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Guide

SOP examples for business: five you can copy

These are the five SOPs that stop the most phone calls in the small businesses we see. Copy them, change the numbers and test them on your team.

By Muhammad Anas NS, Trainova BS, Trivandrum. Updated 3 November 2026.

All five follow the same pattern: an owner, a clear trigger, numbered steps, and what the person can decide alone. All amounts here are illustrative, so use limits that make sense for your business. To write your own, follow how to write an SOP.

1. SOP example for customer service: handling a complaint

SOP-01Approved

Handling a customer complaint

Owner
Front desk or customer care lead
When
Any complaint, by any channel
  1. Listen fully. Don’t defend. Apologise for the trouble, not the fault.
  2. Log it in the complaint sheet within 10 minutes.
  3. Up to ₹2,000: refund or replace, your decision.
  4. Above ₹2,000: operations manager decides the same day.
  5. Call the customer back within 24 hours with the result.
  6. Owner reviews a summary every Friday.

Illustrative. Adjust the limits for your business.

2. SOP example for sales: following up an enquiry

SOP-02Approved

Following up a new enquiry

Owner
Sales executive
When
New enquiry from any source
  1. Log it in the CRM or sheet straight away, with its source.
  2. Call within two working hours.
  3. No answer: send a WhatsApp and call again next morning.
  4. After three attempts with no reply, mark as cold.
  5. Discounts up to 5%: decide yourself. Above that: ask the sales lead.
  6. Update the status the same day. No status means not done.

Illustrative. Adjust the limits for your business.

3. SOP example for accounts: petty cash

SOP-03Approved

Managing petty cash

Owner
Accounts executive
Float
₹10,000 (example)
  1. Every payout needs a bill or a signed voucher.
  2. Up to ₹1,000: accounts pays. Above that: branch manager approves.
  3. Record each one in the register on the same day.
  4. Count the cash each Friday and match it to the register.
  5. Top up only against submitted vouchers.
  6. Report any difference to the owner on the same day, however small.

Illustrative. Adjust the limits for your business.

4. SOP example for HR: a new employee’s first week

SOP-04Approved

Onboarding a new employee

Owner
HR or office manager
When
Offer accepted
  1. Before day one: desk, login, ID and documents list are ready.
  2. Day one: introduce the team, values and who to ask what.
  3. Give them their role’s KRAs and SOPs on paper.
  4. Name a buddy for the first two weeks.
  5. End of week one: a 15-minute check-in with their manager.
  6. End of month one: review against a written checklist.

Illustrative. Adjust for your business.

5. SOP example for purchasing: paying a vendor

SOP-05Approved

Paying a vendor

Owner
Accounts executive
When
Invoice received
  1. Match the invoice to the purchase order and delivery note.
  2. If anything differs, raise it with purchasing within a day.
  3. Schedule by due date. Payment runs happen twice a month.
  4. Up to ₹25,000: accounts manager approves. Above that: owner.
  5. Send the remittance advice and file everything together.

Illustrative. Adjust the limits for your business.

How to tell if an SOP is working

Ask how often someone called you about this in the last month. If the calls have stopped and mistakes haven’t risen, it works. If people are ignoring it, ask them why. They may be right.

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Common questions

What is an example of an SOP in business?

A complaint-handling SOP is a common example: it says who owns the complaint, how quickly it must be logged, how much that person can refund on their own, when to escalate and when to call the customer back.

What is SOP in customer service?

It’s the written way your team handles customer situations, such as complaints, refunds or enquiries, so customers get the same treatment whoever answers. Example 1 above is a typical one.

Can I use these SOP examples as they are?

Use them as a starting point. Change the roles and limits and test them with the people doing the job. An SOP copied without changes usually gets ignored.

More guides

My business can’t run without meWhy it happens and how to get outRead the guide →How to stop micromanaging your teamWithout everything falling apartRead the guide →How to write an SOPWith a template you can copyRead the guide →
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