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Communication Guidelines

Professional communication standards for all ARUKZ DIGITAL team members.

Overview​

Effective communication is the foundation of successful client relationships and project delivery. These guidelines ensure consistent, professional communication across all channels.

Core Communication Principles​

1. Clarity​

  • Use simple, clear language
  • Avoid jargon unless necessary
  • Be specific and concrete
  • Provide examples when helpful

2. Timeliness​

  • Respond within defined SLAs
  • Set expectations if delayed
  • Proactive communication
  • Don't leave people waiting

3. Professionalism​

  • Maintain professional tone
  • Respectful and courteous
  • Proper grammar and spelling
  • Appropriate formality level

4. Transparency​

  • Be honest about challenges
  • Share progress openly
  • Admit mistakes quickly
  • Set realistic expectations

5. Empathy​

  • Understand client perspective
  • Acknowledge concerns
  • Show genuine care
  • Build relationships

Response Time Standards​

Email Response Times​

PriorityResponse TimeExamples
CriticalWithin 2 hoursSite down, security breach, launch issues
HighWithin 4 hoursClient escalation, urgent requests, deadline concerns
NormalWithin 24 hoursGeneral questions, status updates, routine requests
LowWithin 48 hoursNon-urgent information, FYI emails

Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM IST

After Hours:

  • Critical issues: Within 4 hours
  • All others: Next business day

Other Channels​

Slack/Teams:

  • Urgent: Within 1 hour
  • Normal: Within 4 hours

Phone Calls:

  • Answer or return within 2 hours
  • Voicemail: Return within 4 hours

Project Management Tools:

  • Comments: Within 24 hours
  • @mentions: Within 4 hours

Email Communication​

Email Best Practices​

Subject Lines: ✅ Good:

  • "Project Update: Website Launch - Week 3"
  • "Action Required: Design Approval by Friday"
  • "Question: SEO Strategy for Homepage"

❌ Bad:

  • "Update"
  • "Question"
  • "Hi"

Email Structure:

Subject: [Clear, specific subject]

Hi [Name],

[Opening - context or greeting]

[Main message - clear and concise]

[Action items or next steps]

[Closing]

Best regards,
[Your Name]
[Title]
ARUKZ DIGITAL
[Contact Information]

Writing Tips:

  • Start with most important information
  • Use bullet points for lists
  • Keep paragraphs short (3-4 lines max)
  • Bold important points
  • Include clear call-to-action
  • Proofread before sending

Email Templates​

Project Update Email:

Subject: [Project Name] - Week [X] Update

Hi [Client Name],

Here's your weekly update for [Project Name]:

✅ Completed This Week:
- [Achievement 1]
- [Achievement 2]
- [Achievement 3]

🎯 Next Week:
- [Plan 1]
- [Plan 2]
- [Plan 3]

📊 Overall Progress: [X]% complete
🗓️ On track for [Date] delivery

❓ Need from You:
- [Action item 1] by [Date]
- [Action item 2] by [Date]

Next meeting: [Date/Time]

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Issue Notification Email:

Subject: [Project Name] - Issue Identified: [Brief Description]

Hi [Client Name],

I wanted to inform you about an issue we've identified:

**Issue:** [Clear description]

**Impact:** [How it affects the project]

**Our Plan:**
1. [Action 1]
2. [Action 2]
3. [Action 3]

**Timeline:** [When it will be resolved]

**Your Action:** [What client needs to do, if anything]

We're working to resolve this quickly. I'll keep you updated on progress.

Please let me know if you have any concerns.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Meeting Request Email:

Subject: Meeting Request: [Purpose] - [Proposed Date/Time]

Hi [Client Name],

I'd like to schedule a meeting to [purpose].

**Agenda:**
1. [Topic 1]
2. [Topic 2]
3. [Topic 3]

**Duration:** [X] minutes

**Proposed Times:**
- [Option 1]
- [Option 2]
- [Option 3]

Please let me know which time works best for you, or suggest an alternative.

Looking forward to speaking with you.

Best regards,
[Your Name]

Client Meetings​

Meeting Preparation​

Before Every Meeting:

  • Review previous meeting notes
  • Prepare agenda
  • Gather necessary materials
  • Test technology (video, screen share)
  • Join 2 minutes early

Meeting Agenda Template:

Meeting: [Purpose]
Date: [Date]
Time: [Time]
Duration: [X] minutes
Attendees: [Names]

Agenda:
1. [Topic 1] - [X] min
2. [Topic 2] - [X] min
3. [Topic 3] - [X] min
4. Q&A - [X] min
5. Next steps - [X] min

Materials:
- [Document 1]
- [Document 2]

During Meetings​

Best Practices:

  • Start on time
  • Follow the agenda
  • Take notes
  • Encourage participation
  • Manage time
  • Summarize action items
  • End on time

Meeting Etiquette:

  • ✅ Professional appearance (video calls)
  • ✅ Mute when not speaking
  • ✅ Active listening
  • ✅ Stay engaged
  • ❌ Multitasking
  • ❌ Interrupting
  • ❌ Side conversations

After Meetings​

Meeting Notes Template:

Meeting Notes: [Purpose]
Date: [Date]
Attendees: [Names]

Discussion Summary:
- [Key point 1]
- [Key point 2]
- [Key point 3]

Decisions Made:
- [Decision 1]
- [Decision 2]

Action Items:
- [Task 1] - [Owner] - [Due Date]
- [Task 2] - [Owner] - [Due Date]
- [Task 3] - [Owner] - [Due Date]

Next Meeting: [Date/Time]

Send Within 24 Hours:

  • Meeting notes
  • Action items
  • Relevant documents
  • Next meeting invite

Difficult Conversations​

Delivering Bad News​

Framework:

  1. Be Direct: Don't bury the lead
  2. Explain Why: Provide context
  3. Show Impact: Be transparent
  4. Offer Solutions: Present options
  5. Next Steps: Clear action plan

Example:

"I need to inform you that we've encountered a delay with [feature]. 
This is due to [reason]. This means the launch will be pushed to 
[new date] instead of [original date]. 

