5 Reasons Machine Shops Ask Questions About Your Quote
When you submit a quote to a machine shop and they respond with follow-up questions, it signals that you’re working with a shop committed to quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
Machine shops understand that busy customers are often in search of a quick quote. We respect your valuable time and need for a fast turnaround. By taking an extra 5-10 minutes in the beginning of the process to get on the same page, helps us determine exactly what you’re asking for. Our goal is to accurately quote and get your part right the first time.
Top 5 Reasons We Ask Clarifying Questions
In Wagner Machine’s 35 years of experience, we’ve found that we need to ask customers the same few questions during the quoting process. So don’t be surprised if we reach out to discuss any of these factors before providing you with a quote:
- Tolerance requirements. Machine shops often want to clarify tolerance requirements. We may look at a quote and determine that the tolerances should be tighter than requested to ensure proper functioning of complex features. We want to save you time and money by making your parts once, not twice.
- Specific part features. When we ask about specific part features, we’re usually trying to determine the most efficient way to make your part. For example, if a part was designed to be cut from one side, but cutting it from the other side would eliminate an additional operation, we want to discuss that option with you and present our recommendations. Sometimes engineers will design a part a certain way because they assume it’ll be easier for us to make, but that’s not always the case. When engineers and manufacturers put their heads together to collaborate, the end result is a better, more cost-effective part.
- Function or aesthetics. If there are ways to improve the function or aesthetics of your part, whether for a trade show or for an end user, wouldn’t you like to know? During the quoting process, we often identify areas of improvement that won’t have any effect on cost. We take as much pride in machining your parts as you do designing them, so if we can improve them, let’s do it!
- Material type and finishes. Believe it or not, material types and finishes are omitted from RFQs all the time. It’s important for us to know the material type you need for a part. If that information isn’t clear in the RFQ, we’ll reach back out to confirm.
- Lead time. After receiving a RFQ, our first response is often, “When do you need this?” The reality is that we can’t send you an accurate quote without knowing the lead time. We expect your initial answer to be “as soon as possible,” “yesterday,” or “last week,” but the more specific/realistic you are, the better we can address your needs.
When you request a quote from Wagner Machine, there’s a good chance that we’ll reach out with clarifying questions—but one thing we can promise is that we’ll never waste your time. Any further questions we have will be clear and direct, with the goal of building the best part at the lowest price.
Request a quote today and we’ll be in contact with you quickly to discuss your request and provide valuable information about our products and services.