Customer service & RFQ desk · Plastics & injection molding
Quote tooling and run rates without the lag.
A new-tool RFQ stalls on cavitation, cycle time, resin pricing, and DFM review. By the time the proposal goes out, the customer already has three other bids.
The reality
Quoting is a turnaround problem.
An RFQ comes in for a new molded part: the estimator has to read the print and 3D model, judge wall thickness and draft, propose cavitation, estimate cycle time, price the tool and the per-piece run rate against current resin cost, and write up DFM concerns — pulling from past jobs, the tooling shop, and a resin quote that may be a week stale.
The operator owns the RFQ from receipt to proposal. It reads the model and print, attaches DFM notes on draft, gates, and tolerances, builds tooling and run-rate pricing from comparable past jobs and live resin cost, and sends the proposal — then stays on the thread to answer the follow-up before the customer goes cold.
How the operator runs customer service & rfq desk
RFQ-8830 · Intake
reviewing- STEP + print parsed
- Material: glass-filled nylon 6/6
- DFM — thin wall at boss flagged
01Read the RFQ package
Opens the STEP model and print, identifies material and tolerances, and flags DFM concerns on draft and gating.
RFQ-8830 · Pricing
building- 4-cavity tool — comparable job pulled
- Cycle est. 28s, run rate set
- Resin cost refreshed against quote
02Build the pricing
Estimates cavitation and cycle time, prices the tool, and sets the run rate against live resin cost.
RFQ-8830 · Proposal
engaging- Proposal sent — tool + per-piece
- DFM notes attached
- Lead-time question — replying
03Send and stay engaged
Issues the proposal with DFM notes, then answers the customer's follow-up and revises terms on request.
The outcome
−50% of quote cycle time
Competitive quotes out fast, customers stay engaged.
- Proposals go out while the RFQ is still warm, not days later
- DFM concerns surfaced in the quote, not discovered at first article
- Run rates priced on live resin cost, not a stale spreadsheet
Common questions
Customer service & RFQ desk
- What does the Customer service & RFQ desk operator do?
- The operator owns the RFQ from receipt to proposal. It reads the model and print, attaches DFM notes on draft, gates, and tolerances, builds tooling and run-rate pricing from comparable past jobs and live resin cost, and sends the proposal — then stays on the thread to answer the follow-up before the customer goes cold.
- What impact does the Customer service & RFQ desk operator have?
- −50% of quote cycle time. Competitive quotes out fast, customers stay engaged.
- How does the Customer service & RFQ desk operator work?
- Opens the STEP model and print, identifies material and tolerances, and flags DFM concerns on draft and gating. Estimates cavitation and cycle time, prices the tool, and sets the run rate against live resin cost. Issues the proposal with DFM notes, then answers the customer's follow-up and revises terms on request.
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