Run the day / 2 min read
From first enquiry to a confirmed booking
A message comes in while you are on a job. Another arrives on the drive home. A simple, repeatable process helps you give each customer a clear answer without carrying every detail in your head.
Keep one record for each enquiry
Bring the important details into one place, even if the first conversation happened by phone or text. Record what the customer asked for, when they contacted you and the next action you owe them.
Write a short factual summary instead of relying on memory. Keep private customer details in an appropriate business system, with access limited to the people who need them.
- Customer name and preferred contact method.
- Location and a plain description of the work.
- Any access or scheduling details the customer volunteers.
- The next action, who owns it and when it is due.
Ask enough to choose the next step
Some enquiries need a conversation; others need a visit before you can understand the scope. Tell the customer which step you recommend and what you need from them.
Keep questions observational. Ask what they have noticed or whether they already have a relevant photo. Do not ask someone to operate, dismantle or test equipment to help you qualify an enquiry.
If the work is outside your scope or availability, say so clearly. A timely answer is more useful than leaving someone waiting for a booking that will never happen.
Agree the visit before calling it booked
Check the address, purpose of the visit, agreed timing and any disclosed call-out or assessment charge. Distinguish an assessment from an agreement to complete the work. Avoid promising an exact arrival time if your working day cannot support it.
Send a short confirmation through the customer's agreed channel. Give them a way to report a change before you travel.
Close the loop when plans change
If you are delayed, communicate as soon as you can give a useful update. Record the revised agreement where you keep the job details, so a colleague does not work from an old message.
At the end of the day, review enquiries without a next action, visits waiting for confirmation and customers expecting a reply. That short review is easier when each record already has an owner and a next step.
General business information. Adapt it to your work and location; it is not a substitute for professional advice.
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