RFQs aren’t just requests—they’re revenue. Missing one can mean losing a six-figure contract, not just an email.
In the fast-paced world of commercial glass distribution, response time isn’t just a metric—it’s a competitive edge. Whether it’s custom laminated glass for a curtain wall or triple-glazed IGUs for institutional builds, the window to quote can be tight. Miss that RFQ deadline, and your competitors don’t just win the bid—they start winning the relationship.
A recent internal audit at a regional glass distributor revealed a troubling pattern: over 15% of RFQs from high-volume contractors went unanswered or were submitted late over a 90-day period. Some of these were for municipal projects with strict bid timelines. One particularly costly miss involved a mixed-use development in Toronto requesting bird-friendly low-E units. The quoting team received the RFQ but didn’t escalate it in time due to staffing gaps. The customer moved on—and hasn’t come back.
Missed RFQ deadlines usually have more than one cause: overloaded estimators, unclear ownership of inboxes, inconsistent file formats, or vague specs that trigger back-and-forth delays. But the consequences are singular: lost revenue, damaged trust, and less visibility on future bids.
To prevent this, leading distributors are investing in RFQ triage systems—tools and workflows that sort incoming requests by priority, product type, and required turnaround time. Some are using RFQ intake platforms that auto-assign based on internal bandwidth and track SLAs. Others are simply tightening internal SOPs so that every quote is touched within two hours and responded to within 24, even if it’s a provisional estimate.
Your quoting team is often the first live interaction a prospect has with your company. If they don’t get responsiveness at this stage, they assume it won’t improve post-award. And in an industry where materials like solar-control laminated glass, heat-soaked tempered units, and ceramic frit patterns are increasingly customized, early engagement isn’t just helpful—it’s required for spec alignment.
Distributors who meet RFQ deadlines consistently—and follow up when they don’t win—position themselves not just as vendors, but as long-term collaborators. The value of being first to quote (or first to re-quote when specs shift) can’t be overstated.
You’re not bidding to win jobs. You’re bidding to win trust. And every RFQ you miss without explanation is a door that quietly closes.
