As a moving company, creating an estimate is one of the most important things you can do. This is your chance to reel a customer in and get new business, so it should also be one of the first things you learn how to do in SmartMoving.

Creating and sending an estimate can be done in six simple steps.

First, click the plus icon to add a new item, and click New Opportunity.

Next, if you have multiple branches, you can select which branch this opportunity applies to.

Then, enter the customer’s name. You can also enter the customer’s contact information and their origin and destination here, or you can add it later.

For the Preferred Service Date, select the customer’s preferred date of service from the calendar. Once selected, you can use the availability widget to the right to see what percentage of the selected day is booked, and how many trucks, drivers, and helpers are available.

Note: You can also click "See more info" to view the dispatch schedule to help you determine whether or not the job could fit into the schedule on a particularly busy day.

Next, select an option for how the customer heard about your company, the size of the move, and the type of service that is needed.

Then, click Create New Opportunity to save and view the opportunity.

Now that your opportunity is created, you should see the estimate page. This screen contains many different panels that allow you to customize the opportunity and estimate based on the customer's needs. You can first start by updating the customer and opportunity details.

Use the customer profile section at the top left to view, add, or edit the customer's contact information.

Click the Edit icon to add or edit the customer's contact information, or click Add contact to add additional contacts like a spouse, parent, associate, or anyone else who is associated with the move.

Note: A green circle will appear if there are other contacts on the account. Click this circle to view and edit the contact information for any additional contacts.

Use the Quote Info panel to see and modify the details of the move including the move number, type of move, referral source, assigned Moving Consultant, and Branch location. You can also add tags to call out information on specific tools, trucks, or skills that the move may require to help with scheduling.

The Jobs panel shows all jobs associated with the move.

If an opportunity requires multiple jobs, click the Add icon to add them.

To set the arrival date for a job, first click the job's service date.

Next, select the desired arrival window for the service date. You can also change the service date here as needed.

Note: This view will show what percentage of your calendar is booked for the selected day as well as four other days around it. At the top, you can also see the price for the day in the event that a weekend or holiday has a higher cost.

Then, click Apply to save.

The Stops panel lists the addresses for the move's origin, destination, and any additional stops needed along the way.

First, click the plus icon to add stops.

If you have not yet entered an origin address, it is the first address you will be prompted to add.

Then, enter a full address or just a zip code into the address field.

Note: You must select a match from the Google list of results to ensure the address is valid. If an address match does not appear, you can create a custom address.

Next, select the property type, whether the location has stairs, the walking distance from the truck to the front door, what kind of parking the location has, and whether or not there is an elevator. All of these details will impact the estimate amount.

Then, click Save.

Note: Your facility or warehouse address is automatically added to give a full picture of the total job route. You'll also see the time and mile estimates for the trip at the top of the section as you add stops.

Click the plus icon again to repeat this process to add a destination. If there will be any stops in between the origin and destination, click the plus icon again as many times as needed to add additional stops.

Based on the move size that you selected, SmartMoving automatically calculates the cubic feet and weight of the move in the Move Size panel.

Click Add additional rooms to add rooms to the move, or you can click the cubic feet or weight to manually update them.

Note: If you update the home type or add rooms, the cubic feet and weight will automatically update. Likewise, if you manually edit the cubic feet, the move weight will adjust automatically.

Based on this move size, SmartMoving will then recommend how many trucks and crew members you should use for the move and how long the move is expected to take. You can adjust the number of crew members or trucks, and SmartMoving will adjust the time and price accordingly. Your hourly rate will also be provided and can be modified if needed as well.

Now that you’ve entered all of the details for the job, you are able to see a full picture estimate in the Estimate panel.

To update the estimate, first click the Moving Services line to view and adjust the labor and travel time calculations. Click any blue item to edit it.

Next, click the Materials line to add any moving or packing supplies that you are selling to the customer. Click the Add icon to add an item, then tweak the details as needed.

Then, click the Additional Services line to add any additional services the customer may need—like a piano move.

Next, review the Destination Fee for any trip or travel fees and the Valuation price for customers who wish to add additional coverage for their move.

Then, you can add additional fees or discounts as needed by clicking the plus icon.

Your estimate should now be accurate and ready to send out to the customer.

Click the drop-down menu next to the smart action button and select Send Estimate.

Next, you can change the pricing display type based on the customer’s preference to either an hourly rate, estimated price, or a price range. If not selected, hourly rate will be the default.

If you want to see exactly what your customer will see when they open the estimate, click Preview customer portal.

A deposit amount will appear if your company charges deposits and has them enabled in SmartMoving. You can edit the deposit amount for this specific job here as needed.

Note: Editing the deposit amount here will not change the default deposit amount in your settings.

All that’s left to do now is pick who receives the estimate and how. You can send estimates to the customer as well as any additional contacts on the account. Select the desired email addresses and or mobile numbers to send the quote by email or text message. Then click send.

Great! You’ve sent your first estimate.

If you have any additional questions on creating estimates, visit our help center for more information by clicking the button that looks like this: