Disagreements between a vendor and a customer can begin with a quotation that left something out. The customer thought transport was included. The vendor thought it was not. Nobody wrote it down.

A clear quotation protects you as much as the customer. It answers questions before they are asked, and it makes it easier to say yes.

What a clear quotation contains

  1. Who and when. Your business name and contact details, the customer's name, the date of the quotation and how long it is valid.
  2. The event. Type of event, date, start and end time, place.
  3. The work. Each service or item on its own line, with the quantity or the hours.
  4. The price. A price for each line and a total.
  5. What is included and what is not. This is where most misunderstandings start.
  6. Extras. What you charge for an extra hour, extra items, travel, or a change to the plan.
  7. Payment dates. The deposit, when it is due, the balance and when it is due.
  8. Changes and cancellation. What happens if the date moves, the number of guests changes, or either side cancels.
  9. Delivery. What you will deliver and by when.
  10. A contact for the day. The name and number of the person the customer can reach.

An example of pricing extras

Say your price is ₦120,000 for four hours, and an extra hour is ₦15,000. If the customer needs six hours, the total is ₦120,000 plus two extra hours at ₦15,000, which is ₦150,000. Put the extra hour rate in the quotation so nobody is surprised on the day. (These figures are examples, not recommended prices.)

A template you can copy and adjust

QUOTATION
From: [Your business name], [phone], [email]
To: [Customer name]
Date of quotation: [date]     Valid until: [date]
Event: [type of event]
Date and time: [date], [start time] to [end time]
Place: [venue or area]
What I will do
1. [Service or item]   [quantity or hours]   ₦[amount]
2. [Service or item]   [quantity or hours]   ₦[amount]
3. [Service or item]   [quantity or hours]   ₦[amount]
Included: [list]
Not included: [list]
Extra charges: [extra hour rate], [travel], [other]
Total: ₦[amount]
Payment
Deposit: ₦[amount], due on [date], to secure the date
Balance: ₦[amount], due on [date]
If the date or details change: [how and by when]
If either side cancels: [terms]
Delivery: [what, and by when]
Contact on the day: [name, phone]

Tips that save time later

  • Be specific. "Full coverage" means different things to different people. Write the hours and the deliverables.
  • Use plain words. If the customer has to ask what a line means, rewrite it.
  • Number your versions. If you change the price, send "Quotation 2" and say what changed and why. Keep the old one.
  • Confirm in writing. When the customer says yes, ask them to reply with "I agree" and the date.
  • Issue receipts. The FCCPC guidelines on buying services (opens in a new tab), dated 13 August 2021, say to obtain a receipt after paying for a service and to read it. Write the date, the amount and what the payment was for.
  • Do not underquote to win a job. A price you cannot deliver on helps nobody.

Where SkillConnect fits

On SkillConnect, the customer reviews your payment request and pays before the job starts, and you are notified when the payment is successful. After you deliver, the customer has seven days to approve the work or ask for changes. If the customer does not respond, SkillConnect reviews the case and may authorise release. Payment is not released automatically just because those seven days have passed. An open dispute is dealt with before release. You can ask to withdraw only after the customer approves the work. We aim to process a withdrawal within 3 to 5 working days. That is a target, not a promise of when the money arrives. Paystack processes the payment into SkillConnect's merchant balance. SkillConnect normally initiates payout after approval. SkillConnect is not a licensed escrow provider. A clear quotation is what makes those steps smooth, because both sides know what they agreed.

Completing your identity checks and filling in your profile earns a Verified badge in the app. Verified does not guarantee anything about quality. It tells customers you have completed those steps. SkillConnect does not guarantee jobs, income or customer numbers.