Keeping the client updated — what to say before, during, and while you wait
A client with no news assumes the worst. This guide shows what to send before a job, on the day, and during a long job. It also covers how to ask for a decision. It shows what to do when a client goes quiet, and how much contact is enough.
Send short, regular updates, and the client will not need to chase you. Confirm the day before. Send an arrival window on the day. On a long job, send one update at a fixed time: done, next, and what the client must decide. Give a date for each decision. If the client goes quiet, follow up twice, then put the job on hold in writing.
A client who pays for work they cannot see gets nervous. Nobody has told them anything, so they guess. Then they phone, or they text, or they ask a neighbour. A short message from you stops most of that.
Why silence costs you
A client with no news fills the gap with the worst case. They think you have gone. They think the job is behind. Each worry becomes a call, and each call costs you time on site. One message a day or a week costs you a minute. It saves you the calls.
Before the job: confirm the day before
Send one message the day before. State four things: the date, your arrival window, how you get in, and what the client must do. For example, move the car, clear the worktop, or leave the key. Ask for a short reply, so you know the client saw it.
Before this message, the client said yes to the quote. For that step, read when the client says yes.
For bad news in the middle of a job, read found a hidden problem mid-job.
On the day: the arrival window and "on my way"
Give a window, not a time. "Between 8 and 10" is honest. "At 8" is a promise you may break. When you set off, send one short text. Then the client is not waiting at the window.
If you run late, the guide on running late and overruns covers what to say.
During a long job: one update, one time
On a job of more than a day or two, send a short update. Use the same channel and the same time each time. The end of the day works well for short jobs. The end of the week works for long ones. Write three things:
- Done. What you finished.
- Next. What you do next, and when.
- Needed. Anything the client must decide or provide.
Keep it to a few lines. A photo helps if the client is away. Do not explain every hour.
Waiting on a client decision
Some jobs stop until the client chooses a colour, a fitting or a price. Ask one clear question. Give the choices. State the date you need the answer by. Say what happens if the date slips: the job moves back, or you start another job first.
Do not ask three things in one message. The client answers one and forgets the rest.
When the client goes quiet mid-job
Sometimes the client stops replying. Do not stop work in silence, and do not keep guessing.
- Send a first follow-up. Repeat the question and the date.
- A day or two later, send a second. Use a different channel if you can, such as a call.
- Then send a written note. Say the job is on hold until you hear from them. Say what happens to the schedule.
Keep the tone calm. You are not complaining. You are saying what you need. If the problem is an unpaid invoice, read the guide on a client who will not pay.
How much contact is enough
Some clients want a message every day. Others want to hear only when something goes wrong. Ask at the start. Then say what you will do, such as "I will text you at the end of each day". Agree it once and keep to it.
A set rhythm also protects your evenings. A client who knows an update is coming does not call at 9pm. For the clients who call anyway, read working hours and boundaries.
Keep a record
Write down what you told the client, and when. A dispute about "you never said" ends fast if you can show the message. In BizBinder, add a note to the job. The job keeps a dated history. The status changes appear in the same list.
BizBinder does not send these messages for you. You write and send each one yourself.
Where the other guides pick up
- A delay or an overrun: running late and overruns.
- The job is finished: signing off a finished job.
- You work inside the home: working in a client's home.
The scripts for all of this
The keeping the client updated pack has six scripts for these messages. They cover the day before, "on my way", and the end-of-day update. They also cover a decision you need, a quiet client, and the weekly update. Fill in your details once, and every script updates.
Common questions
How often should I update a client during a job?
Agree it at the start. On a job of a few days, one short message at the end of each day works. On a longer job, one message a week is enough. Keep to the rhythm you set.
What should an update say?
Say what you finished. Say what comes next. Say if the client must decide anything, and by when. Keep it to a few lines.
What if the client does not reply?
Follow up twice, a day or two apart. Then send a written note that the job is on hold until you hear from them. Say what happens to the schedule.
Does BizBinder send job updates to my clients?
No. BizBinder sends invoices and invoice reminders only. It does not send texts, "on my way" messages or appointment reminders. You can add a note to the job to record what you told the client, and when.
Want a record of what you told the client?
BizBinder does not send job messages. It sends no texts, no 'on my way' messages and no appointment reminders. It does give each job a scheduled date, a status and a dated notes history. Add a note to the job to record what you told the client, and when.
You are on the list.
A person reads every request. You will hear from us within one business day.
- 01 A person reads your note — not a queue.
- 02 You get an invite as spots open.
- 03 Your admin starts filing itself.
The free library is open while you wait. Nothing in it needs an account.
- guide How to keep track of jobs without a spreadsheet The six-stage system here is the frame for the tools and sheets in this stage.
- tool Small business admin health check Answer ten quick questions on quoting, invoicing, getting paid, staying organized, and follow-up. You get a score and a plan for your two weakest stages.
- tool Day plan check Enter your start time, your target finish, and up to six jobs with their travel and on-site time. The tool shows if the day fits. It also shows the first job that misses its fixed start time.