on a bathroom leak. It shows a damp patch on a ceiling, taken from across the room in poor light. The plumber cannot tell where the water is coming from, what pipework is involved or how easy the access is. They have to visit just to understand the job.
Photos can save a lot of time, but only when they show the right things. This playbook is about asking for photos and details that make quotes accurate.
Step 1: decide what you need for each job type
A photo of a damp ceiling is less useful than a photo of the pipework under the bath above it. A photo of a fuse box is only useful if the labels are readable. For each common job, list the photos and details that matter. A cleaner needs to see room sizes and condition. A gardener needs a wide shot of the garden and a sense of the boundaries. An electrician needs the consumer unit and the area where work is needed.
Step 2: tell customers exactly what to photograph
Customers do not know what matters. A clear request helps:
- One wide photo showing the whole area
- A close-up of the problem
- Any labels, model numbers or serial plates
- Anything that affects access, such as narrow stairs
Step 3: explain why
People share more when they understand the reason. "A couple of photos will help us give you an accurate quote without needing to visit first" is more persuasive than "please send photos".
Step 4: ask for simple measurements
For jobs like painting, flooring, fencing or tiling, rough measurements make a big difference. Ask in plain language: "Roughly how long is the fence?" or "About how big is the room?"
Step 5: capture access and practical details
Parking, stairs, pets and whether someone will be home all affect the job. These questions take seconds and prevent surprises.
Step 6: capture it in conversation
SpideyChat for home service businesses can ask for these details in conversation at any hour, explain why they are needed and capture the answers for your team. It answers from your own site and does not give final prices unless you publish them. The wider capture process is covered in quote requests captured with everything you need.
Customer: Can I get a quote for painting my living room? Assistant: Of course. Roughly how big is the room, and is it just the walls or ceilings and woodwork too? If you can, a couple of photos showing the whole room and any areas that need repair would help the team give you an accurate quote.
Cleaning companies use the same approach to quote without visiting, as covered in how cleaning companies quote and book jobs with a chatbot.
Step 7: follow up on missing details
If key details are missing, ask for them once, specifically. "Could you send a photo of the pipe under the sink?" is better than a general request for more information.
Step 8: know when a visit is still needed
Some jobs cannot be quoted from photos: large projects, jobs with hidden conditions, or anything involving structural work. Say so clearly and offer a visit.
Evening requests
Many customers send requests in the evening, when they are home and notice the problem, as covered in evening enquiries from homeowners planning weekend jobs. Evening is a good time to ask for photos too, while the customer is standing in front of the problem.
Lessons from garages
Garages face the same challenge with repair quotes, where the right details about the vehicle and symptoms make a quote possible, as described in repair quote enquiries captured with the right details.
Setting it up
Write down your photo and detail checklist for each job type, then set the assistant up to ask for them. The guides to installing the widget and training your bot explain how.
Accurate quotes from photos mean fewer wasted visits and faster answers for customers.