The decision this workflow supports
Early event planning often produces a range rather than a final headcount. Forcing the organizer to choose a precise number can turn a rough estimate into a misleading commitment. Record what is known and what remains provisional.
Put the review process in place
Ask for the expected range and when the organizer expects to refine it. Keep the range intact in the staff summary. Restaurant staff decide whether their quoting process needs another estimate; the assistant should not calculate portions or guarantee capacity from attendance alone.
Worked example for your team
Imagine an organizer expects between twenty and thirty attendees, with invitations still outstanding. The assistant records the range and the date when a better estimate may be available. It should not silently choose twenty-five or present the upper bound as final. Ask the catering reviewer to explain how they would continue planning from the note. If their first question is whether the count is confirmed, make that uncertainty more visible. The estimate-update date is a follow-up planning detail, not a deadline imposed on the organizer by the assistant.
Sample wording to approve
“An estimate is fine for this inquiry. What is the likely guest range, and when might you know more? The catering team will confirm what they need for planning.” This wording is a draft for the restaurant owner to approve before use.
Fields for the staff handoff
Staff need minimum estimate, maximum estimate, confidence or uncertainty, expected update date, and event reference. Mark uncertain details explicitly and keep the requested action separate from anything restaurant staff have already confirmed.
Acceptance tests before use
A range survives the readback unchanged. Staff can see that attendance is provisional. The assistant does not convert guest count into a food quantity or price. Record the observed result, assign any mismatch, and repeat the affected scenario after correction.
Further reading
Catering inquiry value calculator ↗
Try Ava with your business’s public information ↗