Former Customer Wants You Back After Using Cheap Competitor
They chose the £400 quote over your £650. Now they're calling because cheap guy ghosted them. Your comeback pricing strategy.
Six months ago, Mrs. Henderson chose another electrician. Your quote: £650. Cheap guy's quote: £400.
Today she calls: "The electrician I used did a terrible job. Half the sockets don't work and he won't return my calls. Can you fix it?"
This is your chance to re-educate her on why your prices exist, reset the relationship, and ensure she never goes cheap again.
Stack even more demand by pairing this with Local SEO for Trade Businesses 2026, How to Get Your First 10 Customers, and Customer Review Management Playbook 2026.
Why They're Back (Learning Opportunity)
Understanding what went wrong helps you position your response:
Common Reasons Customers Return
1. Poor Quality Work
Cut corners, wrong materials, doesn't meet building regs, looks terrible.
2. Incomplete Job
Started strong, disappeared halfway through, won't answer calls.
3. Complete Ghosting
Took deposit, never showed up, phone disconnected.
4. No Warranty Support
Work failed after 3 months, cheap guy refuses to come back.
The Price Increase Conversation
You're not charging the same rate as last time. Here's why:
Script 1: Rates Have Increased (True for All)
"I'm happy to help. Before I quote, I should mention my rates have increased since we last spoke in [month/year]. Material costs and insurance have gone up across the board."
"A similar job to what I quoted before would now be £720-780 depending on what I find when I assess it."
Why it works: Normalizes the increase, ties it to market realities, sets expectations before you quote.
Script 2: No Discount Script (Critical)
"I appreciate you thinking of me again. I need to be upfront: I don't offer discounts for returning customers who previously chose another trade based on price."
"My pricing reflects the quality of work, materials, and guarantee I provide. That hasn't changed. I'm fully booked with customers who value that from the start."
Why it works: Firm boundary, protects your positioning, filters for customers who now understand value.
Fixing Cheap Competitor's Work: The Diagnostic Fee
Never quote over the phone for fixing someone else's mess. You don't know what you'll find.
Diagnostic Fee Structure
Charge This Before Quoting Fix Work:
- £75-95: Standard diagnostic visit for small electrical/plumbing issues
- £120-150: Complex systems (heating, full rewires, multi-room work)
- Credit toward final invoice: If they book the full fix job
- Non-refundable: If they don't proceed (you've still done the assessment)
Diagnostic Visit Script
"To assess what needs fixing, I'll need to do a diagnostic visit. That's £95, which covers my time to inspect the work, test everything, and provide a detailed quote for corrections."
"If you proceed with the fix, the £95 is credited to your final invoice. If not, the diagnostic fee covers my assessment time. I can schedule this for [day/time]."
Why it works: Protects your time, deters quote shoppers, demonstrates thoroughness.
Showing Them What Was Done Wrong
During diagnostic visit, this is your chance to re-educate them on quality standards:
Photo Documentation Strategy
Take Photos of Every Issue:
- • Incorrect wiring/connections (safety hazard)
- • Substandard materials used (show the cheap parts)
- • Missing components (no earth bonding, no surge protection)
- • Poor workmanship (exposed wires, messy installation)
- • Building regulation violations
The Walk-Through Explanation
Show them the photos and explain:
"This is why my quote was £650. I use [specific quality component], properly earthed connections, and test everything to current regs. What you got for £400 was [point to photo] exposed wiring, wrong cable size, and no certification. To fix this properly and bring it up to code, it's essentially redoing the whole job."
Customer psychology: They now understand your original quote wasn't expensive - it was accurate for proper work.
The Re-Quote: Pricing Fix Work
Fix Work Costs MORE Than Original Quote
Fixing cheap work takes longer than doing it right the first time:
Fix Quote Breakdown Script
"To fix this properly, my quote is £880. That's higher than my original £650 because I need to:"
- • Remove all the incorrect work (3 hours labour)
- • Replace substandard materials with proper components
- • Re-do the installation to current building regs
- • Test and certify everything properly
"If you'd gone with me initially, it would have been £650 done right. Fixing someone else's work costs more because I'm doing the job twice."
Why it works: Explains the premium clearly, reinforces their mistake choosing cheap, shows value of doing it right first time.
When to Decline the Job
Sometimes it's smarter to walk away. Decline if:
Red Flags to Decline
- Too damaged to fix properly: Cheaper to rip it all out and start over, but customer won't pay
- Customer still price shopping: "Can you just patch it for £200?"
- Liability nightmare: Structural damage, safety hazards, would need to report to building control
- You'd rather not: Customer was rude last time, pays slowly, or you're too busy for fix work
The Polite Decline Script
"After assessing the work, it's more extensive than I'm comfortable taking on right now. The fix would require [extensive rework / meeting building control / full reinstallation], and I don't have capacity for that size job at the moment."
"I'd recommend getting 2-3 quotes from other trades who specialize in remedial work. You need someone with time to do this properly."
Why it works: Honest boundary, no burning bridges, protects you from nightmare job.
Setting Expectations for Future Work
If they book the fix job, reset the relationship parameters:
New Customer Protocol (Even Though They're Returning)
Require for Returning Customers:
- • 50% deposit upfront before scheduling (they've shown they're price-sensitive)
- • Full payment on completion before you leave site (no "pay next week")
- • Written terms acknowledging your rates are non-negotiable
- • No guarantee on timeline (you fit them in around loyal customers)
Learning from Their Mistake: What Drove Them to Cheap Option
Ask this question during diagnostic visit:
"What made you choose the other quote over mine?"
Listen to their answer. It tells you how to position your value better in future quotes.
Common Answers and What They Mean:
"It was £250 cheaper"
Fix: Your quotes need better value explanation. Add line items showing what the price includes.
"He could start immediately"
Fix: Quality trades are busy. Explain lead times as a sign of reputation, not a bug.
"I didn't understand the difference"
Fix: Customer education needed. Compare your approach vs cheap approach in quotes.
The Bottom Line
Former customers who return after using cheap competitors have learned an expensive lesson. Your job is to help them learn it fully.
Don't discount. Don't match the original quote. Your rates have increased and fix work costs more than original work.
Charge a diagnostic fee. Show them what was done wrong. Quote properly to fix it. Require deposit.
Some will become your best customers - they now understand quality has a price. Others will shop around again. Let them.
You're not punishing them for choosing cheap. You're teaching them why professional work costs what it costs.
Quotes That Show Your Quality Difference
Toolfy quotes let you add detailed line items explaining what customers get for your price. Compare your approach vs cheap alternatives. Educate before they choose cheap.
Start Free Trial →