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Trade enquiry resource

Trade Enquiry Checklist: What to Ask Before a Callback

By MMD Solutions Ltd · Published · 3 min read

Good intake gives the person returning a call enough context to have a useful conversation. Ask for the essentials first, then confirm the details needed to quote or arrange work.

Trade Enquiry Checklist: What to Ask Before a Callback
Trade Enquiry Checklist: What to Ask Before a Callback

A simple intake card to reuse

Enquiry intake card
Name:
Preferred callback number:
Job postcode:
Short description of the work:
Existing customer or job reference, if known:
Convenient contact time:
Owner and next action:

Copy the fields into your current form, notes or CRM. You can also download the intake columns (CSV). Ask only for information you will use. A first message rarely needs every detail of the property or a long account history.

Confirm how to reach the right person

The number displayed on an incoming call may not be the number the customer wants you to use. Confirm their preferred callback number and name. A household or office may share a phone, so a number match alone should not overwrite an existing customer record.

If they have already given a job reference, carry it through to the callback. It is often more useful than asking them to repeat the whole story to a different colleague.

Ask for a short description, not a diagnosis

“Replace a kitchen tap” and “tap leaking after recent work” may need different conversations. Record what the customer reports without rewriting it into a technical finding. A transcript or photo can help prepare the call, but the person handling the work confirms scope and suitability.

Postcode helps establish whether the job is in the area you cover. Ask for fuller address or access details when needed for an agreed next step. Keep alarm codes, payment information and unrelated sensitive details out of a general enquiry queue.

Separate preferences from commitments

“Please call after 3pm” is a contact preference. “Can you come on Friday?” is a request to discuss availability. Neither should become a confirmed appointment automatically. Record the request, then confirm it with someone who can make the commitment.

If the team cannot meet the requested timing, say so when responding. It is better to agree a workable next step than to leave a customer assuming a visit is booked.

Add the two internal details callers cannot supply

  • Owner: who is responsible for responding?
  • Next action: what will they do, and when?

These details turn a message into a working enquiry. Review them when the owner is away or when a reply comes in through a different channel. The same customer should not need to start again because they called first and emailed later.

We map these fields into your existing CRM or job-management workflow. See the integration guide, or use the blank callback tracker while you agree the routine.

Sources and review

Reviewed 17 October 2026. Jobber: request intake as a workflow example.

The intake card is MMD’s general workflow aid. It is not a technical inspection checklist or a substitute for trade-specific assessment.

Plan the human follow-up too: use the free callback checklist and customer reply templates.

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The paid pilot lasts 30 days from activation. Callback costs £49; Callback with either Enquiry & quote follow-up or Invoice & payment reminders costs £68; Callback with both additions costs £87. There is one £49 standard setup fee, making the first payment £98, £117 or £136 respectively. Prices are before any applicable VAT. Standard setup covers compatibility checks, standard configuration, message templates, testing and a handover, with up to one hour of setup time. We confirm availability, compatibility, scope and costs before you agree to start. Each addition includes 50 outgoing SMS segments per service month and normal customer replies. Long texts can use more than one segment. We notify you before the limit and pause additional automated messages at the cap. A £10 prepaid top-up for 100 outgoing segments needs your approval; no automatic overage charges. At day 30 you explicitly choose whether to continue at the same monthly price, held for your first three months. After that agreement, the service renews monthly; you can cancel the next renewal through the billing portal or by contacting us. If you do not continue, we agree how to return call handling to its previous setup. Existing customers pay £19/month per addition and one £49 setup fee to configure one or both additions. Custom integrations are scoped and quoted separately, with third-party fees and any maintenance agreed before work starts. Research participation, marketing and analytics are separate choices. Honest feedback is welcome; no positive review is required and the initial conversation carries no obligation to buy. Callback includes up to 20 voicemail messages or 20 processing minutes per service month, whichever is reached first, for one business number. Each message is counted separately and its duration is rounded up to a whole processing minute: a 20-second message uses 1 minute; a 61-second message uses 2. Messages are limited to 2 minutes. Unused allowance does not roll over. We confirm activation and reset dates, and how calls are handled at the limit, before activation. Extra callback usage must be agreed separately; there are no automatic paid top-ups.

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