🚀 Guide to Quote Creation in Appliance.io
Welcome to your step-by-step guide on creating quotes with ease in Appliance.io! 🛠️ Our quoting system is designed to make customer interactions seamless, helping your sales team generate accurate quotes faster while reducing duplicate customer entries. 💼✨
Getting started is super simple! From any page within Appliance.io, just click the “Start a Quote” button located at the top of the page, right next to the company logo. 🖱️💻 This handy button is your gateway to smooth, efficient quoting. Let’s go! 🚀
Select Customer Type 🤔
When starting a quote, you’ll need to choose the type of customer you’re quoting for:
New Customer 🆕: Create a brand-new profile for first-time customers.
Existing Customer 🔄: Search and select an existing profile to maintain their purchase history.
Classify the Customer 📋
Next, classify the customer to ensure accurate quote details:
Individual 👤: For personal, retail customers making household purchases.
Company 🏢: For business buyers ordering in bulk, often contractors or builders.
Duplicate Detection 🚨
To keep your customer database clean and organized, Appliance.io will automatically check for duplicate entries. If any duplicate customer profiles are found, a warning popup will appear. ⚠️
When this happens:
Carefully review the listed profiles.
Select the appropriate customer profile to avoid creating duplicate records.
New Customer Entry 📝
When creating a profile for a new customer, make sure to fill in all required information:
First Name, Last Name ✏️
Mobile Phone 📱 (required for SMS notifications)
Email Address 📧
Street Address 🏡
Notes:
✅ Use valid mobile numbers to ensure SMS notifications are sent without issues.
📧 Double-check email addresses to avoid errors that may prevent customers from receiving delivery or order updates.
Address Entry 📍
Use the auto-complete feature powered by Google Maps to quickly find and fill in addresses.
If the address isn’t recognized, manual entry is allowed to ensure flexibility.
We have an awesome drop a pin feature that just rolled out a month ago - perfect place to show that off. The changelog article will have everything you need there!
Same Billing & Delivery Address 🏠
By default, billing and delivery addresses are the same to save time. If the addresses differ, simply uncheck the option and enter a separate delivery address.
Tax Exempt Option 🧾
Only Super Admins can add tax-exempt details to a customer’s profile. 🛡️
Key Points:
This setting will affect future quotes and orders, ensuring tax exemptions are correctly applied.
It won’t apply retroactively to past quotes or orders.
Once all the required information has been entered, click the “Next →” button to move to the next stage of the quoting process.
If a duplicate entry warning appears:
Review the options carefully.
Select the correct customer profile to ensure accuracy and avoid duplicate records.
Quote Creation Interface 💻
The next page is the main interface for Quote Creation. Here’s what you’ll see:
Quote Number 🔢: Displayed at the top of the page and remains unique for each quote.
Creation Date & Expiration Date 📅: These are shown for tracking purposes, helping you keep quotes organized and timely.
Notification Setup 🔔
Use the Notification Bell icon to schedule email reminders.
Delete Button ❌
The Delete Button is the only way to remove a quote. Here’s how it works:
All quotes are saved permanently unless explicitly deleted using this button.
Important: Quotes cannot be deleted if any payments have been made toward them.
Select Action Menu ⚙️
The Select Action Menu dropdown offers several tools to help you manage and customize your quotes effectively:
Print 🖨️: Generate printable copies with or without prices or model numbers.
Email ✉️: Send the quote directly to the customer or other recipients.
Download 💾: Save quotes locally with flexible output options.
Changelog 📜: Review all changes made to the quote.
Add Home Visit 🏠: Schedule a Survey or Service visit for the customer.
Duplicate Quote 📝: Create a copy of the current quote for new or existing customers.
View and Edit Information:
Billing and Delivery information is displayed in the top section of the quote page.
If any details are incorrect, click the Pencil icon to edit. Please note that changes to a quote do not update the customer's permanent record—manual corrections in the customer profile may also be needed.
View and Edit Information 🖊️
The Billing and Delivery Information is displayed at the top section of the quote page for quick reference.
Editing Details:
If any details are incorrect, click the Pencil Icon ✏️ to make edits. Changes made to a quote do not update the customer’s permanent record. To ensure accuracy, you may also need to manually update the customer profile separately.
