Enquiry Basics
Enquiry statuses
Designing the status list, the two defaults that automate the boring part, and keeping it short.
Last updated September 2, 2026
Statuses say where an enquiry has got to. They are defined once for the organisation so every tribe reports on the same basis.
The two defaults worth setting
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Default enquiry status | What a new enquiry arrives as — usually something like New. |
| Default status when assigned | What it becomes the moment somebody takes it — usually In Progress. |
The second one removes a step people forget. Picking up an enquiry and having it move itself out of New is the difference between a queue that reflects reality and one nobody trusts.
Designing the list
- Four or five statuses. New, in progress, quoted, won, lost covers most businesses.
- Every status should mean something different to whoever is looking at the queue.
- Include an ending — an enquiry with nowhere to finish sits in progress forever.
RENAMING CHANGES HISTORY TOO
Statuses are organisation-wide and apply to enquiries already recorded, so a rename rewrites what last quarter's reporting says. Agree the list early and leave it alone.