Customers should not have to chase every update

"Any update?" is a short message that can take time to answer. You may need to ask a colleague or search another tool before replying.

The customer does not know whether their request is progressing or whether someone has missed it.

Choose the moments that need an update

Imagine someone submitting an application. They might want confirmation that it arrived, a request for missing information, and a message when a decision is made.

You do not have to expose every internal step. Decide which changes affect what the customer should expect or do next.

Check whether your team records those changes reliably. If the status is unclear internally, a customer page will inherit that confusion.

Say something useful

"In progress" may leave someone with the same question. An update could explain that their documents are under review and that you will contact them if anything else is needed.

Only give a completion date when you have a basis for it. Make sure there is a way to communicate changes too.

A clearer confirmation email may be enough. Other cases could benefit from milestone messages or a place to check status. Start with the questions customers actually ask.

Make it clear when someone should contact you

An update should also help customers recognise when something needs attention. If you are waiting for a document, say which one and how to send it. If their part is finished, explain whether they need to do anything else.

Consider the messages a customer receives across the whole process. A confirmation email and a staff reply should not give different instructions about the same request.

Ask the team handling enquiries to flag replies that still prompt confusion. Those messages can show where an update needs more detail, or where the business needs a clearer internal agreement about what happens next.