---
title: "How to Respond to a Custom Order Inquiry"
url: "https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-respond-to-a-custom-order-inquiry"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2026-06-24T14:40:47.469Z"
---

# How to Respond to a Custom Order Inquiry

Review a customer's custom order request, communicate with them, and send a price quote.

## Overview

Review a customer's custom order request, communicate with them, and send a price quote.

## Before You Start

-   You need the Admin role

## Steps

### Reviewing a new inquiry

-   Navigate to the custom order inquiries section. New inquiries appear with a blue **"Reviewing"** status badge.
-   Open the inquiry to see the customer's request, including:
-   Event details (occasion, guest count, budget range)
-   Fulfillment preferences (date, method, delivery address)
-   Customer's message and any reference images
-   Mark the inquiry as read.

### Communicating with the customer

-   Use the message thread to ask clarifying questions or share design ideas.
-   The customer receives a notification (SMS if opted in, otherwise email) when you reply.
-   Customers can add additional images to the thread at any time (up to 8 images per message, max 2 MB each, in JPEG, PNG, or WebP format).

### Sending a quote

-   When you are ready to quote, set the price for the custom order.
-   Set an expiration period for the quote (defaults to your configured preference, typically 30 days).
-   Send the quote. The customer receives a notification with the price and expiration date.
-   The inquiry status changes to the amber **"Quoted"** badge.

### After the customer responds

-   If the customer **accepts** the quote, the status changes to the green **"Accepted"** badge. You can then proceed with creating or finalizing the order. Once the order is placed, it shows the purple **"Order Placed"** badge.
-   If the quote **expires** before the customer accepts, the badge turns gray and reads **"Expired."** You can send a new quote with a new expiration date.

### Archiving an inquiry

-   When an inquiry is complete or no longer active, archive it.
-   Archived inquiries cannot be reopened. If the customer wants to continue, they must submit a new request.

## Important Notes

-   You can resend a quote with a new expiration date at any time before or after it expires.
-   Customers cannot delete or cancel their inquiries. They can let quotes expire if they don't want to proceed.
-   There is no limit on how many open inquiries a customer can have.
-   Archived inquiries are permanently closed.
-   You can bulk-update multiple inquiries (mark as read, archive) from the inquiry list.

## Related Articles

-   [Understanding Custom Order Inquiries](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/understanding-custom-order-inquiries)

## Keywords

custom order, inquiry, quote, custom cake, respond to inquiry, send quote, price quote