SOP template for a service business, with worked examples

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a short written description of how a recurring task is done, step by step, so anyone in the business can do it the same way. In a service business the tasks worth writing down are the ones that cost money when they are done differently: taking a booking, preparing for a visit, closing out a job, handling a complaint.

A one-page SOP template

Worked example: taking a booking by phone

1. Ask for the customer’s name and phone number, and search for an existing record before creating a new one.
2. Confirm the site address and ask about access: parking, gates, pets, keys.
3. Ask what the problem or service is, and note it in the customer’s own words.
4. Offer two available times, not an open question.
5. Tell the customer the call-out fee or estimate, how payment works, and your cancellation policy.
6. Book it, and confirm the date, time window and price back to the customer before hanging up.
7. Check the confirmation message has gone out.

Done looks like: one customer record, one booked job with access notes, and a confirmation sent. If something goes wrong: if no time suits, take the job as unscheduled with the customer’s preferred days and call back within one working day.

Worked example: closing out a job on site

1. Complete the checklist for the job type.
2. Take after photos of the finished work.
3. Record time on site and materials used.
4. Note anything found that needs future work, and quote it separately if the customer wants it.
5. Walk the customer through what was done and get their sign-off.
6. Mark the job done so it can be invoiced the same day.

How to write SOPs people actually use

• Write it with the person who does the task, watching them do it.
• Keep each one to a page. If it is longer, it is two procedures.
• Put the steps where the work happens: in the checklist on the job, not in a folder nobody opens.
• Review each one when a mistake happens, not only once a year.
• Start with the three tasks that cause the most rework or complaints.

The free SOP generator lays out a one-page procedure in exactly this format, ready to print.

Turning SOPs into checklists in Primemgr

An SOP is most useful as a checklist on the job itself. In Primemgr, inspection and checklist forms are attached to jobs and filled in on a phone on site, and the completed checklist stays on the job’s record. Industry packs include starting checklists for each trade, such as the air conditioner service checklist and the end-of-lease cleaning checklist. Your written procedures become the steps people tick off, rather than a document they have to remember.