Client Communication

# SOP — Client Communication

**Tag**: Cross-Cutting — All Engagements
**Owner**: Rick (Revenue) primary · All agents follow these guidelines

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## Purpose

Every client interaction builds or erodes trust. This SOP defines how, when, and what we communicate to clients across all engagement types. The core principle: **clear not clever** — 5th grade reading level, no jargon, outcomes-focused.

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## Communication Principles

1. **Clear not clever** — All client-facing copy at 5th grade reading level (3rd grade = ideal)
2. **State facts, tell truth** — Never exaggerate. If we don't have proof, say "we're in beta"
3. **Sell outcomes, not AI** — Wrong: "Our multi-agent system automates your CRM." Right: "You'll never manually enter a lead again."
4. **Match the avatar** — Use the client's language, not ours:
   - Dentists hear about receptionists and missed calls
   - HVAC hears about dispatchers and job scheduling
   - Lawyers hear about paralegals and intake screening
5. **Bad news fast** — If something breaks or is delayed, tell the client immediately. Never hide problems.
6. **One owner per thread** — Every client communication has one responsible agent. No conflicting messages.

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## Response Time SLAs

| Tier | First Response | Issue Resolution | Escalation Threshold |
|------|---------------|-----------------|---------------------|
| Free Pilot | 48 hours | 72 hours | 5 business days |
| Starter ($5K) | 24 hours | 48 hours | 3 business days |
| Growth Retainer ($2-3K/mo) | 12 hours | 24 hours | 2 business days |
| Premium Retainer ($5-10K/mo) | 4 hours | 12 hours | 1 business day |
| Upwork Project | 24 hours | 48 hours | Per milestone deadline |

**"First Response"** = acknowledgment that we received the message and are working on it. Does NOT mean resolution.

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## Email Templates Index

### Sales Phase
- `kickoff-pilot` — Free pilot welcome + intake questions
- `kickoff-starter` — Starter package welcome + access checklist
- `kickoff-standard` — Standard package welcome + discovery scheduling
- `kickoff-premium` — Premium package welcome + dedicated point of contact intro
- `proposal-upwork` — Upwork proposal template (see sop-upwork.md)
- `scope-confirmation-starter` — Confirms agreed scope for Starter builds
- `scope-confirmation-standard` — Confirms agreed scope for Standard+ builds

### Delivery Phase
- `progress-update` — Weekly build progress update (Standard+)
- `milestone-complete` — Milestone delivered, here's what was done
- `access-request` — Request for tool credentials or system access
- `delay-notification` — Timeline is slipping, here's the new ETA and why

### Handoff Phase
- `handoff-summary` — What was built, how it works, where to find docs
- `handoff-support` — Post-handoff support window details and contact info
- `training-recording` — Link to recorded handoff/training session

### Post-Delivery
- `feedback-request` — "How's it working? Any issues?" (sent Day 2-3 post-handoff)
- `testimonial-request` — Ask for written quote, video, or Google review (sent Day 5-7)
- `referral-ask` — "Know anyone who'd benefit?" (sent with or after testimonial request)
- `retainer-upsell` — "Here's what ongoing management looks like" (sent Day 7-14)
- `nps-survey` — Net Promoter Score survey (sent Day 14)

### Incident
- `incident-notification` — Something broke, here's what we know and what we're doing
- `incident-resolved` — Issue fixed, here's what happened and what we changed
- `incident-postmortem` — Full incident report (for Premium clients on significant issues)

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## When to Send What

### Free Pilot Timeline
- Day 0: `kickoff-pilot`
- Day 1: Scope confirmation (inline email, not template)
- Day 4: Demo scheduled (calendar invite)
- Day 5: `handoff-summary` + `handoff-support`
- Day 7: `feedback-request`
- Day 10: `testimonial-request` + `referral-ask`
- Day 14: `retainer-upsell`

### Starter Timeline
- Day 0: `kickoff-starter`
- Day 2: `scope-confirmation-starter`
- Day 5: `milestone-complete` (build done)
- Day 7: `handoff-summary` + `handoff-support` + `training-recording`
- Day 10: `feedback-request`
- Day 14: `testimonial-request` + `referral-ask`
- Day 21: `retainer-upsell` + `nps-survey`

