Client Intake Triage Kit — 30 First-Call Questions for Local Service Businesses

First-open instruction: read the principles, pick your top 10 questions, then paste the worksheet into your booking tool or phone notes.

A specialised HTML + Markdown ebook for tradies and local service owners who want cleaner leads, fewer wasted quotes, and calmer first calls.

This is an original practical ebook for small trade and local-service businesses: cleaners, landscapers, handymen, repair techs, painters, installers, mobile detailers, appliance repairers, and similar owner-operators.

It is not a sales script that bullies people. It is a triage system: ask enough to understand the job, protect your calendar, and guide the right prospect to the right next step.

How to use this ebook

1. Read the four triage principles.

2. Choose the 10 questions that fit your trade.

3. Add them to your phone note, web form, or receptionist checklist.

4. Use the red-flag prompts to pause jobs before they become expensive mistakes.

5. Review missed quotes monthly and improve one question at a time.

The four triage principles

1. The first call is not the quote

A quote is a priced commitment. A first call is a discovery checkpoint. If you try to price every job too early, you either underquote, overquote, or spend unpaid time solving a job you may never win. Good triage slows the rush just enough to collect the facts that matter.

2. Fit beats volume

A booked calendar full of poor-fit jobs is not growth. Poor-fit jobs create travel waste, supply surprises, payment stress, rushed workmanship, and awkward review risks. Triage is how a small operator protects good work from bad intake.

3. Questions should reduce uncertainty, not interrogate the client

The best intake questions sound helpful: “So I can point you in the right direction…” or “To avoid wasting your time…” A calm explanation makes the question feel like service, not suspicion.

4. Every answer should lead somewhere

Do not ask a question unless the answer changes the next step. A good answer can lead to a site visit, photo request, rough range, referral, decline, emergency booking, maintenance plan, or follow-up reminder.

The 30 first-call questions

Red-flag prompts

Use these when a job feels risky but you do not yet know why.

• “Before I book that in, I need to check one thing so we do not waste your time.”

• “That may need a licensed/specialist inspection rather than a standard visit.”

• “I can give a rough range, but a firm quote would need photos or a site check.”

• “If another person approves the spend, it is better we include them before locking a time.”

• “Customer-supplied materials can be fine, but we need to be clear about warranty boundaries.”

• “I would rather be honest now than arrive and surprise you with a different cost.”

Five call outcomes

Outcome 1: Book the job

Use when the service fit, location, access, urgency, and approval are clear. Confirm date/time, arrival window, callout or inspection fee, what the customer must prepare, and the contact method.

Outcome 2: Request photos/details

Use when the job may be suitable but the scope is unclear. Ask for specific images: wide shot, close-up, model plate, access path, damage area, or failed part.

Outcome 3: Paid inspection first

Use when pricing blind would be irresponsible. Explain what the inspection includes and what happens after diagnosis.

Outcome 4: Refer or decline

Use when the job is outside your licence, area, equipment, risk tolerance, or values. Keep it short and respectful.

Outcome 5: Follow up later

Use when the lead is real but not ready. Set a clear follow-up date and reason.

One-page intake worksheet

Copy this into your notes, CRM, or booking form.

• Client name:

• Phone/email:

• Job address/suburb:

• Service category:

• One-sentence problem:

• Urgency: emergency / soon / planning

• Photos received: yes / no

• Access notes:

• Decision-maker/payment approval:

• Safety or regulated-work flags:

• Budget/range conversation:

• Preferred appointment windows:

• Lead source:

• Next step: book / photos / paid inspection / refer / follow-up

• Confirmation sent: yes / no

Quality checklist before using this with staff

• Remove questions that do not change your next step.

• Add trade-specific technical questions only where they matter.

• Decide who may decline a job and when.

• Decide which jobs require a paid inspection.

• Save approved wording for callout fees, travel fees, and digital-download style support boundaries.

• Review the script after 20 calls and remove friction.

