RFQ response template: the quote email and line-item table distributors send back

• Their reference first: the RFQ number and date from the customer’s request, so their buyer can file your quote without searching.
• One answer per requested line, in the same sequence as the request, with their part number next to yours.
• Quantity and unit as requested. If you quote a different pack size, say so on the line: 10 pieces quoted as 1 box of 10.
• Price per unit and line total, with the discount or contract price you applied.
• Delivery per line: from stock, or the lead time in business days.
• Lines you cannot quote, with the reason or the information you need. Mark any proposed equivalent clearly.
• Validity date and a reference to your terms of sale.
• One named contact with a direct phone number.

Put this table in the quote or as a spreadsheet attachment. The example uses invented data; the prices are placeholders.

Keep the customer’s line numbers, including lines you cannot quote, so the buyer can check your quote against the RFQ line by line.

Copy from the subject line to the signature and replace everything in square brackets.

Subject: Quote [quote no.] for your RFQ [their ref.] dated [date]

Dear [name],

Thank you for your RFQ [their ref.] dated [date]. Please find our quote [quote no.] attached; it is valid until [date].

We have quoted [x] of your [y] lines. For line [n], we are offering an equivalent; please confirm it suits your application. To quote line [m], we need the manufacturer part number.

All prices exclude [sales tax / freight] and are subject to our terms of sale, attached to this email. To order, simply reply with your purchase order number.

Best regards,

[Name], [company], [direct phone]

1. Every requested line has an answer: a price, an equivalent or a clear question.
2. Units are converted correctly: pieces, packs, meters, coils.
3. The customer’s part numbers map to the same items you quoted last time.
4. Contract prices and quantity breaks for this customer are applied.
5. The PDF you send is the version you approved.

Units and part numbers need the closest look. Our guide to unit of measure and part number errors shows the typical cases.

1. Reads the request from your mailbox or as a file: email, PDF, Excel or CSV. Lines, quantities and units are extracted; scanned pages without a text layer are flagged, never guessed.
2. Matches each line against your own catalog by manufacturer part number, customer part number, previous quotes and full-text search, and shows where each match came from. Green is clear, yellow needs a look, red means you need to ask the customer.
3. Prices each line from your own pricing: customer price, contract price, quantity break.
4. Waits for your approval. Uncertain lines are flagged; nothing goes out until a person on your team approves the quote.
5. Sends it from your connected mailbox with a PDF of the approved version. The customer’s reply is filed on the quote and flagged as a likely acceptance or rejection.

If you want, one follow-up goes out 1, 3 or 7 days after sending, and any reply cancels it. The day before a quote expires, your team gets a reminder. Quotes are also available as Excel or CSV for your ERP.

• It does not replace your ERP; orders and stock stay there.
• It does not use your data to train models.

Does Quotrail send a quote without approval?

No. A person on your team approves every quote before it goes out.

Can customers keep using their own part numbers?

Yes. Customer part numbers are one of the ways Quotrail matches a line to your catalog, and the match shows where it came from.

Which request formats does it read?

Email text, PDF, Excel and CSV.