Start with the evidence
Capture the request’s fit, quoted scope, stated availability and the customer’s actual explanation if volunteered. Separate “another provider arrived sooner” from “probably cheaper.” Check whether the business could accept the request at the relevant time. A competitive loss can occur even when the service and communication are accurate.
A worked example
Fictional cases: one customer says another provider can handle the requested time; another says the request is already resolved but gives no reason; a third explicitly compares a different service scope. These records support availability, unknown and scope-comparison categories. Assigning all three to price would lead to a discount decision with little factual support.
Choose the next action
Close the service conversation respectfully. If appropriate in context, ask a neutral clarification rather than pressuring the customer for a testimonial or a competitor’s private terms. Keep follow-up tied to the requested service and stop when resolved. Use known patterns to improve the relevant process, not to invent claims about other providers.
Check whether it worked
Review a consistent cohort with counts of known and unknown reasons. Compare changes in scope clarity or availability communication with later outcomes, while noting demand differences. A lost request can still produce a useful lesson, but do not assign hypothetical revenue to it as if the job had been completed and paid.
Put it to work
A record you can use
- Customer’s stated explanation
- Suitability and capacity evidence
- Known, inferred or unknown
- Respectful closure
- Pattern worth testing
Plain text. No email required. Store completed records in your approved business systems.
Next useful step
Need help applying this to your marketing? A strategy call starts with your business and the evidence you have.
Talk through your next step →For a general editorial question, email Chris. Please leave out customer details. Questions are private, and no response time is promised.