Last updated: November 8, 2026
Want this ready-made? See the Support SOP Pack, or get the free sampler.
The template
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date, shift and writer | Date, shift name and who wrote the handover. |
| Open urgent cases | Case ID, customer, one-line status, next step and deadline. |
| Promises made | Anything promised to a customer, with the time it is due. |
| Known issues | Current outages, bugs or delays, and the message agents should use. |
| Queue status | Number waiting, oldest waiting time and any backlog. |
| Staffing | Who is off, late or covering, and any change to the plan. |
| Anything else | Changes to policy, tools or process the next shift should know. |
Make it work in practice
- Keep it to one page. If it is longer, people stop reading.
- Write it in a shared place so it can be found, not in private messages.
- Do it ten minutes before the shift ends, so the writer is still there for questions.
- Use the same headings every day. A fixed layout is faster to write and to read.
- Close the loop. The next shift confirms they have read it.
A good example line
Case 48213, Ms Reyes, refund of a double charge. Finance has confirmed. I told her she will have it by 5 pm tomorrow. Please check at 3 pm and tell her if it is late.
It has who, what, the promise and the next action. That is all the next person needs.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a handover if the team works across time zones?
Yes, those are the teams that need it most. Use the same template and add the time zone to each deadline.
Should the handover be a meeting or a document?
A written document is the base. Add a five-minute call only when the day was difficult.
Skip the setup
The Support SOP Pack includes a blank SOP template and a register, so you can write your handover process and every other routine in one consistent format.