New quote

This explains the automatic follow-up system so anyone can maintain it — not just whoever built it. It's plain English on purpose.

1 · How long a quote is valid

Every quote is valid for 14 days from the day it's sent. The customer sees “Valid until [date]” on their quote, a gentle “N days left” note in the last 3 days, and once it lapses the Accept button becomes “Ask us to refresh this quote” (with a note that prices move, so we can only hold it 14 days). To change 14 days: it's set server-side in the create_quote/revise_quote steps (interval '14 days'). Re-sending a quote restarts the 14 days fresh.

2 · The reminder cadence (email)

A robot checks once a day (8am) and sends one friendly nudge at the right moment — never a daily barrage:

• ~Day 3 — only if they haven't opened it: “did our quote reach you?”
• ~Day 5 — opened → “any questions?” · not opened → “still here whenever you'd like a look.”
• ~Day 11 (3 days before it expires) — the decision nudge: open it to go ahead, ask, or say not now.
• Day 14 — it lapses (the quote shows the “ask us to refresh” state; no more emails).

Emails come from the same address as the quote itself. SMS will be added when the texting line is ready. To change the timing: the STAGES settings in the quote-reminders job.

3 · When the customer replies — “whose court is the ball in?”

The moment a customer asks us something, the ball is in our court: all reminders and the expiry clock freeze — it would be rude to chase them while they're waiting on us. When we reply, the ball goes back to them and the clock restarts fresh (a new 14 days + the cadence begins again from our answer).

• Through the quote's chat: this happens automatically — their message freezes it, your reply restarts it.
• Off-platform (they phoned, emailed, Facebook, WhatsApp…): use the “⏸ Customer asked a question” switch on the quote to freeze it, and “▶ Answered” when you've replied.

4 · How the customer ends it (a real answer)

On their quote (and in every nudge) the customer can:

• Accept & sign — done, reminders stop.
• Remind me later — 1 / 2 / 3 months. Reminders pause; it comes back as a follow-up task for us at that date (we refresh the price then).
• Not proceeding — with a quick reason. Reminders stop.

Any of these stops the noise — the whole point is a clean yes / no / not-yet, not endless poking.

5 · What it watches (for a maintainer)

Each quote quietly tracks: when it was offered, its valid-until date, whether the ball's in our court, how far through the reminders it is, whether it's been opened, its outcome (accepted / declined / follow-up), and the customer's email. The robot only ever nudges a quote that is unanswered, not paused, not snoozed, and inside its window.