Collect complete quote requests through website chat
Written by the Allinaa team · Updated
A quote request that says "how much for a cleaning?" costs you a phone call before you can even start pricing. Multiply that by every request, and estimating becomes mostly chasing details.
The incomplete-quote problem
Contact forms either ask too little ("Message") or too much (twenty fields that scare people off). Chat sits in between. The assistant asks only the questions that matter for the specific service the visitor mentioned, and only the ones they haven't already answered. The visitor feels they are talking to someone who understands the job, and your estimator gets what they need on the first pass.
Designing your few questions per service
The assistant may ask up to three short questions per request, one per reply, before offering the form. Use them on the facts that change the price the most. Write them into the knowledge per service:
Example knowledge entry: "To quote carpet cleaning we need: number of rooms or approximate square feet, whether there are pets or heavy stains, and the preferred date. Don't ask about anything else before offering the form."
Rules of thumb:
- Ask about what changes the price, not what is nice to know.
- Accept rough answers. "About 2,000 square feet" is fine.
- Let people skip a question. The assistant stops asking if the visitor prefers not to answer.
- Never ask for contact details in the chat. The form collects them with consent.
Photos and documents (Premium)
For many jobs a photo says more than three answers: the stained carpet, the roof seen from the ground, a packing list for a freight quote. On Premium, visitors can attach photos and documents in the chat. Files are checked for malware, stored privately and linked to the request, so they reach the estimator with it. The file uploads page explains what is accepted. On Standard, ask visitors to describe what they would have photographed, and request photos by email afterwards.
What your estimator receives
When the visitor confirms the request, your notification email and the inquiry record contain:
- the service, timing and specific requirements, in separate fields;
- what the visitor would like you to do next, such as call, email or schedule a visit;
- contact details and consent;
- the page the request was sent from;
- a list of any fields the visitor edited by hand, plus the chat summary, labeled as context only.
The confirmed fields are what count. The process is described in Lead capture and qualification.
Price expectations: published ranges only
Visitors asking for a quote usually also want a ballpark figure. The assistant may share only the prices and ranges you have approved. It is instructed never to invent or guess a price. If you publish "deep cleaning from [your rate]", it can say that. If you publish nothing, it explains that the quote depends on the details and that the team will reply. See Answering price questions.
Examples: cleaning, freight, roofing
| Business | The few questions | Useful upload (Premium) |
|---|---|---|
| House cleaning | Home size; pets or heavy stains; one-time or recurring and the preferred date | Photos of problem areas |
| Freight and logistics | Origin and destination ZIP codes; pallet count, size and weight; pickup date and any liftgate or residential delivery | Packing list or commercial invoice (PDF) |
| Roofing | Roof type and approximate age; what's wrong (leak, storm damage, replacement); how soon | Photos taken from the ground |
Roofers: tell the assistant never to suggest that a homeowner climb onto the roof for photos. Ground-level photos or an inspection visit are enough.
See the trade pages AI chatbot for cleaning services and AI chatbot for logistics and freight.
Illustrative example, not a real customer conversation.
Visitor: Need a quote to ship 4 pallets from Dallas to Atlanta
Assistant: Happy to help. What's the approximate weight and size of each pallet?
Visitor: about 1,200 lbs each, standard size
Assistant: Thanks. When should they be picked up, and does the delivery address have a loading dock?
Visitor: next Tuesday, no dock
Assistant: Got it: no dock, so liftgate delivery. You can send the request with the form, and the team will reply with a quote.
Questions and answers
Can the assistant calculate a price for the visitor?
No. It shares only the prices and ranges you have approved, and your team prepares the actual quote from the request.
How many questions will it ask?
Up to three short questions per request, one at a time, and only about details the visitor hasn't already given.
Can I require a photo before a quote request is sent?
The assistant can ask for a photo on Premium, but the visitor can still send the request without one. Your team can ask for photos later if needed.
Do different services get different questions?
Yes. Write the questions per service in the knowledge, and the assistant uses the set that matches what the visitor asked about.