01 / Set the scope
Audit what the business actually offers.
List each public contact route with the page where you found it: a form, chat, email address or another offered channel. Record exclusions before testing. A business with one working form does not need a phone number to make that form worth reviewing.
- Use an authorised test and a realistic enquiry within the business's services.
- Do not place an order, reserve an appointment or use a real customer's identity.
- Record the timezone, opening hours and the time you will monitor replies.
02 / Record the enquiry
Start with a confirmed submission.
Save the actual submission time and evidence that the route accepted the message. A failed form is a delivery issue, not proof that the team ignored an enquiry. Keep a separate record for each route.
Use timestamps with a timezone, such as ISO 8601. Store private evidence in a restricted location and reference it from your worksheet. Do not put message contents, personal email addresses or phone numbers in a public scorecard.
03 / Classify the reply
A receipt is different from an answer.
| Event | What counts | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Receipt | A confirmation that the message arrived. | Record its time separately. Keep waiting for a useful reply. |
| Useful reply | An answer to the enquiry, or a relevant next step that helps the customer. | Measure elapsed time from accepted submission. |
| Human reply | A reply confirmed as coming from a person. | Record separately when you can verify it. |
| No observed reply | No reply found during the recorded monitoring period. | State the period and coverage. Do not assume what happened after it. |
| Missing evidence | Submission, timing or monitoring cannot be confirmed. | Leave the result unknown; repeat the check if appropriate. |
A reply's usefulness and whether a person sent it are separate questions. Do not infer a human reply from the wording alone.
04 / Review the gaps
Fix the next step, then test again.
Review each route before combining results. Separate delivery failures, delayed useful replies and unanswered enquiries with complete monitoring. A missing channel is not a failed test.
- For a broken route, check delivery before changing response targets.
- For a receipt without an answer, assign someone to own the next reply.
- For an after-hours gap, review the handover and booking path.
- For uncertain evidence, report the limit and repeat the test rather than invent a score.
Keep bookings, attended appointments and won sales separate when reviewing the commercial outcome. A faster reply alone does not prove additional revenue.
Want help with the next step?
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