This is the next control point after a clean late response reopened a no-response item, a replacement note was issued, the customer changed conditions again, and the office classified that newest request. The customer has received the update and the crew has its current instruction, but the decision still needs a response.
Send one deadline-based reminder, keep the last dated office instruction active, and lock the route note when the window expires. Hold, exclude, or close only the affected classified change; do not let customer silence cancel or expand work that is already clearly approved.
The follow-up should not reopen the whole history. It should name the classification, the specific information or approval needed, the response deadline, and the result if no reply arrives. That gives the customer a clean path to act and keeps the office from creating a vague promise the crew cannot execute.
| Classification state | Reminder asks for | If no response by deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Revised return-work order | Approval of the revised dated scope, access, and timing | Keep changed portion on hold; original approved scope stays only if still route-safe. |
| New estimate or price review | Estimate approval, decline, or question | Exclude new work from route; close or hold estimate under office policy. |
| Access or timing hold | Confirmed access window or scheduling decision | Do not send crew into an unconfirmed condition; reschedule or close affected work. |
| Priority or owner review | Required owner decision or authorization | Keep current priority and active work unchanged; close the new request as unresolved if needed. |
“We are following up on your [date] request for [changed work]. Classification: [label]. The current dated office instruction remains [approved scope]. To move the changed item forward, we need [approval/access/decision] by [deadline]. If we do not hear from you, [affected work] will remain [held/excluded/closed] and will not be added to the crew plan.”
Once the deadline passes, the route note should say what remains field-authorized, what changed item is held, excluded, or closed, and what the crew must do if the customer raises it on site. “Ask the office” is not enough; the note needs a stop rule so a customer-facing reminder cannot become an accidental field order.
| Route-note field | Required instruction |
|---|---|
| Active baseline | Name the dated replacement note and exact work still permitted. |
| Silent item | Label the classified request held, excluded, or closed; include the reason as no response after deadline. |
| Field stop rule | Do not add, remove, reprice, reprioritize, or reschedule work based on a customer conversation. |
| Reopen rule | Only a newer dated office note may replace the locked instruction after a late response is reviewed. |
The customer closeout may explain that the office can revisit the item later. The crew instruction should not imply that the work is tentatively approved. Preserve the distinction: a late response can trigger office review; it does not reopen the route by itself.
Capture: whether the caller approves, declines, asks a question, changes scope, changes access, requests different timing, disputes price, or changes priority; plus the active dated note and deadline status. Route: clean approvals to office confirmation and all changes or late replies to review. Never promise: that the crew will add the work, change the route, or honor a price before a newer dated instruction is issued.