Communication Standard
For every Narqix team member. After reading this page you will be able to reply at Narqix speed, write in the client's time zone and English style, avoid phrases that confuse foreign readers, and use the Narqix message formats.
Track: All tracks · Role: Everyone · Time to complete: 20 min
The three rules behind every message
- Fast: people should never wonder whether you saw their message.
- Clear: the main point comes first, in plain English.
- Complete: one message carries everything the reader needs to act.
Response times
These apply during the client's working hours and your scheduled shift.
| Channel | Acknowledge within | Full answer or a clear time for it |
|---|---|---|
| Team channel or client chat | 15 minutes | Same day, or tell them when within 1 hour |
| Email from the client | 1 hour | Same business day |
| Anything marked urgent, or a P1 (see Escalation Ladder) | 5 minutes | Updates at least every 30 minutes until resolved |
| Customer channels (calls, chats, tickets) | As set in your track and Client Playbook | As set in your track and Client Playbook |
Acknowledge, then deliver. If you cannot answer fully right away, say when you will:
"Got it. I will have the updated lead list to you by 3:00 PM ET."
Then deliver on time. If the time will slip, say so before it passes, with the new time.
Always use the client's time zone
- Write every time in the client's time zone, with the zone named: "3:00 PM ET", "11:00 AM PT", "10:00 GMT", "9:00 AEST".
- Never write Bangladesh time in client messages. Never write a time without a zone.
- For meetings across zones, give both: "2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT".
- For dates, prefer the month as a word: "Oct 18" or "18 Oct". This avoids confusion between US and UK date order.
US English or UK English
Match the client's country.
| US clients | UK and Australian clients | |
|---|---|---|
| Spelling | color, organize, center, check, program | colour, organise, centre, cheque, programme |
| Dates in numbers | 10/18/2026 (month first) | 18/10/2026 (day first) |
| Safest date format | Oct 18, 2026 | 18 Oct 2026 |
| Money | USD 1,250 or 1,250 dollars | GBP 1,250 or AUD 1,250 |
| Greeting in email | "Hi (FIRST NAME)," | "Hi (FIRST NAME)," |
Use first names with clients unless they use titles first. Do not use "Sir" or "Madam" with US, UK or Australian clients unless they do. (On calls with US customers, "sir" and "ma'am" can be polite in some regions. See US Culture and Geography for Callers.)
Phrases to avoid and what to say instead
Some phrases common in South Asian business English confuse or sound odd to US, UK and Australian readers. Replace them.
| Avoid | Say instead |
|---|---|
| Do the needful | Please handle this / Please take care of this |
| Kindly revert / Revert back | Please reply / Please let me know |
| Prepone | Move earlier / Bring forward |
| Please find the attached | Attached is... / I have attached... |
| Your good name? | May I have your name? |
| Same to you (as a reply to "have a good day") | Thanks, you too! |
| I have a doubt | I have a question |
| Out of station | Away / Travelling / Out of office |
| Discuss about | Discuss |
| Today morning / Yesterday night | This morning / Last night |
| Updation | Update |
| Passed out (meaning graduated) | Graduated |
| Sir, as per your instruction | As you asked / Following your instructions |
| Kindly do the same at the earliest | Please do this by (TIME AND ZONE) |
Also avoid: "unfortunately" at the start of a message, "as per policy" as a full answer, "inconvenience", ALL CAPITALS, many exclamation marks, and emojis with clients unless they use them first.
Coach's note: Read your message once as the client. Ask: if this was the only message I got today, would I know exactly what is happening and what is needed from me? If not, rewrite before you send.
Message rules
- Never send just "Hi" and wait. Put the greeting, context and question in one message.
- Batch your questions and add your recommended answer, so the reader can reply "yes".
- Read back anything risky before acting: money, deleting records, mass emails or texts, changes to many records.
- Blocked for 30 minutes? Say so, with what you tried.
- Long explanation? If it needs more than about five sentences, record a short screen video (under 3 minutes) and state the ask in the first 15 seconds, if your campaign allows it.
- One topic per thread. Start a new thread for a new topic so nothing gets lost.
- Close the loop. When a task is done, reply in the same thread: "Done. (WHAT WAS DONE AND WHERE)."
Narqix message formats
Use these shapes. They make you easy to work with.
Question with a recommendation
Two quick questions on the (TASK):
1. (QUESTION). I suggest (RECOMMENDATION). OK?
2. (QUESTION). I suggest (RECOMMENDATION). OK?
I will continue with the rest in the meantime.Status update
Update on (TASK): (PROGRESS, WITH NUMBERS).
Next: (NEXT STEP), done by (TIME AND ZONE).
Need from you: (DECISION OR "nothing right now").Read-back before a risky action
Confirming before I send: (ACTION) to (WHO, HOW MANY) on (DATE, TIME AND ZONE) using (WHICH VERSION).
Correct?Blocker
Blocked on (TASK) since (TIME AND ZONE).
Issue: (WHAT IS WRONG).
Tried: (WHAT YOU TRIED).
Need: (WHAT YOU NEED AND FROM WHOM) by (TIME AND ZONE).Handover at end of shift
Handover for (CAMPAIGN):
Open items: (ITEM, STATUS, WHAT IS NEXT)
Promised to customers: (WHO, WHAT, BY WHEN)
Watch for: (ANYTHING UNUSUAL)Example: weak versus strong
Weak:
"Hi" (10 minutes later) "Sir there is a doubt regarding the leads, kindly revert."
Strong:
"Hi (CLIENT FIRST NAME), quick question on today's lead list. 42 of the 300 records have no phone number. I suggest I move them to a 'Needs Skip Trace' tag and start dialing the other 258 now. OK?"
Never do this: Never go silent on a client or your lead during your shift. Never promise a time you have not checked you can meet. Never send passwords, payment details or customer personal data in chat or email.
Check yourself
- A client messages you at the start of a busy hour. Within how long must you acknowledge it, and what do you say if you cannot answer fully?
- Rewrite this for a US client: "Kindly do the needful and revert by today evening."
- You plan to delete 120 duplicate records. What must you do first?
- How do you write a 2:00 PM meeting for a client in New York with a guest in California?
- What is wrong with sending "Hi" on its own?
Answers
- Within 15 minutes. Acknowledge and give a time: "Got it, I will have this to you by (TIME AND ZONE)."
- Example: "Please take care of this and let me know by 5:00 PM ET today."
- Read it back and get confirmation (and follow your campaign's rules on bulk changes, which usually need written approval and a backup).
- "2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT".
- It makes the reader wait and adds a round trip. Put the context and the question in the first message.
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