Use one record per project. Keep repeat customers connected to their history without merging unrelated jobs. Replace the bracketed fields; remove anything you do not need.
Basic record
- Customer and project reference: [name and identifier]
- Contact details and preferred channel: [details]
- Inquiry received and source: [date and source or unknown]
- Responsible person: [name]
- Current status: [status]
- Next action and date: [specific action and date]
Project brief
- What the customer wants to achieve: [their words]
- Why they are considering it now: [reason]
- Service, location and scope: [known information]
- Timing and flexibility: [date and constraints]
- Budget context: [range, guidance needed or not discussed]
- Important conditions and customer concerns: [details]
- People involved in the decision: [roles and names where needed]
- Information supplied: [links to photos, documents or measurements]
- Unknowns requiring assessment: [questions, not guesses]
Decision and recap
- Our current fit assessment and reason: [proceed, clarify, defer or decline]
- What the customer will do next: [action and date]
- What we will do next: [action, owner and date]
- Written recap sent: [date and location]
Example of a useful note: “Customer wants the room usable by Thursday because they work from home. Supplier date still unconfirmed. Sam to confirm feasibility before promising installation.”
Record information needed to serve the customer. Avoid collecting sensitive personal details simply because the software has a field for them. Give the relevant team members access and keep the record accurate when the situation changes.
Go further: build a client intake questionnaire for your trade, ready to copy, print or send.