Service request intake form fields local service businesses can use before the first follow-up

The goal

Ask enough to route the lead, not so much that they quit

For most local service businesses, the intake form should answer four questions: what happened, where is it, how urgent is it, and what should the business do next. Keep the form short and make optional fields clearly optional.

1. Identify the job type: repair, estimate, maintenance, emergency, warranty, or other.
2. Confirm the service area: address, ZIP code, neighborhood, or cross streets.
3. Capture urgency: today, this week, flexible, or not sure.
4. Collect proof: photos, dimensions, model numbers, or access notes when relevant.
5. Choose the follow-up path: call, text, email, booking link, or manual review.

Copy/paste service request intake fields

Core fields

First name:
Best phone number:
Best email:
Service address or ZIP code:
What service do you need? [dropdown]
How urgent is this? [Today / 2-3 days / This week / Flexible / Not sure]
What happened? [short paragraph]
Best way to reply: [Call / Text / Email]
Best time to reach you:

Photo and scope fields

Can you upload 1-3 photos? [optional]
Approximate size or area affected:
Is access available if we visit? [Yes / No / Need to coordinate]
Is this for a home, rental, business, or property you manage?
Have we serviced this location before? [Yes / No / Not sure]

Routing labels for the CRM

Lead source: Website form
Urgency label: {{today|this_week|flexible|manual_review}}
Job type label: {{repair|estimate|maintenance|emergency|other}}
Missing info: {{photos|address|timeline|budget|access|none}}
Next action owner: {{dispatcher|owner|sales|technician}}

AI prompt to summarize and route the lead

You are helping a local service business triage a new service request. Read the intake fields below. Return: 1) a one-sentence summary, 2) urgency label, 3) missing information to ask for, 4) safest first reply by text, 5) human review checklist. Do not invent pricing, guarantees, availability, licenses, policies, or emergency promises. If the lead may be urgent or unsafe, say "manual review before sending."

Pair this with the free speed-to-lead swipe file so the first reply is fast, useful, and human-reviewed.

Human review rules before automating replies

• Do not let AI promise a same-day appointment unless the dispatcher confirms capacity.
• Do not diagnose safety, legal, insurance, or code issues from a short form answer.
• Flag emergencies, angry customers, cancellations, and refund/payment disputes for a human first.
• Keep privacy in mind: do not paste sensitive customer details into tools that are not approved for the business.
• Review tone so the reply sounds helpful, not like a ticketing robot.