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Answering Phones — SOP

This page is written for any team member. Keep it simple, fast, and friendly.

📋 Draft v1 — Some items are marked TBD and will be confirmed soon.

1. Greeting

Say it exactly like this:

"Alliance Chemical, this is [Your Name]. How can I help or assist you?"

Tips

  • Smile before you speak — it improves your tone
  • If audio is poor, ask politely to repeat once
  • Keep your tone warm and professional

2. Capture the Caller

We want to capture every caller's information for follow-up.

Collect During the Call (Minimum)

  • ✅ Caller name and company
  • ✅ Call-back number + email
  • ✅ Reason for call (choose a category below)
  • ✅ Order # (if they have one)

Script for New Callers

"I'll get you set up so we can follow up accurately—what's the best email and phone?"

3. Reason for Call → Category

Pick the closest category:

  • Shipping Issues — late, missed pickup, damages, shortages
  • Quotes (RFQ) — new pricing requests
  • Technical Advice / Applications — product usage questions
  • Order Issues / Wrong Items — incorrect items received
  • Tracking Issues — shipment status inquiries
  • Invoice – AP / AR — billing questions
  • Quality Issues — send to quality inboxes (see section 7)

4. Routing Map (Who Gets What)

| Call Type | Route To | |-----------|----------| | Logistics / Shipping | Cruz | | Sales / Quotes | Adnan or Andre | | Accounting (AP/AR) | Carmen or Andre | | Spanish-language callers | Cruz or Laurie |

Warm Transfer Preferred

Introduce the caller and the issue before handing off.

If the owner isn't available:

  1. Collect full details
  2. Promise a callback with specific timeframe
  3. Log the promised callback time

5. RFQ on the Phone — Required Info

Ask For:

  1. Material (as they name it)
  2. Sizing / Container
    • Examples: 55 gal drum, 5 gal pail, 4×1 gal case, etc.
  3. Shipping Details
    • City/state
    • Commercial or residential?
    • Dock available or need liftgate?
    • Appointment needed?
  4. Target Date
    • Hard deadline or flexible?
  5. Docs Needed
    • HACCP
    • Shelf life
    • Example CoA
    • Certificate of Origin (COO)

Closing Script

"I'll confirm pricing and shipping and send a quote. What's the best email?"

6. Payment on the Phone (Allowed)

Payment Protocol

  • ✅ We can take payment live
  • ✅ Use the approved payment terminal/process only
  • ❌ Do not accept card numbers by email
  • ❌ Do not store card data anywhere

Payment Steps

  1. Read back total including shipping before charging
  2. Get clear verbal authorization: 
    "Yes, I authorize this charge."
  3. Note the initials/time in the order

7. Quality Issues — Where to Send

Email both addresses:

Include:

  • Order #
  • Photos (2-3 clear images)
  • 1-line summary of the issue

8. Quick Scripts

Busy Lines / Call-Back

"Let me take your details and I'll call you back by [time] CST with an update."

CoA Request

"I'll confirm the lot and send the matching CoA right after this call."

Damage/Shortage

"Thanks for flagging it. Please send 2–3 photos and the order #—I'll set up the fix and update you today."

Spanish-Language Transfer

"Let me connect you with Cruz (or Laurie) who can help you in Spanish."

Technical Question

"Let me get you to someone who can answer that accurately. What's the best number to call you back at?"

9. After-Call Notes (Internal)

Log immediately after every call:

  • ✅ Caller name + company
  • ✅ Phone + email
  • ✅ Category selected
  • ✅ Order # (if applicable)
  • ✅ 1-line summary
  • ✅ Next action + owner + by when

Example Note Format

Caller: John Smith (ABC Manufacturing)
Phone: 555-1234 | Email: [email protected]
Category: Shipping Issue
Order #: 12345
Summary: Package arrived damaged - sulfuric acid container leaking
Next Action: Cruz to arrange replacement shipment by 3pm CST

10. Additional Information

Phone Hours

8am - 4pm CST

Open Items / To Confirm

Items Pending Confirmation

  • Callback SLA (e.g., within 2 business hours) → TBD
  • Simple identity check for payment/order changes (e.g., order # + billing ZIP) → TBD

Once confirmed, these will be locked into the script blocks above.

Quick Reference Card

Print this for your desk:

| Step | Action | |------|--------| | 1 | "Alliance Chemical, this is [Name]..." | | 2 | Get: Name, Company, Phone, Email, Reason | | 3 | Choose category & route correctly | | 4 | Collect all required info (see section 5 for RFQs) | | 5 | Promise specific callback time if needed | | 6 | Log everything immediately after call |

Related: Operations Overview