### Standard/Premium Timeline
- Day 0: `kickoff-standard` or `kickoff-premium`
- Day 3: `scope-confirmation-standard`
- Weekly: `progress-update` (every Friday)
- Per milestone: `milestone-complete`
- Final day: `handoff-summary` + `handoff-support` + `training-recording`
- Day 3 post: `feedback-request`
- Day 7 post: `testimonial-request` + `referral-ask`
- Day 14 post: `retainer-upsell` + `nps-survey`

### Retainer (Ongoing)
- Monthly: performance report email
- As needed: `incident-notification` / `incident-resolved`
- Quarterly: business review call invitation
- At renewal: renewal confirmation + scope review

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## Tone Guidelines

### DO
- Use short sentences (under 20 words)
- Use bullet points for lists
- Start emails with the most important information
- Use the client's first name
- End with a clear next step or CTA
- Use "we" (team) not "I" (individual) for delivery updates

### DO NOT
- Use jargon: "AI agent," "multi-modal," "orchestrator," "pipeline," "API"
- Use filler: "Just wanted to check in," "Hope this finds you well," "Per our last conversation"
- Use hedging: "Maybe we could," "I think perhaps," "It might be possible"
- Send walls of text — if it's more than 5 sentences, it needs bullet points or a call
- CC people who don't need to be on the thread
- Reply-all unless necessary

### Translation Guide
| Internal Term | Client-Facing Term |
|--------------|-------------------|
| AI agent | Your automated assistant |
| Cron job | Scheduled task / automated routine |
| CRM sync | Your leads show up automatically |
| API integration | We connected [Tool A] to [Tool B] |
| Pipeline | Your lead tracking board |
| Enrichment | We verified and filled in missing contact info |
| Outreach sequence | Your follow-up emails |
| Model cascade | (Never mention this to clients) |

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## Escalation Triggers

Escalate to Clayton immediately if:
1. **Client is angry or threatening** — Any message with hostile tone, threats to leave reviews, or legal language
2. **Scope dispute** — Client claims we agreed to something we didn't
3. **Payment dispute** — Client requests refund or disputes charge
4. **Data breach or privacy concern** — Client reports their data was exposed or mishandled
5. **Deliverable failure** — Core automation isn't working and can't be fixed within SLA
6. **Platform risk** — Upwork flags account, LinkedIn restricts, HubSpot rate-limits

Escalation process:
1. Acknowledge the client's concern immediately (within SLA)
2. Do NOT promise resolution or make commitments
3. Send escalation summary to Clayton via Telegram
4. Wait for Clayton's direction before responding substantively

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## Channel Rules

- **Email**: Default for all formal communication (kickoffs, handoffs, proposals)
- **Upwork Messages**: ONLY channel during active Upwork projects (until project closes)
- **Phone/Zoom**: Discovery calls, handoff calls, escalations. Always follow up with written summary.
- **Telegram**: Internal team only. Never share the team Telegram with clients.
- **LinkedIn DMs**: Pre-sales only. Move to email as soon as prospect engages.

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## Agent Responsibilities

| Agent | Communication Role |
|-------|-------------------|
| Rick | All sales-phase comms, testimonial/review collection, upsell emails, escalation first response |
| Devin | Technical updates, scope confirmations, handoff docs, incident technical details |
| Alfred | Monitors SLA compliance, triggers escalation if response time breached |
| Daniel | N/A (no direct client communication) |
| Friedrich | Invoice-related communication only |

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## Anti-Patterns (Do NOT)

- Do NOT send more than one email per day to the same client (unless they're responding to you)
- Do NOT use "AI" or "agent" in any client-facing communication unless the client uses it first
- Do NOT make promises about timelines or outcomes that aren't confirmed in the scope document
- Do NOT share internal documentation, SOPs, or agent details with clients
- Do NOT skip the testimonial/referral ask — it's the highest-value post-delivery action