Disclaimer

This ebook provides general operational education for local service businesses. It is not legal, financial, safety, licensing, or trade-specific compliance advice. Adapt the questions to your industry, location, insurance, licensing, and safety obligations. Do not use this material to pressure vulnerable customers or misrepresent pricing.

#	Question	Why it matters	Next-step clue
1	What problem are you trying to solve, in one sentence?	Finds the real job, not just the symptom.	If vague, ask for photos or examples.
2	Where is the job located?	Checks service area, travel, parking, access, and timing.	Outside area may need travel fee or referral.
3	Is this urgent, scheduled, or exploratory?	Separates emergencies from planning enquiries.	Urgent jobs need availability and callout rules.
4	What changed recently?	Reveals triggers: leak, storm, move-in, failed DIY, tenant issue.	Recent changes help diagnosis and priority.
5	Have you already tried to fix it?	Flags hidden complexity or partially completed work.	Failed DIY may require inspection before pricing.
6	Can you send two clear photos or a short video?	Reduces guessing and unnecessary site visits.	No photos may still need paid assessment.
7	Is there safe access to the work area?	Protects time and safety.	Access issues may change schedule or price.
8	Are there pets, tenants, gates, alarms, or access codes?	Avoids arrival friction.	Add to job notes before dispatch.
9	Is anyone else approving the work or payment?	Finds decision-maker gaps.	Wait for approval before booking large jobs.
10	Is the property residential, rental, commercial, or strata/body corporate?	Changes permissions and paperwork.	Rental/strata often needs written approval.
11	What result would make this job successful for you?	Surfaces buyer expectation.	Unrealistic outcomes need a boundary.
12	Is there a deadline or event driving this?	Identifies real urgency.	Deadline may justify priority fee or decline.
13	Do you need repair, replacement, maintenance, or advice?	Narrows the service category.	Advice-only may become paid consultation.
14	Do you know the brand, model, age, size, or material?	Captures job-specific details.	Missing details may require inspection.
15	Has another contractor inspected or quoted it?	Reveals comparison shopping and prior findings.	Ask what was included, not their exact price.
16	Were there any safety warnings, smells, sparks, water, mould, or structural issues?	Spots hazards and regulated work.	Safety risks may need specialist/emergency services.
17	Are you looking for the cheapest fix, the longest-lasting fix, or options?	Aligns solution level.	Offer tiers or explain why cheap is risky.
18	What budget range have you allowed?	Prevents quoting blind when scope is flexible.	If no range, provide diagnostic/inspection path.
19	Would you like a rough range first or a firm quote after inspection?	Sets expectation about accuracy.	Record range as non-binding if used.
20	Is there any previous damage, warranty, insurance, or landlord requirement?	Affects documentation and liability.	Ask for paperwork before attending.
21	What days and times are realistic for access?	Avoids scheduling loops.	Offer slots that fit route planning.
22	Will the area be cleared before arrival?	Prevents wasted time.	Add clearing request to confirmation.
23	Is parking, loading, or lift access easy?	Impacts job duration and fees.	Complex access may require allowance.
24	Are materials already supplied, or should we supply them?	Avoids incompatible materials and warranty confusion.	Customer-supplied materials need boundary.
25	Do you want this fixed once, or maintained regularly?	Opens maintenance work without pressure.	Offer maintenance plan only when relevant.
26	How did you find us?	Shows which channels bring qualified jobs.	Track lead source in CRM/spreadsheet.
27	What is your preferred contact method for confirmations?	Reduces missed appointments.	Send confirmation in that channel.
28	If we cannot help, would you like a referral suggestion?	Keeps trust when declining.	Useful for out-of-scope jobs.
29	Is there anything that would make the visit difficult for our team?	Gives client room to mention awkward facts.	Clarify without judgment.
30	Shall I summarise the next step so we are both clear?	Closes the call cleanly.	Repeat scope, date, fee/range, and action.