Look inside the finished work.

From a new inquiry to a clear next action.

Fictional company: Northstar Office Care · SOP OPS-001 · Version 1.0 · 26 September 2026

Before you begin

Use the approved intake inbox and customer tracker. You need the original inquiry, the service list and the current approved response templates. Do not request payment details or passwords in the inquiry record.

1. Capture the original request. Create a record ID and record the received date, customer-provided name, reply address and requested service. Keep the original message linked to the record.
2. Check for an existing record. Search by email and request reference. Link a repeat inquiry to its earlier record; do not overwrite a different request.
3. Check the minimum information. Confirm that the request states the service, location and preferred timing. Mark missing details explicitly; do not guess.
4. Choose the next action. Route a complete standard booking inquiry to Scheduling, a quote request to Sales Review, and a billing question to Financial Admin. Use Owner Review for anything outside the service list.
5. Prepare the response. Draft from the approved template and verified facts. If information is missing, request only that information. No new price or delivery promise may be added.
6. Assign accountability. Select the responsible queue and due date. Use the next business day as this fictional team's internal review target, not a promise to the customer.
7. Review before any external action. The authorized reviewer checks the recipient, source facts, scope and proposed message. An incomplete or unusual request remains on hold.
8. Record the outcome. Save the approved next step, review date and reviewer. Close this intake task only when the next owner has accepted it; keep the service task open until its own completion criteria are met.

Exceptions & escalation

• Missing service address: mark “Needs information”; do not schedule.
• Conflicting customer records: preserve both sources and ask the reviewer to resolve them.
• Complaints, refund requests or unfamiliar scope: refer to the business owner without promising a resolution.
• Unavailable system: keep the inquiry in the approved inbox and record the interruption; never copy it into a personal account.

Acceptance checklist

Record ID present · source linked · duplicates reviewed · service classified · missing details flagged · owner and due date set · external action approved · handoff recorded.

Example completed handoff

DEMO-001 — Avery Cole: office-cleaning quote requested; location and preferred timing supplied; assigned to Sales Review; next action “review requirements and prepare quote”; no message sent.