How do I stop fence customers from ghosting appointments?
Short answerConfirm gate access, dogs and utility marking in the visit message, follow up every quote on a schedule, and order material only after a deposit. Fence customers ghost at the estimate visit, at the install day with a locked gate, and in the weeks after a quote, so each point needs its own control.
The explanation
A fence estimate means walking the property line. If the gate is locked, the dog is loose or the customer is not home, the visit fails. A confirmation that asks about gate access and pets, with a reply required, heads off most of this.
Install day has its own risks. Utility lines must be marked, the line must be clear, and the crew needs access along the whole run. A readiness message two days before, with a short checklist, catches problems while the date can still move.
After the quote, silence is the norm. Follow up at intervals, give the quote an expiry date and ask for a clear yes or no at the end. Never order panels, posts or gates before the deposit arrives, because custom lengths and gates are hard to resell.
Steps
- In the visit confirmation, ask about gate access, pets and who will meet the estimator.
- Two days before install, send a checklist covering marked utilities and a clear fence line.
- Follow up on each quote on a schedule and state its expiry date.
- Order materials only after the deposit is received.
In fence contractor
Fence work needs access along the full property line, marked utilities and sometimes neighbor or association sign-off. Materials are cut to the job, so ordering before a deposit leaves you holding the loss if the customer disappears. All fence contractor scheduling questions.
How Apex does it
In progress
Part of this is built. The rest is not. Status as of 2026-10-07; the badge shows the least-built feature involved.
Apex is designed to send confirmation messages, run quote follow-up automations and take a deposit when a quote is approved. Follow-ups and deposits are in progress, and texting needs a connected provider account.
- CM04Confirmation messages(Built, rolling out)
- ES09Quote follow-up automations(In progress)
- ES08Deposit on quote approval(In progress)
Apex Flow Scheduler is in early access. See how we label status.
Where this question comes from: we wrote it from research on common owner problems. It is not measured search demand.
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