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Phone Intake Checklist
Use this checklist to review what happens when a new caller reaches your business. The goal is not to collect every possible detail. The goal is to capture enough information to route the caller, create the next action, and make the handoff visible.
Caller identity
- name
- phone number
- email when needed
- new or existing customer/client/patient
- company name when relevant
Reason for the call
- service or matter type
- urgency
- location
- existing appointment or job
- preferred next action
Qualification
Use only when appropriate. Possible questions: service area, service fit, project type, appointment type, timeline, decision-maker, required prerequisites. Do not turn every phone call into a long interrogation.
Routing
- who owns this call type
- what happens if that person is unavailable
- whether context carries through the transfer
- whether the caller is forced to repeat information
Booking
- correct calendar
- correct appointment type
- duration
- required intake information
- confirmation
- reminder process
CRM capture
- contact created or updated
- call reason recorded
- source recorded when relevant
- next action created
- owner assigned
- status visible
Missed-call recovery
- missed call identified
- owner assigned
- response target defined
- acknowledgment used when appropriate
- outcome recorded
After-hours flow
- caller knows the business is closed
- urgent route is defined
- non-urgent route is defined
- booking option is clear when available
- next-business-day ownership is clear
Measurement
Can you answer:
- How many legitimate calls were missed?
- How many were recovered?
- How many became appointments or qualified next steps?
- How many remain unresolved?