98% of the time the first time the customer meets me is when we pull up to do the job. The other 2% is probably someone that stopped me while we were out working.
There is just waaaay too much traffic and too many towns and cities around here to be driving all over. I used to do it and had almost 0 time for myself not to mention all the fuel and added milage to my truck. If they are just price shopping, then all I wasted was a few minutes on the phone not half my day.
Of course this does not apply to giving bids for larger commercial jobs. Those I always handle in person.