The Pencil Icon ✏️ is used as the universal edit icon throughout Appliance.io. Some users may have limited editing capabilities. (Super Admins have full access to edit all information.)
This section displays the store location and the assigned salesperson for the quote. 🛍️ Managers can update the assigned salesperson if necessary to reflect changes. These details will appear on all printed, emailed, or downloaded quote copies.
Adding Items to a Quote 🛒
Line Items and Package Deals:
Click [+ Line Item] to add individual products or [+ Package Deals] to group related items.
A search box allows you to search by model number or package name. If the product does not exist in the system, click Custom Product to manually enter product details.
Auto-Scheduling:
Use the toggle next to the Auto-scheduling option to enable automatic delivery scheduling based on product availability.
The table will expand to show various fields in each column that can be edited.
Product Information 🏷️
After selecting a product, complete the following fields:
Condition (e.g., New, Refurbished) 🛠️
Quantity 🔢
Price 💰
The total will be calculated automatically to ensure accuracy. ✅
Custom Models:
If using a custom model, make sure all entered information is accurate.
To avoid inconsistencies, correct this data later by registering the model in the system.
Once the first item is added, the quote will be saved permanently in the system.
Fulfillment Type 🚚
After adding products to a quote, select how they will be fulfilled. Here are your options:
Local Delivery & Install 🏠: Add pre-set or custom installation services.
Local Delivery Only 🚛: For orders without installation.
Pickup 📦: When customers will pick up items directly from the store.
Customer Not Sure 🤷♂️: If the fulfillment method is undecided, select this option temporarily to allow flexibility.
Adding Installation:
When selecting Local Delivery & Install, choose from available pre-set installs or add a Custom Install.
Enter installation details, including names and costs.
Adding a Protection Plan 🛡️
Protection Plan Options: Click Protection Plan to offer extended warranties. Available plans include:
1-Year, 3-Year, and additional custom coverage durations.
Ensure the product price meets minimum requirements for the plan to be eligible.
Haul-Away Service 🚮
Click [+ Add Haul Away] to include haul-away services.
Specify the quantity of items to be hauled.
Note: Haul-away services are typically charged separately and must be added before delivery.
Adding Instant Rebates 💵
Use the + Add Instant Rebate button to apply applicable rebates.
This feature ensures discounts are factored into the total amount accurately.
All items will be collapsed by default when returning to an old Quote.
Notes
Appliance.io offers an advanced note management system, enabling different types of notes to be added at any stage of the quote.
Navigate to the quote you want to edit.
Scroll down to the Notes section.
Click + Add Notes to open the note editor.
Select the appropriate note type:
Delivery 🚚
Customer 👤
Company 🏢
Driver 🚐
Enter the note content.
Save the note to attach it to the quote.
Delivery Notes 🛵📄
Purpose: To provide clear instructions for deliveries.
Visibility: Displayed throughout the delivery process for all employees.
Use Case: Add details like delivery preferences, time slots, or specific customer requests.
Note: These notes appear on all printed, emailed, or downloaded versions of quotes and orders.
Customer Notes 📝💬
Purpose: Capture what the customer wants recorded with their order.
Visibility: Included on all versions of the quote or order.
Use Case: Add customer-specific requirements or reminders for their order
Company Notes 🏢🔒
Purpose: For internal business use only (not shared with customers).
Visibility: Visible only within Appliance.io for staff.
Use Case: Record internal tasks, observations, or follow-ups that customers or delivery teams don’t need to see.
Driver Notes 🚚👷
Purpose: Internal communication tool for drivers about deliveries.
Visibility: Hidden from quotes and orders; cannot be edited by salespeople.
Use Case: Drivers can log delivery status, site conditions, or any issues.
Note: Notifications are sent to the assigned salesperson, and detailed instructions can be found in the Driver Notes Guide (Link Here).
Delivery Charges 💵🚛
The Delivery Charge box, found in the subtotal section of a quote, is used to apply fees for deliveries without installation services.
Apply charges for basic deliveries (e.g., driveway drop-offs).
Leave empty if no fee is needed or if delivery is free!
🎉 Congrats! You've completed the guide for Quote Creation! 🥳
📚 The next guide will walk you through Converting a Quote to an Order (Link Here).