What should I do when I get a new request?

💡A new request isn't a one-time job. The goal isn't to book this customer or even to nail the first service. The goal is to retain them for 50 services. Every question you ask, every line in your proposal, every menu choice — all of it should be in service of that.

Chefs who think "how do I close this deal" send generic proposals and lose clients after two services. Chefs who think "how do I become this family's chef for the next year" ask better questions, build better menus, and end up with a roster that compounds. This guide walks you through how to do the latter.

1. Respond Within One Hour ⏰

When a new request comes in, you'll be asked a simple question: "Are you available?" You have one hour to respond in the Sous app — after that, we'll work on connecting the customer with another chef.

• ✅ I'm available Sous instantly texts you the customer's phone number. Proceed to Step 2.
• 🙅 No thanks The request moves to your History tab and the customer is notified. We'll find them another chef.

2. Reach Out Immediately 📲

Speed signals professionalism — customers notice. We recommend sending an SMS and messaging in the Sous app.

⏱ Aim to reach out within 5 minutes. The faster you respond, the more likely they are to book with you.

Message template

Hey [their name]! It's Chef [your name] from Sous. I'd love to help you with this service. Are you available sometime today or tomorrow for a quick call? We can collaborate on the menu before I send you a proposal. Let me know what time works for you.

3. Get on a Phone Call 📞

The goal of your first call is to understand the family well enough to design a service they'll still be using a year from now. Start with a brief intro — under a minute — then let them talk.

👂 You're there to guide them, not pitch them. Customers who feel heard are far more likely to book — and to stay.

How to open the call

"Hi [name], thanks for taking the time. Before I tell you about me, I'd love to hear more about you and what you're looking for — that way I can put together something that actually fits. Sound good?"

Then ask the questions below. You can never know too much. If a question feels silly, ask it anyway.

Questions for meal prep customers 🥗

• Who's in the household? Names, ages, who's eating what. Pay extra attention to picky kids — they'll make or break your menu.
• Why are you looking for help from a chef? Less takeout? More variety? Specific dietary goals? Too busy on weeknights? Their why drives everything — including how often you should come, which days, and what they'll consider a win.
• Any allergies and strong dislikes? Allergies are non-negotiable. Strong dislikes are gold — customers struggle to articulate what they love, but they'll happily tell you what they hate. That's more useful for menu building anyway.
• What grocery store should I shop at, and what's your grocery budget? Asking these together lets you build a menu that fits both. A $200 budget at Whole Foods is a very different menu than $200 at Jewel. Tailoring to the budget from day one is how you avoid sticker shock — and how you retain them.
• What ideas do you have for the first menu? Let them suggest before you propose. Their answers tell you exactly how adventurous or familiar they want to be — and often surface a dish they're craving that becomes your easiest first win.
• Do you have glass containers I can use? If not, want me to source them? If you source them, add it to the grocery bill as a reimbursement.

Questions for special occasion customers 🍾

• What's your vision for the menu and service? Do they have a theme, cuisine, or specific dishes in mind?
• How many courses are you thinking? Appetizer, salad, soup, entrée, dessert — or something more elaborate?
• Individually plated or family style? Let them know individual plating takes more time and may impact the quote.
• Where is the event taking place? Client's home, Airbnb, another venue? Especially important if it's not their home — Airbnb kitchens are notoriously under-equipped.
• How interactive do you want me to be with guests? Some hosts want you front and center; others want you to stay in the background.

Before you hang up: set expectations on the first grocery bill

Once you know their budget, set the right expectation about week one:

"Quick heads up on groceries — your first bill will likely run higher than your $[budget] target, because we'll be stocking the pantry with basics like spices, oils, and vinegars that'll last us months. After that, we'll be right at your budget."

Customers who hear this on the call don't panic when they see the first grocery receipt. Customers who don't hear it sometimes don't book a second service. This single sentence is one of the highest-leverage retention moves you can make.

Before you hang up: ask for a video walkthrough of the kitchen

This is the single highest-leverage thing you can ask for. Photos help, but a video tour is gold — and it lets you scope your proposal accurately.

"Before I put your proposal together, could you do me a quick favor? Send me a short video of your kitchen — open the cabinets, the pantry, the spice rack, the fridge, show me the oven and any appliances. Just two minutes of you walking around. It helps me plan exactly what to bring, what to cook, and what I don't need to buy — no point spending your grocery budget on garlic powder or Italian seasoning if you already have it."

You'll learn in two minutes what would otherwise take three services to discover. Missing blender? No sheet pans? No salt? You'll know before you quote. Just as important: you'll see what spices and pantry staples they already have, so you don't waste their grocery budget on duplicates.

4. Send Your Proposal 📋

After your call, build a menu and quote based on what you learned and send it through the Sous app as quickly as possible.

✅ You're booked when the customer approves your proposal — not before. Sous will automatically follow up with the customer after you send it.

A few principles for a proposal that earns you a long-term client, not just a first service:

• Offer roughly 2x the dishes they'll actually get. If they need 5 meals, propose 10 options to choose from. Shows your range and surfaces incompatibilities before you cook.
• Build to their budget, not yours. A menu that puts them $50 over budget on week one trains them to expect chef service is more expensive than they planned for — and that's a hard hole to dig out of.
• Reference details from the call. "Based on what you mentioned about [kid's name] not liking spice, I built these to be milder." Makes the proposal feel personal and signals you were actually listening.
• Send it fast. Same day if possible. Momentum matters.

If you haven't had a call yet, do that first. Proposals built around the customer's actual vision get approved much faster — and lead to longer relationships.

What happens after your proposal is approved?

Once the customer approves, you'll get a separate playbook covering everything you need to know for your first service — from pre-service prep to how to leave the kitchen so they book service two, then three, then thirty.

General Best Practices ⭐

🎯 Play the long game

Every decision should be evaluated on whether it helps you keep this client for a year, not just whether it lands the first booking. Pricing aggressively to win, overcommitting on menu complexity, agreeing to things you can't sustain — all of these book customers and lose them.

⚡ Move fast

At every stage — your initial response, first outreach, follow-up — speed signals that you're reliable and excited about the work.

👂 Listen more than you talk

The first call is a discovery session, not a pitch. Take notes. Customers who feel heard are far more likely to book.

🙋 Humanize yourself

You're not just a service. Share a bit about your background and cooking story. Real relationships lead to long-term clients.

🧭 Guide, don't correct

Customers aren't always right about food — and that's okay. Your job is to gently steer them toward a great menu, not tell them they're wrong.

🤝 Treat them like a close coworker

Not a friend, not a customer transaction — a close coworker you're collaborating with on something personal. That framing keeps things warm but professional, which is exactly where you want it.

🚩 Pay attention to fit

Most customers are a great fit. Some aren't. If on the call you're getting the sense that the customer has a long list of things they hate and not much they love, or they've cycled through multiple chefs already with complaints about each one — take note. You don't have to take every job. The clients you'll retain longest are the ones who are excited about food and trust your taste.

Questions? Text Craig directly — happy to talk through any of this before your first call.