Keep enquiries reaching the right people during the move
- Reading time
- 3 minutes
- Last reviewed
On this page
A telephone number can keep working while the person needed to answer the question has moved elsewhere. Test the route from the caller to the decision, including what happens when the usual contact is unavailable.
During a phased move, a single published address may also hide several operating locations. Customer enquiries, deliveries and collection arrangements need different answers. Give staff current information for each purpose, without expecting them to remember the whole project programme.
Try three ordinary calls
Use agreed internal tests. Tell the people involved what you are testing and avoid creating false customer orders or deliveries. Record the answer given, who took responsibility and where the route stopped.
| Test enquiry | What a working route achieves | Failure to investigate |
|---|---|---|
| A new customer asks whether a job can be accepted next week | An authorised person checks the available service and gives an appropriate response | Reception promises normal capacity because the phone system is live |
| An existing customer needs an urgent decision about an open job | The enquiry reaches the current job owner with the correct reference | Both sites assume the other has the order |
| A driver asks which premises should receive a delivery | The receiving owner confirms the location and agreed arrangements | The caller receives the new office address regardless of the goods involved |
The test ends when someone owns the response. Passing a message into a shared mailbox is only part of the route. Check who monitors it during the move and how unanswered requests become visible.
For existing orders, use the current order-routing record. A list of staff extensions cannot tell the caller where their work is being completed.
Give temporary answers an expiry point
Prepare a short internal contact sheet with the enquiry type, responsible person, deputy and escalation route. Include the phase or date on which the information must be checked again. Put it where the staff answering enquiries can retrieve the current version.
Separate the public contact route from private staff details. Ask the relevant system and privacy owners to approve forwarding arrangements, access and any personal contact information. A temporary solution should not require unrestricted access to somebody else's account.
If customers need revised contact information, coordinate that change with the person responsible for customer communication. Keep the message consistent with the service the business can actually provide. Do not describe the new location as fully operational while some work still depends on the old one.
Retest when responsibility moves
An initial successful call does not cover the next phase. Repeat the relevant checks when the office changes location, a deputy takes over or an old mailbox is due to close. Include this work in the IT cutover plan, with business acceptance separate from the technical change.
Incoming goods need their own delivery transition record. The person taking the call should be able to find the receiving decision rather than improvise it.
If the move leaves equipment surplus, give UK Auction Group one agreed business contact for the enquiry and explain any temporary changes in site responsibility.
Return to the phased-move guides.
Sources
This guide is general information and education only. Legal, tax, employment and safety decisions may need a qualified adviser who knows your situation. Read the disclaimer.