# 04 Trades and home services: e-mail, letter, notice, social post

Templates, not legal advice. Replace every [placeholder] (list in part 01). For work you quote on a fixed price, the quote counts. Check your contracts and the rules in your country before you change anything that is already agreed.

## Before you send: trades specifics

- **Open quotes:** Decide how long a quote stays valid and write the date on it. Quotes accepted before the effective date normally keep their price.
- **Hourly rate versus fixed price:** Say which of the two changes. If only the hourly rate changes, a customer with a fixed-price job is unaffected.
- **Call-out fee, travel and minimum charge:** Name them if they change; customers notice them first.
- **Materials:** If material prices move fast, say how you handle it: on the quote, at cost plus a margin, or with a validity period.
- **Maintenance and service contracts:** Follow the notice in the contract. Where there is no clause, you need the customer's agreement.
- **Commercial customers and property managers:** They often want the change on letterhead, with the effective date, in writing. Use the letter (B).

## A. E-mail to customers

Subject: Our new rates from [Effective date] – [Business name]

```
[Greeting and name]

thank you for your trust in [Business name]. From [Effective date] we are adjusting our rates.

[One-sentence reason.]

The main changes:
- [Service, e.g. hourly rate]: was [old price], now [new price]
- [Service, e.g. call-out fee]: was [old price], now [new price]
- [Service, e.g. minimum charge]: was [old price], now [new price]

Quotes we issued before [Date sent] stay valid at the quoted price until [Date quote ends]. Jobs already agreed in writing are not affected.

If you have a job coming up, tell us and we will give you a firm price in a quote.

Questions? Call [Phone] or write to [E-mail].

Kind regards
[Sender name]
[Business name], [Town or city]
```

## B. Letter (paper)

```
[Business name]
[Street and number]
[Postcode and town]

[Customer name]
[Street and number]
[Postcode and town]

[Town or city], [Date sent]

Our new rates from [Effective date]

[Greeting and name]

we have worked for you since [Year/month], and we thank you for the trust.

From [Effective date] we are adjusting our rates. [One-sentence reason.]

The most important changes:
[Service]: was [old price], now [new price]
[Service]: was [old price], now [new price]

Quotes issued before [Date sent] remain valid at the quoted price until [Date quote ends]. [If applicable: Your maintenance agreement is covered by clause [number]; we will confirm any change separately in writing.]

Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your upcoming work. You can reach us on [Phone] or at [E-mail].

Kind regards

[Sender name]
[Business name]
```

## C. Notice (A4, for the van, the shop counter or the site office)

```
OUR RATES FROM [Effective date]

Dear customers

we are adjusting our rates. [One-sentence reason.]
The current rate list is available on request and on [Website].

Quotes issued before [Date sent]: quoted price until [Date quote ends].

Please ask us before work begins if you would like a fixed price.
Thank you for your trust.

[Business name]
```

## D. Social post

Short version:

```
From [Effective date] our rates change. Quotes already issued keep their price until [Date quote ends]. The new rate list is on [Website]. Thank you for trusting [Business name].
```

Longer version:

```
A short note about our rates.

From [Effective date] we are adjusting our prices. [One-sentence reason.]

What does not change: [one true thing, e.g. we give you a written quote before we start / we are on time / we clean up after the job].

Need a firm price for a job? Send us the details on [Website] or call [Phone] and we will quote it.

Thank you!
```

Tip: put real work photos with it, not stock images. People pay for the person they can picture on their doorstep.

## E. Thank-you to repeat customers (short personal e-mail or note with the invoice)

```
[Greeting and name]

we have been working with you since [Year/month]. Thank you for keeping us in mind.

From [Effective date] our rates go up. [One-sentence reason.] [If you offer something you can keep, e.g.: For jobs you book before [date] we will still use the current rate.]

If you want to talk about anything, call [Phone].

Kind regards
[Sender name]
```

Note: only promise what you can keep. Do not promise «no more increases».

## F. Add-on block: you no longer take certain jobs

```
From [Effective date] we will no longer do [Service] because [One-sentence reason]. We are happy to recommend [Alternative] for this.
```