Find the promise slipping in your business.

“We’ll follow up on your quote”

You’d notice: The customer went with someone else. Nobody called after the quote.

Why it usually slips: Nobody sets a follow-up date when the quote goes out. And there’s often only one option, not good, better and best.

Do this tonight: In your job software, list unsold estimates with no follow-up for 3 days or more. Your office calls the three biggest tomorrow.

The plan renews

You’d notice: A loyal customer’s plan ran out, and nobody called first.

Why it usually slips: There’s no reminder before it ends, and a monthly card payment failed without anyone noticing.

Do this tonight: List plans ending in the next 45 days, and monthly plans with a failed payment this week. Pick one person in your office to call them.

“Two visits a year”

You’d notice: A plan customer calls to ask when you’re coming.

Why it usually slips: The next visit isn’t booked when this one closes, and nothing reminds anyone.

Do this tonight: List plan members with a visit due in the next 60 days and nothing booked.

“We’ll call you right back”

You’d notice: A new caller booked with whoever called back first.

Why it usually slips: Calls go unanswered at busy times, and nobody owns the missed ones.

Do this tonight: Check yesterday’s missed calls. Call back anyone who didn’t hear from you.

“Before you go, let us make it right”

You’d notice: A customer canceled, and nobody asked why.

Why it usually slips: Nobody makes a save call, and the reason never gets written down.

Do this tonight: List this month’s cancellations. Call each one and write down the reason.

Prices that cover costs

You’d notice: Your costs went up, and your recurring price didn’t.

Why it usually slips: Nobody reviews prices each year, and supplies are buried in a flat price.

Do this tonight: List agreements with no price change in 12 months or more.

“We’ll be there every week”

You’d notice: A customer asks whether you came this week.

Why it usually slips: A stop gets skipped or moved, and nobody tells the customer.

Do this tonight: List last week’s skipped or moved stops with no note to the customer.

“We’ll get paid”

You’d notice: An invoice or pay app sits more than 30 days past due.

Why it usually slips: The pay app missed the cutoff or came back for corrections, or the GC hasn’t been paid yet.

Do this tonight: In your accounting system (QuickBooks, Sage, Foundation and others), open the accounts receivable aging report and note what’s more than 30 days past due. Your office calls about the three oldest. In QuickBooks Desktop: Reports, then Customers & Receivables, then A/R Aging Summary. In QuickBooks Online: Reports, then Standard reports, then Accounts receivable aging summary.

The extra becomes a change order

You’d notice: The crew did more than the contract says, and there’s no paper for it.

Why it usually slips: No change order request goes out the same day, and the GC’s direction was only spoken.

Do this tonight: List this week’s extra work with no written change order request sent. Send them tomorrow, priced or “pricing to follow”, within your contract’s notice deadline.

“Our lien rights are protected”

You’d notice: You can’t say when the Notice to Owner went out.

Why it usually slips: Nobody tracks your first day on each job, and nobody owns lien deadlines.

Do this tonight: List jobs where you’re a sub or supplier and first went on site or delivered 30 or more days ago. Check a Notice to Owner went out. Florida has strict deadlines for the Notice to Owner, counted from your first day on the job. Public and bonded jobs use different notices. Check with your attorney.

Warranty requests get handled

You’d notice: The buyer calls twice. The builder and the sub each think it’s the other’s.

Why it usually slips: Each request has no single owner, and there’s no rule for who gets it.

Do this tonight: List warranty requests open more than 1 business day with no named owner.

“Closing on the date we gave you”

You’d notice: A closing date slips at the last minute.

Why it usually slips: One item is missing, like the final inspection, the CO, the final clean or the punch walk, and nobody is tracking the list.

Do this tonight: List closings in the next 14 days and what’s still missing for each.