Comparing quotes with Helmi

Compare quotes in Helmi by reading the responses and attachments and discussing them with Helmi. It can help you understand the differences and consider which option may suit your needs. Explain what matters to you and use the conversation to examine scope, approach, experience, price, and timing. The final choice is yours.

Start with the businesses’ own responses

When you send quote requests through Helmi, businesses receive them by email and reply to the message. Their responses and attachments appear in the offers view.

First identify the kind of response you received. A business might provide a quote, give a preliminary estimate, ask for details, or say it cannot take the job. A provider proposing a site visit, for example, may need to see the property before pricing the work.

Read the latest message alongside earlier messages and attachments. The scope and terms may be in a separate quote document. This helps you see what the business has addressed and what still needs clarification.

Tell Helmi what matters in the comparison

Return to the result you wanted. Explain which factors matter to your decision and where you can be flexible. A fixed event date, preserving an original material, or minimizing your own workload can lead to different choices.

For example: “I want the office cleaned outside working hours. It matters to me that supplies are included and that I need to arrange as little as possible myself. How do the quotes meet those preferences?”

If your goal has changed since the original request, explain the change. Helmi can help you assess the proposals against the new need, but you must confirm the effect on the work and price with the businesses themselves.

Ask specific questions about the differences

Work through one issue at a time. Useful questions include:

• What does the first quote include compared with the second?
• Based on the information provided, what might explain the price difference?
• Which proposal best fits the schedule I described?
• What would I need to prepare for each option?
• What should I still ask the businesses before choosing?

Two cleaning quotes, for example, may have different visit frequencies or scopes. Talking with Helmi helps you notice whether you are comparing the same service and which difference matters most in your situation. Our general guide to comparing quotes explains how to establish a common basis.

Confirm missing information with the business

The business’s own messages and attachments are the starting point. Ask Helmi to help identify unanswered questions. If travel costs are not mentioned, for example, ask the business whether they are included.

Also ask what supports an assessment of a proposal’s suitability. You can then check key points against the original response and distinguish confirmed information from matters needing clarification. Our guide to asking follow-up questions helps you prepare a message for the business.

Decide who to continue with

When a proposal interests you, select the business for follow-up. Helmi notifies it, and the conversation continues by email. Depending on what remains open, you can clarify the quote, arrange a site visit, or proceed to an order.

Selecting a business for follow-up means you want to continue the conversation. You agree on ordering the work separately. Our guide to choosing a business and next steps helps you make that agreement.