Most of our jobs are estimated using a flat rate by my electricans. If they don't close the sale, they collect a fee. If they do close the sale, the fee is waived. If we get a call that is a hot lead (referral or past customer) for a decent sized job I do the estimate myself and generally don't charge a fee, but my close rate on these jobs is probably 90%. Basically I know I have the job upfront or they pay a fee.
Side note. Over the past year our rates for service work have almost doubled, yet we still close about 75% of all calls. We'll keep raising until the market tells us to stop.
