This playbook outlines how Customer Success (CS) should handle leads on behalf of customers or Sales to ensure the right territory assignment, prevent misrouting, and reduce internal confusion. It reflects the policy: do not assign leads directly to individual reps in Freshdesk or any other system without a territory check.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Policy Summary (Read First)

  • Do not add a specific rep name to a Freshdesk ticket (or any handoff format) when passing a lead to Sales.
  • Apply the sales tag and route to the designated Sales triage queue or process; Sales will assign to the correct rep after territory verification.
  • If a rep asks you to put a lead directly in their name, refer the lead to Emma Reeves for approval and assignment: emma.reeves@venuedirectory.com.
  • Always perform or trigger a territory check before any rep-level assignment or naming.

When to Use This Process

Use for any inbound lead originating via CS (Freshdesk, email, phone, or proactive outreach) where the customer has expressed sales interest (e.g., new business, upsell, cross-sell, add-on).

Examples:

  • A venue requests pricing or a demo via CS.
  • A customer asks to add modules or expand seats.
  • A prospect reaches CS with pre-sales questions.

What To Capture in Freshdesk

Include all relevant data so Sales can qualify quickly and route correctly:

  • Venue name (exact, canonical)
  • Venue profile link (paste the full URL)
  • Primary contact name, email, phone
  • Location details (country, city, postcode) — required for territory routing
  • Lead source and brief summary of interest/need
  • Product(s) of interest and urgency/timeline
  • Consent status (GDPR/marketing consent if applicable)
  • Attachments/links (RFP, emails, forms)
  • Tag:sales

Do not populate any “Assigned Rep” or “Owner” fields with an individual rep’s name. Leave owner unassigned or assign to the Sales triage group as per standard workflow.

Territory Check — How It Works

CS does not assign to a specific rep. CS either:

  1. Applies the sales tag and routes to the Sales triage queue, or
  2. Initiates a territory check request to the Sales Operations/Sales Admin channel per local practice.

Territory Map can be located here and can be used as a reference: https://cvent.box.com/s/9e8pmpaldvlp0pr39hfhsahndpt0okjd

Sales confirms territory using the official territory model and assigns the lead to the correct rep.

Only apply Sales reps names to tickets if specifically requested to do so.

Step-by-Step Handoff from CS

  1. Create/Update the Freshdesk ticket
    • Title clearly: “Lead: [Venue Name] — [Product/Interest]”
    • Fill in the data fields listed above.
    • Apply the sales tag.
    • Set Group = “Sales Triage” (or your equivalent shared queue).
    • Leave Agent/Assignee blank.
  2. Add a clear internal note
    • Summarize the lead, include venue profile link, contact details, location, and urgency.
    • State: “Territory check required. Do not assign to a specific rep yet.”
  3. If a rep requests direct assignment
  4. CS follow-up
    • Monitor the ticket until Sales triage acknowledges and assignment is completed.
    • Add any new context from the customer.

Do’s and Don’ts

  • Do include full venue and contact details, plus location for territory routing.
  • Do apply the sales tag and send to the Sales triage queue.
  • Don’t assign to an individual rep name.
  • Don’t override the territory process even if a rep asks; route to Emma if needed (emma.reeves@venuedirectory.com).

Edge Cases & Handling

  • Rep asks for direct assignment
    Route to Emma for approval; do not assign in CS.
  • Unclear or missing location
    Ask the customer for location details (country, city, postcode). Note “location pending” in the ticket.
  • Multiple venues / group accounts
    List all venues and specify the primary location for routing.
  • Existing opportunity in CRM
    Link the opportunity and still route via Sales triage for confirmation.
  • Urgent/VIP
    Tag “Urgent” and notify Sales triage in the channel, still without naming a rep.

Quality Checklist (Before You Hand Off)

  • Venue name and profile link included.
  • Contact details (name, email, phone) captured.
  • Location present (country, city, postcode) for routing.
  • Lead summary clear; product interest stated.
  • sales tag applied; ticket in Sales triage group; no rep named.
  • Internal note added indicating “territory check required.”

Revision History

  • v1.0 — Initial CS handoff playbook created — 26 Nov 2025