diff --git a/src/api/config.js b/src/api/config.js
index bf472ae..c633368 100644
--- a/src/api/config.js
+++ b/src/api/config.js
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export const STAGES = [
   // 7 September: a lead waited for its three documents inside "Contacted", so
   // the queue that most needed watching was the one that did not exist.
   { uid: 'zk-state-docs',      name: 'Document Pending',         kind: 'needs',    need: 'Document collection',              by: 'the partner agent' },
-  { uid: 'zk-state-quoted',    name: 'Quote Presented',          kind: 'customer', need: 'Customer decision',                by: 'the customer' },
+  { uid: 'zk-state-quoted',    name: 'Quote Presented',          kind: 'customer', need: 'Customer decision',                by: 'the customer', doing: 'Waiting for the customer to reply on WhatsApp' },
   // The one queue where the machine stops and a person decides.
   { uid: 'zk-state-referred',  name: 'Referred to Underwriting', kind: 'needs',    need: 'Underwriting referral',            by: 'an underwriter' },
   { uid: 'zk-state-payment',   name: 'Payment Pending',          kind: 'needs',    need: 'Premium confirmation',             by: 'operations' },
@@ -135,7 +135,12 @@ const STATE_ACTIVITIES = {
     { uid: 'zk-act-quote',         label: 'Generate Quote',              by: 'Rating engine',    role: 'force' },
   ],
   'zk-state-quoted': [
-    { uid: 'zk-act-accept',        label: 'Record the acceptance',       by: 'you, on consent',  role: 'do' },
+    // The customer accepts from their own phone: their WhatsApp reply is
+    // routed to Customer Reply, Engage reads it, and Engage performs this.
+    // Kept reachable — role 'force', folded away — because a customer who
+    // says yes on a CALL still needs somebody to record it, and because a
+    // reply Engage judged ambiguous has to be actionable by a person.
+    { uid: 'zk-act-accept',        label: 'Record the acceptance by hand', by: 'you, on consent',  role: 'force' },
     { uid: 'zk-act-quote',         label: 'Re-quote',                    by: 'Engage AI',        role: 'again' },
     { uid: 'zk-act-collect-docs',  label: 'Add a document',              by: 'you',              role: 'again' },
     { uid: 'zk-act-kyc',           label: 'Verify KYC',                  by: 'KYC AI',           role: 'force' },
diff --git a/src/components/Timeline.jsx b/src/components/Timeline.jsx
index 3c46f7a..a55836f 100644
--- a/src/components/Timeline.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Timeline.jsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ const NARRATIVE = [
   ['referral_analysis', 'Referral analysis'],
   ['uw_decision_notes', 'Underwriting decision'],
   ['documents_notes', 'Documents'],
+  ['customer_reply', 'The customer said'],
   ['lost_reason', 'Why it was dropped'],
   ['resume_note', 'Why now'],
 ]
diff --git a/src/screens/Lead.jsx b/src/screens/Lead.jsx
index 4ecf97a..f1d2512 100644
--- a/src/screens/Lead.jsx
+++ b/src/screens/Lead.jsx
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ const GROUPS = [
   ['Motor risk',     ['motor_reg_no','motor_make_model','motor_mfg_year','motor_cc','motor_fuel','motor_idv','motor_ncb_pct','motor_addons','motor_prev_insurer','motor_prev_policy_no','motor_prev_expiry','motor_prev_claim']],
   ['AI advice', ['ai_recommended_cover','ai_recommended_addons','ai_recommendation_rationale','ai_recommendation_confidence']],
   ['Quote',          ['product_code','quoted_od_premium','quoted_tp_premium','quoted_addon_premium','quoted_section_premiums','quoted_gst','quoted_premium','quoted_breakup','quote_valid_till']],
-  ['Proposal',       ['acceptance_ref','accepted_at']],
+  ['Proposal',       ['acceptance_ref','accepted_at','customer_reply','customer_reply_from']],
   ['KYC',            ['kyc_mode','kyc_ref','kyc_outcome','kyc_mismatch_notes']],
   ['Underwriting',   ['uw_outcome','uw_survey_required','referral_analysis','uw_referral_reason','uw_decision_notes']],
   ['Policy',         ['payment_link','payment_ref','premium_realised','realised_at','policy_no','policy_issued_at']],
@@ -368,6 +368,21 @@ export default function Lead() {
                 </button>
               </div>
             </div>
+          ) : stage?.kind === 'customer' && stage.doing ? (
+            /* Not an agent working, and not a task of yours either — the lead
+               is with someone outside the business. Without this the screen
+               went blank at exactly the stage where an operator is most likely
+               to wonder whether something has broken. */
+            <div className="doing doing--waiting">
+              <span className="doing__wait" aria-hidden="true" />
+              <div>
+                <strong>{stage.doing}</strong>
+                <span>
+                  Their answer comes back to this lead on its own — Engage reads it and
+                  records the acceptance. Nothing is waiting on you.
+                </span>
+              </div>
+            </div>
           ) : stage?.kind === 'auto' ? (
             <div className="doing">
               <span className="doing__pulse" aria-hidden="true" />
diff --git a/src/screens/screens.css b/src/screens/screens.css
index edbd269..478c03d 100644
--- a/src/screens/screens.css
+++ b/src/screens/screens.css
@@ -1225,3 +1225,22 @@
   color: var(--zk-muted);
   margin-top: 2px;
 }
+
+/* ---- waiting on someone outside the business ----
+   Neither an agent working nor a task of yours. Grey rather than blue, and
+   no pulse: nothing is happening, and that is the correct state. */
+.doing--waiting {
+  border-color: var(--zk-line);
+  background: var(--zk-tint);
+}
+.doing--waiting strong { color: var(--zk-ink); }
+
+.doing__wait {
+  flex: none;
+  margin-top: 5px;
+  width: 10px;
+  height: 10px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  border: 2px solid var(--zk-grey);
+  background: transparent;
+}