Last updated: November 8, 2026
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The sections every SOP needs
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Purpose | One sentence on why this procedure exists. |
| Applies to | Who follows it: all agents, team leads, one queue. |
| Use when | The trigger that tells someone to open this SOP. |
| Steps | Numbered actions, each starting with a verb. |
| Do | Good habits that make the steps work. |
| Do not | Common mistakes to avoid. |
| Escalate when | The situations that need a specialist or a manager. |
| Owner and review date | Who keeps it current, and when it was last checked. |
Worked example: escalating a case
Purpose: Hand a case over so the next person can act without asking the customer to repeat everything.
Use when: You cannot solve the issue within your authority, tools or knowledge, or the customer asks for escalation.
- Tell the customer you are bringing in a colleague who can help, and why.
- Check the knowledge base and ask a teammate first, unless the matter is urgent.
- Write a handover note: who the customer is, what is wrong, what you tried, what the customer wants, the deadline and contact details.
- Assign the ticket to the right queue and set the priority.
- Tell the customer what happens next, who will contact them and when.
- Check back at the agreed time that the case is moving.
Do not: transfer without a note, or make the customer explain the issue again.
Tips for SOPs people actually follow
- Start each step with a verb: check, ask, send, record.
- One action per step.
- Use the words your team already uses.
- Include what to do when something goes wrong.
- Test the SOP by asking someone new to follow it. Fix every place they get stuck.
- Review each SOP at least twice a year, and keep a register of owners and review dates.
Which SOPs to write first
Start with the procedures where mistakes are costly or inconsistent: ticket triage, handling an upset customer, refunds and credits, escalation, identity verification, service outages, shift handover, complaints, privacy requests, and contact notes and tagging.
Procedures involving identity, security and privacy depend on your country and industry, so have the right person in your organization review them.
Frequently asked questions
How long should an SOP be?
As short as it can be while still being followable, often one page. If an SOP runs long, split it into two procedures.
Where should SOPs be stored?
Somewhere every agent can find in seconds, such as your knowledge base or a shared drive, with one named owner for each SOP.
Skip the setup
The Support SOP Pack includes ten ready-to-edit SOPs in this layout, a blank template and a register to track owners and review dates.