What you can use
Turn customer questions into clear FAQ answers with a reusable evidence log, a worked example and checks that keep unconfirmed promises out of your copy.
SOLOHATCH FIELD GUIDE · OFFERS AND CLIENTS
Turn customer notes into an FAQ by separating the question someone asked from the facts that support your answer. Group notes by the decision the reader needs to make, check each answer against your current service information, and hold anything you cannot confirm.
A customer asking whether you can deliver tomorrow is evidence of a question. It does not establish that next-day delivery is available. Keep that distinction in your working notes before polishing the wording.
Start with the decision the reader needs to make
Review the material you already have permission to use: enquiry notes, questions from completed conversations, or support messages. Work in your authorised records. Your public draft needs a general question, not the original person’s identity or a copied conversation.
Rewrite a rough note as a specific task. “Confused about files” might become “Which files will I receive?” That helps someone decide whether they can use the result. “Can you do everything?” needs clarification before it becomes an answer about what your service includes.
The GOV.UK guidance on identifying user needs recommends grounding content in evidence and the task a person needs to complete. The log below adapts that principle into an editorial workflow for a small service business.
Group notes only when they ask the same question under the same conditions. “Can I edit the delivered file?” differs from “Will you make another change after delivery?” One concerns the file format; the other concerns additional work. Combining them can produce an answer that sounds complete while missing both decisions.
Check the answer separately from the question
For each question, identify a current source for the answer. That could be the service description you maintain, a confirmed delivery process, or an agreed scope for a particular project. Record the document version or review date so you can find it again.
Then check how far that source applies. A special arrangement in one client’s scope does not establish a promise for everyone. An old offer does not establish what a new enquiry includes. Use the project scope template to clarify uncertain boundaries before turning them into general service information.
- Supported and generally applicable: draft a public answer that states the relevant conditions.
- Supported for one project: answer that client directly; verify a general arrangement before adding it to the website.
- Unconfirmed or conflicting: hold the answer and name what must be checked.
If the wording says “always,” “included,” “instant,” or “unlimited,” ask which current fact supports that exact promise. Narrow the answer to what is known. Do not replace a missing fact with reassuring language.
Copy this question and evidence log
Start with five fields for each answer. Keep the source reference private and record the service or conditions the answer applies to.
QUESTION: CONFIRMED ANSWER: SOURCE RECORD OR DOCUMENT: APPLICABLE SERVICE AND CONDITIONS: LAST CHECKED:
Leave an answer unpublished while an important fact is missing or conflicting. If several people maintain the FAQ, also record who checks the fact, which document version they used and what change should trigger another review.
Use a private reference such as “enquiry note Q-07” rather than putting customer names, email addresses, attachments or private document links in the public draft. If you ask someone else or a tool to help with wording, supply only the material you are authorised to share and keep the answer evidence visible during review.
You do not need to claim a question is frequent to answer it. If your evidence is one important enquiry, label the section “Questions before you book” or use a descriptive heading. Record actual counts only when you have counted separate occurrences; do not turn one copied message into several enquiries.
Filled example: questions about a PDF layout service
Illustrative example: the following fictional service and records demonstrate the method. They do not describe SoloHatch’s products, actual customer conversations or measured demand.
QUESTION ID: F-01 Reader's task: Decide whether the final document can be edited. Question evidence: Fictional enquiry note Q-07 asks about file formats. Answer evidence: Fictional current service sheet v3 states that the agreed package includes one PDF and its editable source file. Scope of fact: This named package only. Status: ready, after checking the service sheet is current. PUBLIC QUESTION: Which files are included in this package? PUBLIC ANSWER: This package includes the final PDF and its editable source file. Check the file formats listed in your proposal before confirming the work so we can agree whether they suit your editing setup.
The answer names the package and points to the project-specific check. It does not claim that every software setup will open the source file or that all future edits are included. For the individual offer, keep the information consistent with the service proposal.
QUESTION ID: F-02 Reader's task: Decide whether work can be completed by tomorrow. Question evidence: Fictional enquiry note Q-08 asks for next-day delivery. Answer evidence: None. Availability, inputs and review timing have not been checked. Status: hold. Next action: Check the actual work and capacity before answering. DO NOT PUBLISH: "We offer guaranteed next-day turnaround." PRIVATE FOLLOW-UP: Ask for the requested output and required date, then check the inputs, review steps and availability before making a commitment.
The held row is useful: it identifies a decision the business still needs to make. Making the sentence sound less absolute does not solve the missing evidence. If the process genuinely varies by project, confirm that process and explain which information a reader should provide through your intake questions.
Put the answer where the question arises
Write the direct answer first, then the conditions and useful next action. Link to the current detail rather than copying a long service description into several places.
A question about included files may belong beside the package description. A question about supplying source material may belong beside the intake steps. A short FAQ can collect related answers, but it does not need to become a separate destination for information that would be clearer in context.
Before publishing, compare each answer with its source and the page around it. Can a reader tell which service it applies to, what remains conditional, and what to do next? Keep source records and review notes private; publish the answer and the relevant public link.
Review the answer when its supporting fact changes: a different package, file format, review process or contact route. Change or retire wording that no longer matches. You can include a quick check of these triggers in your weekly business review without treating every answer as a weekly rewrite.
Start with one useful question and one traceable answer. Keep the unresolved questions in the log, then continue through Offers and Clients for related service-planning resources.
This guide was developed with AI assistance for SoloHatch, operated by My Target Limited. Examples are illustrative, and planning templates should be adapted to your project. About SoloHatch.