The address is not in the calendar yet. In this hypothetical scene, an electrician opens the message: “Could you come over for free and look at why the socket isn’t working?” The route and calendar are open beside it. Before choosing a slot, he records “find the cause” as the requested result. Under his chosen policy, that belongs in a separate diagnostic offer.
Try treating a free inspection as a defined scope with its own allocated budget. First write down the result you are offering on site. Then check whether the trip fits your limits. A suitable address can make an inspection feasible; it is no reason to expand the agreed scope to include fault finding.
So do not leave “have a look” as the full task description. Is the request for a preliminary scope estimate or for tests to find a fault? For the estimate, review the available photos, details and measurements first. If they are sufficient, offer a remote estimate and state its limits. If a specific on-site task remains, check the address and route against your defined area, travel and inspection time limits, budget and available calendar slot. Under the policy proposed here, offer diagnosis or a visit outside those limits as a separate paid scope.
Hypothetical worked example
Before: Hypothetical setup: the address falls within the electrician’s limits for a free inspection, and a calendar slot is available. But the customer wants the cause of the socket fault identified. The electrician’s chosen policy includes only a preliminary scope estimate free of charge.
Decision: Check the requested result before the route. Because the request calls for fault finding, prepare a separate paid diagnostic offer. The suitable address and open slot do not change the requested scope.
After: Hypothetical state afterward: the draft free inspection has been replaced by a diagnostic offer with fields for the price, included tests and the condition for any credit toward later work. Repair requires a separate agreement. The slot is awaiting the customer’s reply.
Make the payment wording equally precise. Call the agreed scope free only if no fee is charged for it. If a payment would later be credited toward further work, state the price and the exact condition for that credit separately. Record which work is excluded as well. Get explicit confirmation before booking.
Which next step fits this request?
Choose your situation to see the next step.
Check the missing information first
Resolve the first open point: the requested result, available materials or operating limits. Then enter a checked answer and run the check again.
Offer a paid scope
Under this method, prepare a separate paid offer for diagnosis or a visit outside your limits. State the scope, price and whether payment would be credited toward later work. Book only after explicit agreement.
Start with a remote estimate
Offer the preliminary estimate using the reviewed materials first. State what remains unresolved and agree on a visit separately if it still has a specific purpose.
Get the terms confirmed
Send: “I can offer a free inspection for a preliminary scope estimate. Fault finding and work are excluded; we would agree on a separate price beforehand. Please confirm this scope.” Wait for a reply before booking.
Revise the agreement
Do not book under the declined terms. Ask which part needs changing and prepare a revised offer if appropriate.
Provisionally consider a free visit
Provisionally consider a free inspection within the confirmed scope. Before booking, check that the address, task and calendar slot remain unchanged. Do not treat this result as evidence of profitability or business success.
Check the next step before booking
Read the following conditions from top to bottom. Use only the first one that applies. After checking any missing information, start again.
- The requested result is unclear: Ask whether the customer wants a preliminary scope estimate or fault finding, testing or work. Then run the check again.
- The customer requests fault finding, testing or work: Under this method, prepare a separate paid offer. State the scope, price and the condition for any credit toward later work, or specify that no credit applies. Book after explicit agreement.
- Materials are missing or have not been reviewed: Clarify and review the available photos, details and measurements. Then run the check again.
- The reviewed materials are sufficient for the requested preliminary estimate: Offer a remote estimate first. State what remains unresolved. Agree on a visit separately if a specific on-site task remains.
- Your operating limits are unset or a check is incomplete: Define the area, travel and inspection time limits and allocated budget. Check the address, route and available calendar slot against those limits. Then start again.
- A defined limit is exceeded: Prepare a separate paid offer for the visit. State its scope, price and the condition for any credit toward later work, or specify that no credit applies. Book after explicit agreement.
- The customer declined the written terms for the free inspection: Do not book under those terms. Ask which part needs changing and prepare a revised offer if appropriate.
- The written terms have not been sent or explicitly confirmed: Send: “I can offer a free inspection for a preliminary scope estimate. Fault finding and work are excluded; we would agree on a separate price beforehand. Please confirm this scope.” Wait for explicit confirmation before booking.
- Otherwise: Provisionally consider a free inspection within the confirmed scope. Before booking, check that the address, task and calendar slot remain unchanged; revisit the agreement if they have changed. This result is not evidence of profitability or business success.
Use this method for a preliminary visit to estimate the scope of work. Handle emergency calls and existing service commitments separately. These limits are settings for your own policy, not a universal requirement to charge for diagnosis. Even fully checked conditions do not establish the right price, profitability or future business success.
Before adding the address to your calendar, open the customer’s message and copy the requested result into your draft offer. Add the scope, price or absence of a fee, excluded work and whether a payment would be credited, with the condition for doing so. Ask the customer to confirm this scope explicitly. If the address, task or available slot changes, revisit the agreement.