A useful service request should answer one question for the office and the field team: what needs to happen next?
If the note only says “AC broken” or “customer has a leak,” the dispatcher has to call back, the technician arrives with less context, and the customer repeats the story. A consistent intake checklist prevents that information gap.
Use the questions below as a starting point. Remove anything your team does not need and add trade-specific questions where they change the next step.
Customer and property
1. What is your name and best callback number?
Confirm both instead of relying only on caller ID. Ask whether text messages are acceptable if your workflow uses them.
2. What is the service address?
Capture the full address, including unit, suite, gate, or building number. Repeat it back to catch transcription errors.
3. Are you the owner, tenant, property manager, or another contact?
This affects authorization, access, and who may need to approve the work.
The service need
4. What do you need help with today?
Start open-ended. Let the caller describe the problem in their own words before moving to specific questions.
5. When did the issue start?
“This morning” and “for three months” can lead to different priorities and different follow-up questions.
6. Is the issue active right now?
For example: Is water still flowing? Is the equipment still running? Is the door currently locked? Avoid diagnosing; capture observable facts.
7. What equipment, material, or area is affected?
Ask for the details your trade uses: equipment type, fuel source, roof area, pipe location, panel, lock type, pest, room, or surface.
8. Has anyone already tried a repair?
Record what was changed, shut off, reset, opened, or removed. This helps the technician understand the current state.
Urgency and safety
9. Is anyone in immediate danger?
Your script should direct life-safety emergencies to the appropriate emergency service. The call-intake agent should not improvise safety advice.
10. Is there active damage or loss of an essential service?
Use the caller’s answer to apply the urgency rules your business has already defined. Examples include active water, no heat, exposed wiring, a blocked entrance, or storm damage.
Access and follow-up
11. Are there access instructions, pets, parking limits, or site contacts?
Small access details can prevent a failed visit. Capture gate codes only through a process your business considers secure.
12. What timing works, and what should happen next?
Record the preferred window, but do not promise availability unless the schedule confirms it. End with a clear next step: service-request review, estimate follow-up, urgent escalation, or a message for the office.
Turn the answers into one dispatch note
Keep the note scannable:
- Customer and callback number
- Service address and property role
- Issue in the caller’s words
- Observable symptoms and start time
- Urgency flags
- Equipment or affected area
- Photos requested or received
- Access details
- Preferred timing
- Agreed next step
The goal is not to make the call longer. It is to ask only the questions that change priority, preparation, or follow-up.
Test the checklist before using it live
Run three practice calls:
- A routine request during business hours
- An urgent after-hours request
- A caller outside your service area
Listen for awkward wording, missing branches, and promises your team cannot keep. Then revise the questions and escalation rules before forwarding live calls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should call intake include a price quote?
Only when your business has approved a specific price or range for that exact scenario. Otherwise, collect the information needed for your team to quote accurately.
How many questions should an intake script ask?
Ask the minimum number that changes the next step. A simple request may need only a few questions; an urgent or high-variation job may need more.
Should every caller be asked the same questions?
Use a common core, then branch by service, urgency, property type, and caller role. This keeps the handoff consistent without forcing irrelevant questions.
Turn missed calls into clear job requests.
Alice helps cover calls 24/7, asks your intake questions, and sends your team the details needed for the next step.
