Keeping customers updated · CONSTRUCTION AND HOME SERVICES
Keeping customers updated · DENTAL AND VETERINARY CLINICS
Keeping customers updated · ESTATE AND LETTING AGENTS
Keeping customers updated · GARAGES AND CAR SERVICING
Keeping customers updated · PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Customers keep chasing you for updates.
‘Customers ring all day asking when we’re coming.’
‘Owners ring all afternoon to find out how their pet’s procedure went.’
‘Tenants chase us for news at every step of a let.’
‘People ring to ask if their car’s ready while we’re under it.’
‘Clients email to ask where their matter has got to, and the morning goes on answering them.’
What Changes
The journey for keeping customers updated in a construction and home services business. Today: 4 steps you do and 2 times it waits. With the fix: 1 and 0.
Construction and Home Services: survey, materials, fitting.
The journey for keeping customers updated in a dental and veterinary clinics business. Today: 4 steps you do and 2 times it waits. With the fix: 1 and 0.
Dental and Veterinary Clinics: pet owner; admitted, procedure, home time.
The journey for keeping customers updated in a estate and letting agents business. Today: 4 steps you do and 2 times it waits. With the fix: 1 and 0.
Estate and Letting Agents: tenant; referencing, signing, keys.
The journey for keeping customers updated in a garages and car servicing business. Today: 4 steps you do and 2 times it waits. With the fix: 1 and 0.
Garages and Car Servicing: car; diagnosis, parts, ready.
The journey for keeping customers updated in a professional services business. Today: 4 steps you do and 2 times it waits. With the fix: 1 and 0.
Professional Services: client, matter; searches, draft, exchange.
Today
- You: Job booked, customer told “we’ll be in touch”.
- Waiting: Nothing for [n] days.
- You: Customer rings, you look it up and ring back.
- Waiting: The date slips and nobody tells them.
- You: Customer rings again, annoyed.
- You: It turns into a complaint.
- Steps You Do
- 4
- Times It Waits
- 2
With the Fix
- Runs on its own: Job booked, confirmation sent.
- You: The team marks each stage with one tap.
- Runs on its own: Customer hears at every stage.
- Runs on its own: Date moves, and they hear the same day with the reason.
- Runs on its own: Simple questions answered from the job record.
- Runs on its own: Jobs gone quiet are flagged to you.
- Steps You Do
- 1
- Times It Waits
- 0
- Each job moves through the stages you already use.
- When a job moves on, the customer gets a text or email.
- When a date moves, the customer hears that day, with the reason and the new date.
- Simple questions are answered from the job record. Anything else goes to the right person.
- You see which jobs have gone quiet for too long.
Illustrative example. Today: The customer’s thread: “Hi, any update on the [job]?” ([day]). “Hello?” ([day]). “Are you still coming on [day]?” No replies. After the fix: “Survey done. Your [materials] are ordered, due [date].” “Fitting booked for [date], [time slot].” “We’ve had to move you to [date] because [reason]. Sorry for the change.” “[Fitter] is on the way, about [n] minutes.” “All done. If anything’s not right, reply here.”.
Illustrative. Your business carries your own details.
What It Costs You
Among home-repair customers who had a problem, 21% faced substantial delays, and 16% of those who complained said the trader ignored them.
Source: Citizens Advice, Built to fail, July 2026
What You Do
Agrees the job stages and the wording once. The team marks each stage with one tap.
Illustrative example. Today: Reception’s call log: [Owner], [time]. [Owner], [time]. [Owner], [time]. A sticky note: “Ring [Owner] re [Pet]?”. After the fix: “[Pet] is admitted and settled.” “[Pet]’s procedure finished at [time]. [Vet] will call you by [time].” “[Pet] can go home from [time]. Please bring [item].”.
Illustrative. Your business carries your own details.
What It Costs You
Consent conversations and treatment plans are among the most common themes in complaints to the Veterinary Client Mediation Service, which concluded 940 mediations in 2025.
Source: VCMS
What You Do
Agrees the stages and wording with the clinical team and checks them against the practice’s consent process.
Illustrative example. Today: The tenant’s thread: “Any news on referencing?” ([day]). “Is the [date] move-in still on?” ([day]). “I’ve given notice on my flat. Can someone call me?” ([day]). No replies. After the fix: “Referencing passed.” “Your tenancy agreement is ready to sign: [link].” “Move-in confirmed for [date]. Keys from [branch] after [time].” “Your deposit is protected with [scheme]. Certificate attached.”.
Illustrative. Your business carries your own details.
What It Costs You
Poor or delayed communication is a top cause of lettings complaints to Property Redress, where complaint enquiries rose to 4,220 in 2025 from 2,863 the year before.
Source: Property Redress 2025, via Propertymark
What You Do
Agrees the stages of a let and the wording. Negotiators mark each stage with one tap.
Illustrative example. Today: [n] missed calls from [Customer] on the workshop phone. A text: “Is my car ready? I need it for [time].”. After the fix: “[Reg] is booked in. We’ll text you once we’ve looked at it.” “The part arrives [day]. Your car will be ready after [time].” “Your [car] is ready. Collect any time before [time].”.
Illustrative. Your business carries your own details.
What It Costs You
Customer service caused 32% of service and repair disputes taken to The Motor Ombudsman in Q3 2024, up from 17% a year earlier.
Source: The Motor Ombudsman
What You Do
Agrees the stages and wording. The workshop moves each job on from the board it already uses, or with one tap.
Illustrative example. Today: The client’s thread: “Just checking in on [matter].” ([date]). “Any word from the other side?” ([date]). “I haven’t heard anything for [n] weeks.”. After the fix: “Searches came back on [date]. Nothing needs your attention.” “We have the draft contract and will finish reviewing it by [date].” “We’re waiting on [document] from the other side and chased them on [date].” “Exchange is planned for [date].”.
Illustrative. Your business carries your own details.
What It Costs You
In legal services, poor communication (24%) and delay (23%) are the two most common complaint types brought to the Legal Ombudsman.
Source: Legal Ombudsman 2024/25
What You Do
Agrees the stages and wording with the fee earners and checks it against the firm’s client care rules.
What It Runs On
Wherever you track jobs now: a job system, a shared calendar or a spreadsheet. If there’s nothing, we set up a simple job list.
Agreed Before We Start
How many “where’s my job” calls and messages you get a week, and how many complaints mention communication, before and after.
What We Agree Before We Start
| Measure | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| “Where’s my job” calls and messages a week | ||
| Complaints that mention communication |
We fill this in with you before any work starts.
Questions Owners Ask
- Do my customers need to download anything?
- No. Updates go by text or email.
- What if we don’t have a job system?
- We set up a simple job list. Your team marks each stage with one tap.
- Can customers reply to the updates?
- Yes. Simple questions are answered from the job record, and anything else goes to the right person on your team.
Pick One Problem
Tell us which one. We’ll tell you whether we can fix it and how long it takes.