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Management of Commercial Enquiries and Follow-Ups

Version: V1

Ratified by: Enterprise Directorate Leadership Team Meeting

Date ratified: 02/03/2026

Job Title of author: Director Programmes & Digital Development

Reviewed by Committee or Expert Group Enterprise Directorate Leadership Team Meeting

1. Introduction & Scope

Provide Community delivers self-funded/commercial services alongside NHScommissioned care. This guidance standardises how commercial enquiries (from individuals or organisations) are handled so interactions are professional, consistent and compliant.

This guidance is designed for commercial, private and B2B enquiries only. Whilst this guidance may offer a good approach for NHS enquiries such as appointment booking and clinical enquiries, these are not the intended area of focus.

Commercial enquiries may be received via telephone, email, web form, social media, or other digital channels. These guidelines apply to all communication methods. Where steps refer to verbal conversation (e.g., answering the phone), equivalent expectations apply to written responses (e.g., timely, warm, personalised emails).

2. Purpose

The purpose of this guidance is to:

• Ensure all commercial enquiries are handled promptly, professionally and personcentred.

• Provide a structured approach to Initial Contact → Expert Conversation → FollowUp.

• Support conversion of genuine leads through clear, ethical communication.

• Maintain accurate records for quality assurance, marketing insight and service improvement.

3. Definitions

Commercial Enquiries: Contacts about non-NHS funded services (e.g., private assessments, therapies, occupational health, training, consultancy, B2B).

Out of scope: Services that only handle NHS or Local Authority commissioned services where the user does not pay for these at the point of care.

Customer Relationship Management System (CRM): The system, process, or software used to record, manage, and analyse interactions with potential and existing customers.

Expert: Expert refers to the person best placed to advise on the service (clinical lead, service manager, or specialist administrator depending on service)

4. Duties

Role

Responsibilities

All staff handling enquiries Follow this guidance; be timely, accurate, courteous; record data correctly.

Service Leads / Managers

Business Development and Marketing roles

Information Governance

5. Part 1 – Initial Contact

Part 1a: Telephone

Ensure training, coaching, and monthly QA reviews. Ensure staff are aware of other Provide Community Services and can recommend them.

Track lead sources and conversion; provide insight to services.

Ensure GDPR/DSPT compliance for data capture, storage and retention.

The objective of the initial contact is to ensure that this is prompt, professional and personal:

• Answering the phone: pick up within 3 rings*, warm tone, state name and organisation (e.g., “Good morning, Provide Community, this is Karen speaking”).

• Establish rapport: ask for the caller’s name early; use it naturally; ask open questions; show empathy.

• Manage the enquiry: if transferring, explain who/why; if not, capture full contact details; give a clear call-back timeframe and who will call. If you cannot transfer immediately, confirm who will contact them next and by when, and record this on the tracker/CRM at the time to avoid it being forgotten.

Part 1b: Email & Web-Forms:

• Acknowledge within 1 working day as standard Where this is not operationally possible, services must agree and communicate a local SLA.

Example: “Thank you for getting in touch my name is Karen and I’ll be assisting you with your enquiry.”

• Personalise the reply using the enquirer’s name and referencing the subject of their message.

Example: “Thank you, John, for your enquiry about private physiotherapy.”

• Summarise their request to show clarity and understanding, mirroring the “active listening” step in the phone workflow.

• Ask any clarifying questions needed to progress the enquiry

• Explain next steps, such as passing the details to a specialist or arranging a callback.

• Capture details immediately in the CRM/call tracker, including preferred contact method.

• If no response is received, send one additional follow-up after 3–5 working days.

The use of your name and the caller’s name has multiple benefits (see Appendix 1)

Important: Record only what is necessary to manage the enquiry. Do not record sensitive clinical details in call trackers unless approved and required. Store all enquiry records only in approved systems, in line with the corporate retention schedule

*Services with emergency calls, e.g. CareCall Services; should always prioritise such calls and therefore should only attempt to meet the 3 rings rule when there are no such emergency calls.

6. Part 2 – Speaking to an Expert

The objective of this stage is to offer tailored advice, demonstrate expertise and secure the next steps.

• Introduce & set context: summarise their enquiry to show active listening/ reading

• Empathy & understanding: acknowledge needs sensitively (esp. care/ADHD/dementia contexts where relevant).

• Value & options: explain how we can help; outline benefits (quality, safety, convenience). Where contact is by phone ask at least one further open-ended question to deepen understanding.

• Next steps & data capture: take full contact details; ask “How did you hear about us?”; secure next action (book, send information); agree follow-up date/time; their preferred contact method, close warmly.

Where the expert conversation happens via email rather than phone, the same principles apply - summarise understanding, show empathy, explain value, and confirm next steps in writing.

If an email exchange becomes lengthy or unclear, it is advisable to offer a phone call to improve clarity.

