Qualify a cabinet enquiry

Choose the next useful step

A first enquiry does not need a finished design. It needs enough context to choose the right next step. Use a short, respectful conversation to identify what can be estimated, what needs clarification and who will provide it. Record the outcome so the next person can continue without starting again.

Why qualification comes before pricing

A fast price is useful only when it is attached to the right project. Qualification protects the customer from a misleading number and protects the dealer from spending hours on an enquiry that has no defined scope, no decision maker or no workable delivery plan.

The objective is not to reject every incomplete enquiry. It is to identify what is known, what is missing and which next action will move the opportunity forward.

1. Confirm the market and project location

Record the country, city and project type first. The selected market controls the quotation currency and default measurement system. Destination also affects freight planning, duties, taxes, local delivery and service availability.

Ask who will manage importing, customs clearance, unloading, storage and local installation. LOBIN standard public cabinet pricing is a factory-supply reference. Freight, insurance, duties, taxes, destination handling, local delivery and installation count only when they are expressly written into the quotation.

2. Confirm the cabinet scope

List the rooms and cabinet types: kitchen base cabinets, wall cabinets, tall units, wardrobes, vanities, TV cabinets, shoe cabinets, islands or other built-in storage. Ask whether the customer wants cabinet supply only or expects countertops, sinks, appliances, lighting, glass doors, special hardware or room doors.

The public planning minimum is 10 m² equivalent. Smaller or unusual projects can still be submitted, but acceptance and final commercial terms require review.

3. Check information readiness

Place the enquiry into one of three stages:

• Ready to estimate: usable dimensions, cabinet types, material direction and destination are available.
• Ready for guided planning: photos and rough dimensions exist, but layout or product choices still need help.
• Not ready: no site dimensions, no room information and no clear project decision.

For a guided-planning lead, give the customer a short measurement and photo checklist instead of guessing. Use the project intake lesson as the handoff.

4. Understand the decision path

Identify the customer role, decision maker, target decision date and expected project timing. Ask whether the customer is comparing supply prices, looking for a complete local service or already working with a designer and installer.

Do not promise a production or arrival date during qualification. The published production reference starts only after approved drawings, required payment and production release. Shipping time is separate.

A practical qualification outcome

End the first conversation with one clear status:

1. Create a preliminary estimate now.
2. Request missing dimensions, photos or drawings.
3. Arrange a LOBIN review for an unusual scope.
4. Explain that the project is outside the current supply boundary.

Write the reason in the customer record. A clear status makes the next follow-up useful and keeps sales promises aligned with production reality.

Next, prepare the customer requirement brief or open the LOBIN estimator.