Start with the evidence
Keep customer identity, inquiry identity, job identity and contact-event identity separate in the authorized system. Use anonymous IDs in reporting examples. Record the observed source of the new request without assuming the latest advertisement caused the returning customer’s decision.
A worked example
Fictional model: Customer C1 makes two calls about Request I1, which becomes Job J1. A month later the same customer requests a different transport, I2 and J2. There are three contact events, two inquiries and two jobs. Merging by phone number would lose the second job; counting every call as a new inquiry would inflate demand.
Choose the next action
Create a new inquiry when the underlying work request is distinct and link it to any appropriate private customer record. Preserve first observed acquisition source separately from the source or context of the repeat request. If the customer mentions a referral or a later campaign, record that evidence without overwriting the historical source.
Check whether it worked
Review repeat-customer reporting for both over-merging and duplicate counting. Compare the number of distinct requests and completed jobs, then reconcile payments by job ID. Do not attribute all lifetime customer revenue to a single recent touch without explaining the chosen model and its limits.
Put it to work
A record you can use
- Customer reference kept privately
- Distinct request evidence
- Event-to-inquiry map
- Separate job IDs
- Original and repeat-request source evidence
Plain text. No email required. Store completed records in your approved business systems.
Next useful step
Need help applying this to your marketing? A strategy call starts with your business and the evidence you have.
Talk through your next step →For a general editorial question, email Chris. Please leave out customer details. Questions are private, and no response time is promised.