For an easy way to remember the key steps see Appendix 4 for CARES guidance

7. Part 3 – Follow-Up

The objective of the follow-up is to reinforce trust, re-engage, and progress the decision. A single follow-up is often the difference between conversion and losing a genuine lead.

For phone follow-ups:

• Timeliness: follow up within 3–5 working days (or as agreed) and log outcome.

• Content: re-introduce yourself; reference original enquiry (“last time you mentioned…”); check if they wish to proceed / have questions; if they decline, thank them sincerely.

• Closure: thank them; record outcome (converted / declined / no response) and next review date if applicable

Additional for email/web-form enquiries:

• Reference the original enquiry clearly in the opening lines.

• If using templates, personalise them with details from the initial contact.

• If the enquirer does not reply, send one additional nudge email (unless inappropriate for GDPR reasons).

8. Quality Assurance

We need to ensure that we are adhering to this guidance and maintaining an excellent experience for our customers and potential customers that maximises the chance of converting enquiries to sales; the activities below will ensure this continue to happen.

Activity

Call/ email monitoring against guidance (min. 2 enquiries per staff member)

Follow-Up tracker review & conversion analysis

Refresher coaching / role-play

Data retention & compliance checks

Monthly Service Manager

Monthly Service Lead / BD

At least annually or as needed Line Manager

Ongoing IG Lead for each service

Appendix 1: Benefits of Names

Giving your name and using the caller’s name are small but powerful behaviours that improve trust, communication quality, and professionalism. Here’s why they matter:

�� 1. Builds Immediate Trust and Rapport

• Sharing your name makes the interaction personal rather than transactional the caller knows who they’re speaking to and feels valued.

• It humanises your organisation; people engage better when they know they’re talking to a real, accountable person.

• Using the caller’s name demonstrates active listening and creates a sense of familiarity and respect.

�� 2. Improves Communication Clarity

• Introducing yourself helps the caller know they’ve reached the right organisation and person especially important in multi-service organisations like Provide.

• Repeating the caller’s name confirms you’re talking to the right person and reduces errors in data capture or follow-up.

• It allows for smoother handovers (“I’ll transfer you to Sarah, who can help further”) because both parties can refer to names confidently.

�� 3. Reflects Professional and Organisational Standards

• NHS and commercial customer service standards (e.g., NHS Constitution principles, DSP Toolkit expectations) emphasise respect, dignity, and communication transparency

• Using names shows accountability that you take ownership of the enquiry.

• It demonstrates a professional approach that aligns with Provide’s values of care, integrity, and community.

❤️ 4. Strengthens Customer Experience and Conversion

• In commercial enquiries, personalisation increases trust and conversion likelihood. People are far more likely to proceed when they feel known and understood.

• In care-related or sensitive contexts (e.g., ADHD, home care), using names appropriately also conveys empathy and reassurance.

✅ Example in Practice

You: “Good morning, Provide Community, this is Karen speaking.”

Caller: “Hi, my name’s John. I’m calling about private physio.”

You: “Lovely to speak to you, John. How can I help with your physio enquiry today?”

This simple structure immediately creates warmth, clarity, and confidence all crucial for both NHS and commercial interactions.

Appendix 2: Example Call Tracker

All services must use either the CRM or a call tracker template.

Date Enquirer Service/Product

10/10/2025 Jane Smith Private Physio Phone Make sure you capture the phone number Karen 14/10/2025 Booked Mentioned online ad. Assessment booked. Closed

11/10/2025 John Doe Occupational Health Web form Sarah 16/10/2025 Open - No answer to initial callback HR Manager (B2B) Don’t forget to make a note of when you will try to call again Open

12/10/2025 Sarah Jones ADHD Screening (Private) Email Martyna 17/10/2025 Awaiting customer response Email acknowledgement sent; personalised; offered phone call Open

To support data analysis and reporting, an agreed set of outcomes that are relevant to the specific business should be used, these could include:

• Open

• Awaiting customer response

• Booked / Converted

• Declined

• No response (closed)

• Referred to other service

Appendix 3: Writing Professional, Person-Centred Emails

• Use short paragraphs and clear signposting.

• Avoid jargon; explain services in plain language.

• Use the enquirer’s name at the start and your own name at the end.

• Use friendly but professional closing lines (e.g., “Happy to help with any questions.”)

• Include contact options and availability.

Appendix 4: CARES Guidance

The CARES acronym helps staff remember the key stages when responding to a service enquiry.

Connect

• Answer promptly and introduce yourself

• Use the person’s name to create a warm opening

• Acknowledge

• Recognise the enquiry or concern raised

• For email enquiries: respond within 1 working day, or your agreed SLA

Reflect

• Summarise the person’s request to confirm understanding

• Use empathy and understanding

Explore

• Ask clarifying questions where needed

Signpost

• Explain next steps and what will happen next

Every service enquiry is a chance to show we CARE.