How a chatbot handles 'How much?' without losing the lead
The most common question on any trade-website chat — 'how much?' — is also the easiest to mishandle. The reply that converts vs the reply that loses the customer, side by side.
The first message a customer sends a trade chatbot is almost always a price question. 'How much for a boiler service?'. 'How much for a rewire?'. 'How much to fix a leak?'. In the data we've collected across 60 trade websites, 64% of all chat conversations open with some variant of 'how much'. It's the universal trade-customer opener.
It's also the question most tradesmen handle worst. The instinct — 'I can't quote without seeing it' — is honest but conversion-killing. Customers reading that reply move on within minutes to the next firm in the search results.
Why 'depends' loses the lead
We tested two opening replies against 'how much for a boiler service?'. The first was the honest-but-vague version: 'It depends on the boiler and what's involved — I'd need to come and have a look.' The second was the confident-range version: 'Standard service is £90-£130. If the boiler hasn't been serviced in a while or there's something unusual, it can go up — but most jobs land in that range. Shall I take a few details?'.
Conversation completion rates across 800 chats:
| Reply | Customer continued chat | Booked job |
|---|---|---|
| 'Depends — need to see' | 29% | 7% |
| Confident range + invitation | 82% | 24% |
The customer doesn't expect a firm quote from a website chat. They expect to know whether you're in their budget. Refusing to give a number sends one message: 'we're expensive enough to be coy about it'. That's exactly the message you don't want sent.
What 'confident range' actually means
Confident doesn't mean specific. It means giving a band the customer can react to. £90-£130 for a boiler service. £180-£250 to fix a typical leak. £4,500-£7,500 for a small kitchen install. The band acknowledges variance without hiding behind it.
Most trade jobs have a 30-50% spread between cheapest and dearest within the same category. Don't pretend that spread doesn't exist — own it.
The four-part reply
The reply that converts has four parts in this order:
- The number (a range, confidently stated)
- What's typical in that range (anchors the customer)
- What swings it up or down (honest caveat)
- The next step (invitation to share details)
Example: 'Standard boiler service is £90-£130. Most are around £110. It goes up if the boiler hasn't been serviced in 18+ months or if any small parts need replacing. Want me to take a few details and give you a tighter number?'
Each part does work. The number stops the customer from bouncing. The 'typical' anchors them at the middle, not the bottom. The caveat protects you from feeling locked in. The invitation moves the conversation forward.
What about jobs where range is genuinely impossible?
Some jobs really can't be ranged without info. A bathroom refit can be £4,000 or £40,000 depending on spec. A rewire can be £2,000 or £20,000 depending on house size and condition. For those, the reply should acknowledge the spread and use it to qualify:
'Bathrooms range hugely — anywhere from £4,000 for a like-for-like refresh up to £35,000+ for a high-end refit. Three quick questions help narrow it: how big is the room, what's the spec you're after (budget / mid / premium), and is it a like-for-like swap or are walls moving?'
Even with a £4k-£35k range, the customer feels they're getting somewhere. The three follow-up questions move the conversation toward a real number while filtering out tyre-kickers (who often won't answer).
The 'I'll send a quote' trap
Some tradesmen reply 'happy to send a quote — what's your email?'. That feels safe (no number committed) but kills conversion. The customer wants to know now whether you're in their range, not in three days. Sending a quote later positions you as the slow option.
Quote later if the customer asks for one. Don't volunteer it as the first reply.
How to set this up in a chatbot
If you use a chatbot, the price-range answer needs to live in its knowledge base, not be improvised. For each service you offer, write the four-part reply once and let the bot use it consistently. Voxinly's Quote rules feature is built for this — add the rule, configure the variables, and every customer asking 'how much?' gets a confident, branded answer in your tone of voice.
Update the rules quarterly as your prices change. A six-month-old quote rule that still says £90 when you charge £110 makes the bot look out of touch and creates awkward conversations down the line.
The customer's mindset
Trade customers asking 'how much?' have already done a small amount of research. They have a fuzzy expected range in their head. Your reply either lands inside that range (they engage) or outside (they bounce). Either way, the worst response is 'depends'. That tells them you're unwilling to confirm or deny their expectation — and they immediately assume the answer is 'no, you can't afford us'.
FAQ
What if my range varies so much it's nearly useless?
Then break the service into sub-categories with tighter ranges (e.g. 'standard rewire' vs 'whole-house rewire') and quote per category. Avoid the £2k-£20k mega-range.
Won't customers hold me to the lower end?
Some try. Holding firm at the typical figure with a clear reason (age of boiler, room size, condition) lands fine 95% of the time. The 5% who walk would have walked anyway.
Should I refuse to quote until I've seen the job?
Refuse to commit firmly — but give a range. There's a difference between 'I won't give you a price' and 'I won't give you a firm price'. The customer is asking for the latter.
Does this advice apply to insurance work?
Less so — insurance work is governed by the assessor and the schedule, so 'how much' isn't really the customer's question. They want to know you can do it, not what it costs.