Customer Update SOP
Purpose. The fixed rhythm of proactive updates a customer gets from the moment their job is scheduled to the moment it closes. Silence is what turns a normal construction hiccup into an angry phone call. Rosa Delgado owns update delivery; Pete Sandoval owns making sure production feeds her accurate information daily. The standing rule: the customer should never have to call us to find out what is happening.
Trigger. Job accepted into production per Project Handoff SOP. The cadence runs until closeout.
Timing. Every update below has a fixed slot. Updates go out through GHL (SMS as the default channel, email for anything with attachments) so the full thread lives on the opportunity record.
The update cadence
- Welcome to production. (Owner: Rosa. Timing: within 1 business day of handoff acceptance.) Introduces Pete as the production contact, restates scope, gives the target start window, and explains this cadence so the customer knows what to expect from us.
- Start-date confirmation. (Owner: Rosa, from Pete's board. Timing: as soon as the job is dated.) Date, arrival window, expected duration, and prep instructions. For roof tear-offs: warn about noise, vibration, and pictures rattling on walls. It sounds small; it prevents a predictable complaint.
- Night-before reminder. (Owner: GHL automation; Rosa confirms it fired.) Short SMS: crew arrival window and the office number.
- Day-one end-of-day update. (Owner: Rosa, from the crew lead's end-of-day report to Pete.) What was done, what happens tomorrow. Attach two or three CompanyCam progress photos; customers love seeing their own roof deck.
- Ongoing updates. (Owner: Rosa.) Multi-day jobs: a brief update every working day. Remodels running weeks: a fuller Friday summary (progress, next week's plan, any selections needed from the customer) plus immediate notice of anything unusual.
- Delay or surprise notice. (Owner: Rosa for routine delays; Pete calls personally for anything material. Timing: same day we know, always before the customer notices on their own.) Weather, materials, hidden damage found under the old roof. State what we found, what it means for schedule or cost, and what happens next. Cost changes route through Tara per Pricing and Estimating Rules before any number reaches the customer.
- Completion notice and walkthrough booking. (Owner: Rosa.) Work complete, final photos taken, and here are two or three walkthrough slots. Walkthrough itself is covered in Quality Control SOP.
- Closeout message. (Owner: Rosa. Timing: after walkthrough sign-off and final payment.) Thanks, warranty paperwork attached from the Google Drive job folder, what to do if anything comes up later, and the review request.
Voice and content rules
- Plain language. "The decking under the old shingles was rotted in two sections" beats any jargon version of the same sentence.
- Never promise a schedule we have not confirmed with Pete. "We expect Thursday, weather permitting" is a promise; make it deliberately.
- Never discuss warranty coverage determinations or insurance claim outcomes in an update. Those conversations have owners; see Escalation Matrix.
- Bad news travels fastest. A delay told at 2pm is an update; the same delay discovered by the customer at 8am is a complaint headed for Complaint Escalation SOP.
- Tone guidance lives in Brand Voice Guide; when in doubt, warm, brief, specific.
Sample update (day-end, roofing)
Hi, it's Rosa at Summit. The crew finished tear-off on the back slope today and found the decking in good shape, so no change to the estimate. Tomorrow they start shingling the back and should wrap the ridge by Thursday. Two photos attached. Questions any time: this number reaches me during business hours.
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