QuotedPartAnswers · Updated 2026-10-30
How do I find out why I lost a quote?
Price one of your own parts: Drop a STEP model or PDF drawing — about 90 seconds, no account.
Your part priced in about 90 seconds, no account.
Ask the buyer one short question a few days after the date they said they'd decide, and make it easy to answer with a single word: price, lead time, relationship or something else. Most buyers who don't reply to a long survey will answer a two-line email, and even a one-word answer, logged on every lost quote for a quarter, shows where your quotes are weak. Below is an email to copy, what the common answers mean, and a log.
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An email that gets answered
Send it from the person who sent the quote, not from a generic address, and keep it to what the buyer needs to type.
"Hi [name], I wanted to close out our quote [number] for [part]. I understand it went another way, and that's fine. So that we quote better next time, would you tell me which of these was closest: price, lead time, you already work with the supplier, we missed something in the quote, or something else? A one-word answer is plenty. If price, was it a little high or a lot high? Thanks, [name]"
Don't argue, don't offer a discount in the same email, and don't send it the day you lose. A buyer who feels pressed stops answering. If you won't hear back from the buyer, ask again in the next RFQ, or ask the person who sent it whether they'd tell you after the award.
What the answers mean and what to do
Treat every reply as a sample of one. After ten, a pattern appears.
| What you hear | What it probably means | What to try next |
|---|---|---|
| A little high | You are in range and something small decided it: a lead time, a finish, a relationship | Ask what the winning quote included; check the line items before changing your rate |
| A lot high | Different scope, a marketplace price, a shop with a spare machine, or a mistake of yours | Ask for the quantity and terms they bought; compare what the price included |
| Lead time | You quoted a date they couldn't wait for | Offer a split shipment or an expedite price on the next quote |
| Already have a supplier | Relationship or a prior order; price wasn't the issue | Keep quoting at your price; become the second source |
| You missed something | A requirement you didn't price or a wrong assumption | Fix the checklist; ask them to re-send if they'd still order |
| No answer | Can't tell | Log it as unknown; do not count it as price |
A log worth keeping
One line per quote: date sent, customer, part number and revision, quantity, price, lead time, result (won, lost, no answer), the reason in one word, and the winning price if they tell you. Review it monthly. If a customer rarely answers and never orders, quote their RFQs faster and cheaper to prepare, or stop. If the reasons are mostly price, check your rate and your actuals before cutting prices. If lead time dominates, look at your schedule.
A single cause doesn't have to be fixed by cutting price. A lost quote with the reason "lead time" is the cheapest fix in the shop: quote two dates, and let the buyer choose.
Don't take the stated reason as certain. Buyers say "price" to be polite even when the real reason is a long history with someone else. What matters is the pattern, not one answer.
Sources and limits
Claims are dated where they can change. Product calculations are examples from the stated inputs, not a promise about a customer's quote. Competitor wording is attributed to the source shown.
- The email and answer table are templates and judgment, not survey results.
Questions
How soon should I ask?
A few days after the date the buyer said they would decide. Earlier looks pushy; much later gets forgotten.
Should I ask what the winning price was?
You can, once. Some buyers will say, many won't, and you shouldn't ask for the other shop's name.
Price one of your own parts
Drop a PDF drawing or a STEP file. QuotedPart reads the print, measures the model and prices it in seconds, on default shop rates you can change.
Your STEP file or PDF drawingDrop a PDF drawing, a STEP file or both
Free. No account, no email. Priced at our default US rates until you set yours.
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