Managing a new inquiry
What arrives when a client sends an inquiry, how to read it, your four possible responses, and the switch that pauses new inquiries when your book is full.
What an inquiry contains
A client starts by picking one of your published listings - or Not sure yet / Something else if nothing fits - and filling in a short brief. The project lands in your workspace at the Inquiry stage with the Awaiting proposal badge. Here is what you get to work with:
- A project title and a Need-by date.
- A budget chip: **Under $500**, **$500-$1,000**, **$1,000-$2,000**, **$2,000-$5,000**, **$5,000+**, **Not sure**, or a custom range.
- A delivery location at city, region, and country level - never a street address.
- Their preferred way to receive the piece.
- A materials handling preference: **I already have my fabric/materials**, **I need help sourcing them**, **I want the designer to source them**, or **I'm not sure yet**. This is a preference, never binding.
- A written message - the brief - posted as the first message in the project chat.
- Up to 4 reference images.
Your four possible moves
Reply in the thread
The brief is the first chat message, so answer it there. Clarify the silhouette, the timeline, the materials - most inquiries need a short conversation before anything else.
Advance to Planning
If the project needs consultation or measurement work before you can price it, use Advance to move it to Planning and propose an appointment.
Send a proposal
When the scope is clear, send a proposal. That moves the project to Agreement - skipping Planning entirely is normal.
Decline
If the project is not for you, decline it. Declining is available at the Inquiry stage only, and it sends the client a decline notice so they are not left waiting.
Clients have a move of their own: they can withdraw an inquiry at any point before it becomes an agreed project.
When the client goes quiet
Tailore does not send automatic nudges to a quiet client - if a conversation stalls, the ball is in your court. A short follow-up in the thread a few days later keeps the inquiry alive; silence usually loses it.
Pausing new inquiries
When your book is full, turn off the Accepting new inquiries switch. Your public profile then shows "This studio is not currently accepting new Tailore projects." and new inquiries stop reaching you. Everything already in flight continues untouched - existing projects, messages, and payments are unaffected.
Pause intake instead of ignoring inquiries
An unanswered inquiry is a bad first impression you cannot take back. If you cannot take on work, flip the switch - it is honest, it is public, and it is reversible. See Managing visibility and availability.
Common questions
No. It is context for your proposal, nothing more. Your proposal sets the actual price, and the client decides whether to approve it.
No. It is a stated preference so you know what the client expects. What actually happens with materials is whatever you agree in the proposal.
No - declining exists at the Inquiry stage only. Once a project has advanced, resolving it means agreeing next steps with the client or going through cancellation; see the Cancellation and refund policy.
No. Inquiries carry the delivery location at city, region, and country level only.
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