Negotiated quotes

If quotes are enabled in the configuration, an authorized buyer from a company can initiate the price negotiation process by submitting a request to negotiate the price from the shopping cart. The Quotes grid lists each quote received and maintains a history of the communication between buyer and seller. The standard workplace controls can be used to filter the list, change the column layout, save views, and export data.

Quote workflow

All quotes are initiated by the buyer from the shopping cart and follow the same basic workflow:

Step 1: Buyer requests quote - The buyer requests a quote from the shopping cart. The request appears in the My Quotes list in the account dashboard of the buyer and email notification is sent to the sales representative who is assigned to the company account. In the Admin, the request appears in the Quotes grid, with a status of New. A request for a quote can be modified by the buyer until it is opened by the seller.

Step 2: Seller views request and sends response - The seller views the request for a quote. The status of the quote changes to Pending, and the buyer cannot make any changes. The seller responds by offering discounted pricing for the products in the quote, enters a comment, and sends the quote back to the buyer. The buyer and sales representative are notified by email that the seller has responded.

Step 3: Buyer receives response from seller - The buyer clicks the link in the email to open the quote, or opens the quote from the My Quotes page of the account dashboard. The buyer and seller can continue the negotiation process until an agreement is reached, or the buyer declines the quote to end the negotiation.

Step 4: Buyer accepts quote - The buyer accepts the proposed price and continues to checkout. Additional discounts cannot be added to the negotiated quote.

B2B role resources for store quotes

Configuration options for quotes are controlled using the role resources. These role resources must be set for the Admin user role that is assigned to the store administrator.

To grant access to quote functions in the Admin, go to System > Permissions > User Roles, select the role, and navigate to Sales > Operations > Quotes in the Role Resources tree.

Apply an action

Quotes

The following actions can be applied to either single or multiple records.

  1. On the Admin sidebar, go to Sales > Quotes.

  2. In the first column of the grid, select the checkbox for each record that you want to update.

  3. Follow the instructions for the action that you want to apply.

View a quote

  1. In the Actions column for a record, click View.

  2. To respond to the customer request, follow the instructions and begin the price negotiation process.

Decline a request for a quote

Only quote requests with an Open status can be declined.

  1. Select each open quote request that you want to decline.

  2. Set the Actions control to Declined.

  3. When prompted, enter the reason the quote was declined and click Confirm.

    Decline Quote?

Column descriptions

Column Description
Select To select the quotes to be subject to an action, select the checkbox or use the selection control in the column header. Options: Select All / Deselect All
ID A unique numeric identifier that is assigned when a request for a quote is submitted from the shopping cart of a buyer. When viewing the quote detail the ID appears at the top of the page, instead of the quote name.
Name The name assigned to a quote request by the buyer.
Created Date The date and time the buyer first submitted the request for a quote.
Company The name of the company on behalf of which a buyer submits a request for a quote.
Submitted By The first and last name of the company buyer who submits a request for a quote.
Last Updated The date and time of the last communication between buyer and seller regarding the quote.
Sales Rep The first and last name of the sales representative who manages the buyer’s account.
Quote Total (Base) The total price of products to be purchased based on the original quote. The total amount appears in the base currency of the website and in the currency of the storefront.
Quote Total (Negotiated) The total price of products to be purchased based on the negotiated quote. The total amount appears in the base currency of the website and in the currency of the storefront.
Status Indicates the current state of a quote request. The status of a quote can be changed only by action on the part of either the buyer or seller. See also the Status settings from the buyer’s account.
New - The buyer submitted a request for a quote, but it has not been viewed by the seller. The request can be updated by the buyer until it is opened by the seller.
Open - The seller opened the request and is in the process of reviewing it and preparing a response.
Submitted - The seller sent a response to the buyer. The quote record cannot be edited during the negotiation process.
Client Reviewed - The buyer viewed the response from the seller and is in the process of preparing a reply.
Updated - The buyer submitted a response, but it has not been viewed by the seller.
Ordered - The buyer submitted the order based on the negotiated quote.
Closed - The buyer canceled the quote request.
Declined - The seller declined the request for a quote. Any custom pricing is removed from the quote and the record is locked from further edits.
Expired - The buyer did not respond to the seller’s reply within the designated time period and the quote is no longer valid.
Actions View - Opens the request for a quote and maintains a record of the negotiation between buyer and seller.

Button bar

Button Description
Send Sends the updated quote as a reply to the buyer’s inquiry. This button is disabled if the seller is waiting for a reply from the buyer.
Back Returns to the Quotes page without saving changes.
Print Sends the quote to a printer or saves it as a PDF file.
Save as Draft Saves any changes made to the quote, but does not send it back to the buyer.
Decline Declines the request to negotiate prices, either on the initial inquiry, or during ongoing negotiations. When a quote is declined, the seller should add a comment to explain the decision. When a quote is declined, all negotiated prices are reset to the original values. This button is disabled while the seller is waiting for a reply from the buyer.

Example quote

The following figure shows an example quote with some settings configured.

Example quote

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