Hand over a customer follow-up before taking leave

Share enough for your colleague to understand what the customer has already been told and what they are waiting for. Include the original question, any promises you have already made, and what decision or information is still outstanding. Avoid sharing unrelated customer details or background that does not affect this specific follow-up. Your colleague needs context to give a consistent response, not a complete account history.

Agree a new arrangement before you leave. Either find a different colleague who can meet the deadline, or have your colleague contact the customer immediately to explain the delay and offer a revised date. Do not leave without confirming someone can respond in time, or the customer will receive no reply at all. If no colleague is available, you may need to send a holding message yourself before you go.

Decide this before you leave based on how urgent the matter is and whether you will be checking messages. If you are completely away, ask your colleague not to copy you so you are not drawn back into work. If you prefer to stay informed, agree that your colleague will send you a brief summary of what they said, but make clear you will not respond until you return unless something has gone seriously wrong.

Your colleague should acknowledge the request, explain they will check with you when you return, and offer an interim response within the agreed scope. For example, they might confirm receipt of the question, provide information that does not require authorisation, and give a date when the customer can expect a full answer. Colleagues should never guess at answers or make commitments beyond what you agreed they could offer on your behalf.

Share the most recent information you have and agree with your colleague that they will use their judgement if new facts emerge. Define what kinds of changes would require them to seek approval from someone more senior rather than responding themselves. For example, if a quoted price becomes invalid or a promised delivery date can no longer be met, your colleague should know who else to consult rather than making a new commitment alone.

Your colleague should tell the customer they will find out and get back to them by a specific date, rather than inventing an answer or leaving the customer waiting indefinitely. Before you leave, identify who else your colleague can ask if they need information you have not provided. Make sure your colleague knows whether they should wait until you return or whether someone else can authorise a response in your absence.

Only if the relationship is ongoing and the customer will be dealing with your colleague regularly in future. For a single follow-up while you are briefly away, your colleague can simply respond on your behalf without a formal introduction. They should make clear in their message that they are responding because you are on leave and when you will be back. The customer will understand this is a temporary arrangement for continuity.

Before you leave, confirm the deadline clearly and ask your colleague to note it in whatever way they track their own commitments. When you return, check whether the follow-up was sent and contact the customer yourself if it was not. Apologise for the delay, provide the information the customer was waiting for, and decide whether you need a different arrangement for future handovers. Mistakes happen, but the customer should not be left without a response.