Service DeskAsking clients for documents
Most delays in a small practice are waiting for papers. A clear request, sent once and followed up kindly, shortens them.
Send one list
Write exactly what you need, in plain words, with examples of what a good copy looks like. A list of seven items is answered more often than a message that says "send your documents". What each kind of job needs depends on the work and on the rules that apply now, so check them before you write the list, and keep a standard list for each kind of job that you update when the rules change.
Give a date and a way
Say by when you need them and how to send them: a photo on WhatsApp, a scan by email or a visit to the office. Give a date that leaves time for you to do the work before the real due date.
Hello [name], for your [work] please send: [list]. I need them by [date] so that we can finish before the due date of [date]. You can send photos on WhatsApp. Please tell me if anything is missing.
Follow up in steps
- Two days after the date: a short reminder.
- Five days after: call.
- If there is still no answer: tell the client the consequence plainly and in writing.
Privacy
Clients send personal and financial documents. Keep them on a device with a lock, do not share them in groups, delete the ones you do not need, and tell clients what you keep and for how long. Rules on records and personal data differ by place.
Record it
Mark the stage "Documents asked" in the tracker and the date in the note.
Common questions
Should I take originals?
Prefer copies. If you must take an original, give a receipt and return it quickly.
What if a client sends the wrong document?
Reply politely with exactly what is needed and an example. Do not lecture.
Keep going
The registers keep their data in your own browser and send nothing to us. Names, numbers and prices in the examples are made up. No law, tax, consumer or guest-registration rule is stated here: check local rules where they matter. Checked 14 November 2026.