I get the concern about constant notifications causing stress, but honestly, I think the issue isn't real-time alerts themselves—it's more about how they're implemented. Last year, I had a supplier who did something similar, and yeah, my phone buzzed way too often. But then I switched to a different service that grouped alerts into priority levels. High-priority stuff came through immediately, while less critical updates were batched into hourly or daily summaries. Made a huge difference—no more panic every five minutes.
The key is giving users control over how and when they get notified. If every tiny fluctuation triggers an alert, of course it'll feel overwhelming. But if you set clear thresholds or categories, real-time updates can actually reduce uncertainty since you're never caught off guard by major changes. It's about balance and smart filtering, not ditching timely alerts altogether.
Totally agree on the filtering thing. Had a similar issue when we first started tracking green roof material prices—every tiny shift triggered an alert. Drove me nuts. Eventually, we set up thresholds: small price changes got batched weekly, bigger jumps came through immediately. Way less stressful, and honestly, more useful. It's not about ditching real-time alerts, just tweaking them so you're not drowning in notifications...
"Eventually, we set up thresholds: small price changes got batched weekly, bigger jumps came through immediately."
This is exactly the kind of approach we've adopted as well. When we first started renovating our home, I remember getting constant updates from suppliers about lumber and flooring prices. It was overwhelming and honestly counterproductive. We ended up implementing a similar threshold system—minor fluctuations were reviewed monthly, while significant price hikes triggered immediate notifications.
Regarding the original question about honoring price quotes, we've found that clearly defining a validity period upfront helps immensely. Typically, we've honored quotes for 30 days, which seems fair to both parties. However, in volatile markets (like lumber was last year), we shortened that window to around two weeks. It wasn't ideal, but it protected us from sudden spikes and kept expectations realistic on both sides.
One thing I'd suggest is clearly communicating your policy on quote validity right from the start. If customers know upfront that quotes are valid for a specific timeframe, they're less likely to feel blindsided if prices shift later. Transparency goes a long way in maintaining trust.
Also, consider adding a clause that allows renegotiation if market conditions drastically change within the quote period. We did this once when steel prices surged unexpectedly, and it saved us from absorbing huge losses. Customers weren't thrilled initially, but most understood once we explained the situation clearly.
In short, setting clear expectations and having some flexibility built into your quoting process can save you a lot of headaches down the road...
We've also used thresholds, especially after last year's storms sent roofing material prices through the roof (pun intended...). Minor changes we batched every couple weeks, but big jumps had to be immediate. One thing though—do you guys ever run into pushback from customers if you shorten your quote validity during volatile times? We've had mixed reactions, and I'm curious how others handle that.
We've definitely had some pushback, especially from customers who got used to our longer validity periods. But honestly, once we explained the volatility clearly—sometimes even showing them supplier notices—they usually understood. Transparency goes a long way, even if it's a hassle sometimes...