To minimize impact, we propose:
1. [Solution 1]
2. [Solution 2]

We're committed to delivering quality work and appreciate your 
understanding. Let's schedule a call to discuss this further."

Handling Client Complaints​

HEARD Framework:

H - Hear: Listen without interrupting E - Empathize: Acknowledge their feelings A - Apologize: Say sorry for the inconvenience R - Resolve: Propose solution D - Diagnose: Prevent future issues

Example Response:

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I understand your 
frustration with [issue], and I apologize for the inconvenience 
this has caused.

Here's what we'll do to resolve this:
1. [Action 1] - Today
2. [Action 2] - Tomorrow
3. [Action 3] - This week

I'll personally oversee this to ensure it's handled properly. 
I'll update you daily on progress.

To prevent this in the future, we're implementing [preventive measure].

Is there anything else I can do to make this right?"

Saying No Professionally​

When to Say No:

  • Out of scope requests
  • Unrealistic timelines
  • Unethical requests
  • Resource constraints

How to Say No:

"I appreciate you thinking of us for [request]. However, [reason 
we can't do it].

What we can do instead is:
1. [Alternative 1]
2. [Alternative 2]

Would either of these work for you?"

Written Communication​

Tone Guidelines​

Professional but Friendly: ✅ "Thanks for your patience while we work on this." ❌ "You'll just have to wait."

Positive Language: ✅ "We'll have this ready by Friday." ❌ "We can't get this done until Friday."

Solution-Focused: ✅ "Here's how we can solve this..." ❌ "This is a big problem."

Empathetic: ✅ "I understand this is frustrating." ❌ "That's just how it is."

Grammar & Style​

Common Mistakes to Avoid:

  • ❌ "Your" vs "You're"
  • ❌ "Its" vs "It's"
  • ❌ "There" vs "Their" vs "They're"
  • ❌ Incomplete sentences
  • ❌ Run-on sentences
  • ❌ Excessive exclamation marks!!!

Style Tips:

  • Use active voice
  • Keep sentences short
  • One idea per paragraph
  • Use bullet points
  • Bold key information
  • Proofread everything

Internal Communication​

Team Communication​

Slack/Teams Guidelines:

  • Use appropriate channels
  • @mention for urgent items
  • Use threads for discussions
  • Share updates proactively
  • Respect do-not-disturb status

Status Updates:

Daily Standup:
✅ Yesterday: [What you completed]
🎯 Today: [What you're working on]
🚧 Blockers: [Any issues]

Escalation Process​

When to Escalate:

  • Client is unhappy
  • Project is at risk
  • Technical blocker
  • Resource conflict
  • Ethical concern

Escalation Path:

  1. Project Manager
  2. Department Head
  3. Operations Manager
  4. CEO

How to Escalate:

Subject: Escalation: [Issue] - [Project Name]

Issue: [Clear description]
Impact: [Business/project impact]
Attempted Solutions: [What you've tried]
Recommendation: [What you think should be done]
Urgency: [Critical/High/Medium]

Communication Channels​

When to Use Each Channel​

Email:

  • Formal communication
  • Documentation needed
  • Non-urgent matters
  • External communication
  • Detailed information

Slack/Teams:

  • Quick questions
  • Team coordination
  • Informal updates
  • Internal communication
  • Real-time collaboration

Phone/Video:

  • Complex discussions
  • Sensitive topics
  • Relationship building
  • Urgent matters
  • Demos and presentations

Project Management Tool:

  • Task updates
  • File sharing
  • Progress tracking
  • Approvals
  • Deliverables

Crisis Communication​

Crisis Response Plan​

Immediate Actions (Within 1 hour):

  1. Assess situation
  2. Notify stakeholders
  3. Begin resolution
  4. Communicate status

Crisis Communication Template:

Subject: URGENT: [Issue] - Status Update

We're experiencing [issue] affecting [impact].

Status: [Current situation]
Cause: [If known]
Impact: [Who/what is affected]
Action: [What we're doing]
ETA: [When it will be resolved]

We'll update you every [X] hours until resolved.

Contact: [Name] at [Phone] for immediate assistance.

Follow-up Communication:

  • Hourly updates during crisis
  • Resolution notification
  • Post-mortem report
  • Prevention measures

Best Practices Summary​

Do's ✅​

  • Respond promptly
  • Be professional
  • Proofread everything
  • Set expectations
  • Follow up
  • Document important conversations
  • Use proper grammar
  • Be empathetic
  • Provide solutions
  • Keep it concise

Don'ts ❌​

  • Leave people waiting
  • Use jargon unnecessarily
  • Send without proofreading
  • Make promises you can't keep
  • Ignore messages
  • Be defensive
  • Use ALL CAPS
  • Send angry emails
  • Overpromise
  • Be vague

Communication Metrics​

Track These Metrics​

Response Time:

  • Average email response time
  • % of emails answered within SLA
  • Average first response time

Quality:

  • Client satisfaction with communication
  • Number of miscommunications
  • Clarity ratings

Effectiveness:

  • Meeting efficiency
  • Action item completion rate
  • Follow-up rate

Last Updated: January 2026
Version: 1.0
Owner: ARUKZ DIGITAL Leadership Team

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