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Client Onboarding Discovery Checklist & Intake Questionnaire

Client Onboarding Discovery Checklist & Intake Questionnaire

Section titled “Client Onboarding Discovery Checklist & Intake Questionnaire”

Usage: Copy this checklist template into the body of a new GitHub Issue Epic (epic(client-<client-prefix>): client intake & onboarding - <Client Name>) when onboarding a prospective or new client.
Repository Policy: Do NOT commit client intake files into git. All discovery facts, aesthetic vibes, and onboarding lifecycle milestones are tracked directly via GitHub Issue Epics and linked child issues.
Authority: docs/specs/CLIENT_BUSINESS_INTAKE_AND_SCAFFOLDING.md
Design Principle: Fill out what is known. Leave space for bespoke nuances. Never force rigid tokenization.

1. Business Identity & Legal Information

Section titled “1. Business Identity & Legal Information”
  • Official Legal Entity Name:
  • Public Trade / Brand Name (DBA):
  • Tagline / One-Sentence Pitch:
  • Year Established:
  • Primary Local Business Category: (e.g., Bakery, AutoRepair, Dentist, Electrician, ProfessionalService, Restaurant)
  • Target Audience / Customer Demographic:

2. Physical Location & Operating Schedule

Section titled “2. Physical Location & Operating Schedule”
  • Physical Street Address:
  • Suite / Unit / Floor:
  • City, State, ZIP / Postal Code:
  • Neighborhood / Landmark References: (e.g., “Across from the historic courthouse, corner of Maple and 4th”)
  • Service Delivery Model:
    • Brick-and-mortar storefront (customers visit)
    • Mobile / field service (business travels to client)
    • Hybrid (storefront + local delivery)
  • Service Radius / Areas Served:
  • Weekly Operating Hours:
    • Monday:
    • Tuesday:
    • Wednesday:
    • Thursday:
    • Friday:
    • Saturday:
    • Sunday:
  • Holiday / Seasonal Schedule Notes:

3. Communication Channels & Lead Intake Routing

Section titled “3. Communication Channels & Lead Intake Routing”
  • Primary Customer Telephone:
  • SMS-Capable Phone Number:
  • Public Inquiries Email Address:
  • Owner / Manager Alerting Preferences:
    • Instant SMS text notifications on new leads
    • Instant email alerts on new leads
    • Webhook / third-party CRM integration
  • Active Social Media & Review Profiles:
    • Google Business Profile:
    • Instagram:
    • Facebook:
    • Yelp:
    • LinkedIn / Other:

4. Brand Identity Assets & Aesthetic Vibe Context

Section titled “4. Brand Identity Assets & Aesthetic Vibe Context”

Note: SiteSwarm does NOT use rigid CSS theme tokens. Capture raw brand context so the AI coding agent can craft 100% bespoke markup and styling matching the client’s authentic storefront atmosphere.

  • Logo Assets Available:
    • Vector SVG (preferred)
    • High-resolution PNG / transparent
    • Physical signage photo (if no digital file exists)
    • Asset location / link:
  • Brand / Signage Colors:
    • Primary Brand Hex: #[HEX]
    • Secondary / Accent Hex: #[HEX]
    • Background Preference: [Light / Dark / Warm Neutral / Clean White]
  • Typography & Personality Descriptors: (e.g., “Elegant handcrafted serif headings with modern clean sans-serif body”)
  • Aesthetic Vibe & Atmosphere Statement: (e.g., “Warm rustic bakery with flour-dusted wood counters, vintage copper accents, cozy morning coffee shop feel”)
  • Storefront & Work Photography:
    • Exterior storefront photo
    • Interior / workshop photos
    • Product / food / equipment close-ups
    • Team / founder portraits
    • Assets location / folder:

5. Platform Capability Requirements (Wishlist)

Section titled “5. Platform Capability Requirements (Wishlist)”

Mark the capabilities requested by the client:

  • Lead Capture & Contact Routing (@siteswarm/lead-capture)
    • Turnstile invisible spam defense
    • After-hours inquiry form
    • Specific form fields needed:
  • Instant Price Estimator / Quote Calculator (@siteswarm/quote-estimator)
    • Tiered pricing model
    • Add-ons / optional upsells
    • Unit of calculation: (e.g. guests, vehicle axles, square footage)
  • Menu or Service Catalog (@siteswarm/menu-catalog)
    • Product categories & pricing
    • Dietary / service badges (e.g. Vegan, Gluten-Free, ASE-Certified)
  • Mobile Business-As-Usual CMS (cms-emdash)
    • Smartphone emergency alert toggle
    • Mobile business hours override
  • Local Search & Schema.org SEO (@siteswarm/seo)
    • LocalBusiness JSON-LD structured data
    • Dynamic OpenGraph share preview cards

6. Bespoke Workflows & Unique Client Nuances

Section titled “6. Bespoke Workflows & Unique Client Nuances”

Capture any unique business rules, custom software integrations, or operational quirks:

  • Specialized Integrations: (e.g. legacy POS sync, custom booking webhook, external scheduler link)
  • Community Awards / Accreditations: (e.g. “Best of County 2025”, “BBB A+ Accredited”)
  • Regulatory / Compliance Notices: (e.g. state license numbers, health inspection scores, liability disclosures)

7. Raw Discovery Interview Notes & Transcript

Section titled “7. Raw Discovery Interview Notes & Transcript”

Paste raw meeting notes, audio transcription snippets, owner emails, or brainstorm bullet points below:

[Raw notes here]

8. Ambiguity Resolution & Builder Liberties Log

Section titled “8. Ambiguity Resolution & Builder Liberties Log”

Protocol Authority: docs/specs/CLIENT_BUSINESS_INTAKE_AND_SCAFFOLDING.md Section 6
Philosophy: Forward momentum over micro-interrogation. AI coding agents take opinionated, high-taste creative and architectural liberties when specifications or brand inputs are ambiguous, maintain an explicit audit trail here, and promote critical commercial, legal, and identity questions directly to the human operator (the Client Mirror).

8.1 Open Questions for Client Review (Pillar 1)

Section titled “8.1 Open Questions for Client Review (Pillar 1)”

High-stakes commercial, legal, credential, or identity questions requiring direct client or human operator sign-off before production launch.

  • [Domain / Commercial / Legal / Identity Item]: Description of question, business impact, and requested client input.

8.2 Builder Liberties & High-Taste Defaults Taken (Pillar 2)

Section titled “8.2 Builder Liberties & High-Taste Defaults Taken (Pillar 2)”

Autonomous design, typography, micro-copy, layout, and architectural choices made by the agent to maintain development velocity in the absence of explicit client instructions.

  • [Subsystem / Page / Component]:
    • Context / Ambiguity: What detail was unspecified or open-ended.
    • Liberty Taken: The specific high-taste, plausible choice implemented.
    • Rationale: Why this default aligns with the client’s brand aesthetic and industry best practices.

8.3 Interactive Variations & Options Explored (Pillar 3)

Section titled “8.3 Interactive Variations & Options Explored (Pillar 3)”

Concrete, toggleable implementations provided in dev/preview builds so the operator and client can evaluate working alternatives instead of debating abstract concepts.

  • [Feature / Section Name]:
    • Default Variant: The primary implementation deployed by default.
    • Alternative Variant(s): Additional toggleable layout or style option (e.g., ?variant=split or preview switcher).
    • How to Test / Toggle: Query parameter or preview bar instructions for review.