How do I pass on my pallet company’s customer scheduling routines to a successor?

Start by listing your regular customers and, for each one, the pattern that matters: when they call, who calls, how much notice they give, what sizes or repairs they usually want and what usually goes wrong. Include the unwritten parts, such as the gate that needs a phone call first or the buyer who prefers a morning delivery.

Then turn the list into something others can use. A shared calendar, a one-page note per account and a short list of rush-order rules will do. Ask your dispatcher and drivers what you missed, since they often know details you never needed to write down.

Finally, hand it over in person. Let your successor sit in on the ordering calls, take over the schedule for a week while you watch and introduce them to each key contact yourself. Agree on how long you will stay reachable afterward. Your lawyer can put any transition period into the sale agreement. Test the handover before you leave. Ask your successor to explain a routine back to you, and note what they get wrong. Update the notes together, and plan to review them after the first busy month, since real orders always teach something the plan missed.

Key takeaways

• Document each customer’s ordering pattern, contacts and special handling.
• Ask drivers and dispatchers to fill in what the paperwork misses.
• Introduce your successor in person and stay reachable for a set period.