Problem · Customers without project status
“How far along are you?” The third email this week.
Customers don't ask because they're suspicious. They ask because they can't see anything. A short, regular update answers the question before it's asked.
Project status template
One update, that needs no follow-up questions.
Replace the example rows with your project. Copy the result into an email to the customer.
Your plan
4 of 4 rows complete.
Die Beispielzeilen sind nur ein Anfang. Überschreibe sie mit deinen eigenen Einträgen.
Assumptions and limits
- The template organizes what you enter. Only your team knows whether the status is right.
- An update doesn't replace a conversation when a date is seriously at risk. Call instead.
Your entries stay in this browser. Nothing is saved or sent.
How you'll notice
The customer is waiting. And doesn't know what for.
- Customers ask for the status by email, phone and chat, often the same question to different people.
- A customer is upset about a delay that they actually caused, because an approval was missing.
- Before every client meeting, you first gather the status from the team.
Understand the causes
Why customers are left in the dark.
- 01
No fixed rhythm
- How you'll notice
- Updates happen when someone has time or the customer asks.
- Why it happens
- Nobody has agreed when the customer finds out what.
- What helps
- Agree on a fixed day for the update and keep it, even if little has happened.
- Limit
- For very short projects, one update per milestone is enough.
- 02
The status is scattered
- How you'll notice
- For every update, you have to ask three colleagues.
- Why it happens
- Tasks, conversations, and files are in different tools.
- What helps
- Keep the project status in one place that the update is built from.
- Limit
- A position only helps if the team actually works there.
- 03
Waiting times are invisible
- How you'll notice
- The customer doesn't notice that the project is waiting for their approval.
- Why it happens
- Updates list what was done, but not who is up next.
- What helps
- In the update, say openly what is waiting on the customer and by when.
- Limit
- That doesn't resolve every delay, but it makes clear where it arises.
Ways to solve it
Share the status. As simple as possible.
| Way | Enough if | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly status email using the template above | A few client projects and one person who knows where they stand. | Manual work; the status has to be pulled together from scratch every time. |
| Shared document with the customer | The customer reads along and the team keeps the document up to date reliably. | Often becomes a second list alongside the actual tasks. |
| Client portal of a project tool | Customers should be able to look into tasks themselves at any time. | Often shows more internals than a customer wants or should see. |
| Peak One | You want to pull status from the same tasks and documents your team works with. | Guests only see what is shared; you decide what to share for each project. |
Peak One in action
From asking again to a regular update.
- TriggerHow far along is the project for customer Müller?
- 01 · ProjectSignalProject Portfolio in Peak Board shows which customer projects need attention right now.
- 02 · TaskUnderstandingThe Project Board shows where each task stands and which ones are waiting on the customer.
- 03 · DeliveryDecisionDelivery in Peak Service shows whether you deliver on time what you promised.
- 04 · DocumentActionYou write the update in Peak Docs so every status is on record in one place.
The apps for it
Project status in Peak One.
To try out
Capture the status and share it.
Three steps
From this week, no follow-up questions.
- 01 / 03
Set an update day
Tell your customer which day each week they get the status.
- 02 / 03
Four rows are enough
Done, running, waiting on you, up next. A good update rarely needs more.
- 03 / 03
Name the waiting times
Add what is waiting on the customer and until when. That way delays aren't blamed on you.
Frequently asked questions
Briefly answered.
How often should I update customers on project status?
Often enough that the customer doesn't have to ask. For most projects, a fixed weekly slot makes sense; for short projects, an update per milestone.
Should customers see our tasks directly?
That depends on the customer. Many want a short update, not every task. In Peak Board, guests only see what is shared, so you decide what becomes visible.
What do I write when there is no progress?
Exactly that, with the reason and next step. An honest "no movement this week because ..." builds more trust than a skipped update.
Keep exploring
What's included.
- FunctionTasks & projectsProjects as a board, tasks in the daily plan, one chat per project.View
- Use caseAnswer customer inquiriesEvery inquiry has an owner, and common questions are answered once in public.View
- Software categoryProject management softwareEvery project task with a person, a due date, and a visible status.View
- ProblemEndless revision loopsEvery round of feedback brings a new round of changes, and the project is never done.View
- ProblemProjects out of controlEvery project somehow runs, but nobody can say where it really stands.View
- ProblemMissed deadlinesDeadlines are committed, and still not everything is done on the due date.View
✦ A Peak principle
Understand before changing. Then every step counts.
Peak learns with you
More problems
Typical bottlenecks in growing companies, each with a tool you can try right away, the causes, and the path Peak One provides for it.
Solve it once. The rest follows.
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