diff --git a/rattail/batch/custorder.py b/rattail/batch/custorder.py
index ffa82b4545a289910296f055295710c700e47f36..db24d9d993a0695deb5a400cfdb88de230418ace 100644
--- a/rattail/batch/custorder.py
+++ b/rattail/batch/custorder.py
@@ -126,20 +126,40 @@ class CustomerOrderBatchHandler(BatchHandler):
             batch.phone_number = person.first_phone_number()
             batch.email_address = person.first_email_address()
 
+        # always reset "add to customer" flags
+        batch.clear_param('add_phone_number')
+        batch.clear_param('add_email_address')
+
         session = self.app.get_session(batch)
         session.flush()
 
-    def get_contact_display(self, batch):
+    def get_contact(self, batch):
         """
-        Should return contact display text for the batch,
-        i.e. customer name.
+        Should return the contact record (i.e. Customer or Person) for
+        the batch.
         """
         customer_required = self.new_order_requires_customer()
 
         if customer_required:
-            return six.text_type(batch.customer)
+            return batch.customer
         else:
-            return six.text_type(batch.person)
+            return batch.person
+
+    def get_contact_id(self, batch):
+        """
+        Should return contact ID for the batch, i.e. customer ID.
+        """
+        contact = self.get_contact(batch)
+        if isinstance(contact, model.Customer):
+            return contact.id
+
+    def get_contact_display(self, batch):
+        """
+        Should return contact display text for the batch,
+        i.e. customer name.
+        """
+        contact = self.get_contact(batch)
+        return six.text_type(contact)
 
     def get_contact_phones(self, batch):
         """
@@ -147,15 +167,10 @@ class CustomerOrderBatchHandler(BatchHandler):
         be presented as options for user to choose from when making a
         new order.
         """
-        customer_required = self.new_order_requires_customer()
-
         phones = []
-        if customer_required:
-            if batch.customer:
-                phones = batch.customer.phones
-        else:
-            if batch.person:
-                phones = batch.person.phones
+        contact = self.get_contact(batch)
+        if contact:
+            phones = contact.phones
 
         return [self.normalize_phone(phone)
                 for phone in phones]
@@ -181,15 +196,10 @@ class CustomerOrderBatchHandler(BatchHandler):
 
         Note that the default logic will exclude invalid email addresses.
         """
-        customer_required = self.new_order_requires_customer()
-
         emails = []
-        if customer_required:
-            if batch.customer:
-                emails = batch.customer.emails
-        else:
-            if batch.person:
-                emails = batch.person.emails
+        contact = self.get_contact(batch)
+        if contact:
+            emails = contact.emails
 
         # exclude invalid
         emails = [email for email in emails
@@ -218,17 +228,12 @@ class CustomerOrderBatchHandler(BatchHandler):
         user who is entering the new order.
         """
         notes = []
-        customer_required = self.new_order_requires_customer()
 
         invalid = False
-        if customer_required:
-            if batch.customer:
-                invalid = [email for email in batch.customer.emails
-                           if email.invalid]
-        else:
-            if batch.person:
-                invalid = [email for email in batch.person.emails
-                           if email.invalid]
+        contact = self.get_contact(batch)
+        if contact:
+            invalid = [email for email in contact.emails
+                       if email.invalid]
         if invalid:
             notes.append("Customer has one or more invalid email addresses on file.")
 
@@ -243,6 +248,10 @@ class CustomerOrderBatchHandler(BatchHandler):
         batch.phone_number = None
         batch.email_address = None
 
+        # always reset "add to customer" flags
+        batch.clear_param('add_phone_number')
+        batch.clear_param('add_email_address')
+
         session = self.app.get_session(batch)
         session.flush()
         session.refresh(batch)
@@ -464,8 +473,59 @@ class CustomerOrderBatchHandler(BatchHandler):
 
     def execute(self, batch, user=None, progress=None, **kwargs):
         """
-        Default behavior here will simply create a new (proper) Customer Order
-        based on the batch contents.  Override as needed.
+        Default behavior here will create and return a new rattail
+        Customer Order.  It also may "add contact info" e.g. to the
+        customer record.  Override as needed.
+        """
+        order = self.make_new_order(batch, user=user, progress=progress, **kwargs)
+        self.update_contact_info(batch, user)
+        return order
+
+    def update_contact_info(self, batch, user, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Update contact info from the batch, onto the customer record.
+        """
+        if batch.get_param('add_phone_number'):
+            self.add_phone_number(batch, user)
+        if batch.get_param('add_email_address'):
+            self.add_email_address(batch, user)
+
+    def add_phone_number(self, batch, user, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Add phone number from the batch to the customer record.
+
+        Note that the default behavior does *not* do that, but instead
+        will send an email alert to configured recipient(s) with the
+        update request.
+        """
+        self.app.send_email('new_phone_requested', {
+            'user': user,
+            'user_display': user.display_name if user else "(unknown user)",
+            'contact': self.get_contact(batch),
+            'contact_id': self.get_contact_id(batch),
+            'phone_number': batch.phone_number,
+        })
+
+    def add_email_address(self, batch, user, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Add email address from the batch to the customer record.
+
+        Note that the default behavior does *not* do that, but instead
+        will send an email alert to configured recipient(s) with the
+        update request.
+        """
+        self.app.send_email('new_email_requested', {
+            'user': user,
+            'user_display': user.display_name if user else "(unknown user)",
+            'contact': self.get_contact(batch),
+            'contact_id': self.get_contact_id(batch),
+            'email_address': batch.email_address,
+        })
+
+    def make_new_order(self, batch, user=None, progress=None, **kwargs):
+        """
+        Create and return a new rattail Customer Order based on the
+        batch contents.
         """
         batch_fields = [
             'store',
diff --git a/rattail/db/model/batch/core.py b/rattail/db/model/batch/core.py
index 78fe0dabcf9eba7a2c41c882dd3866e692c7eb82..83d89a2230c84f617ce2a5004670b769b597468b 100644
--- a/rattail/db/model/batch/core.py
+++ b/rattail/db/model/batch/core.py
@@ -198,6 +198,24 @@ class BatchMixin(object):
             self.__class__.__name__,
             self.id_str if self.id else "(new)")
 
+    def get_param(self, key):
+        if self.params is not None:
+            return self.params.get(key)
+
+    def set_param(self, key, value):
+        # TODO: why must we reconstruct params each time instead of
+        # just modifying in place?
+        params = dict(self.params or {})
+        params[key] = value
+        self.params = params
+
+    def clear_param(self, key):
+        # TODO: why must we reconstruct params each time instead of
+        # just modifying in place?
+        params = dict(self.params or {})
+        params.pop(key, None)
+        self.params = params
+
     # TODO: deprecate/remove this?
     def add_row(self, row):
         """
diff --git a/rattail/emails.py b/rattail/emails.py
index 3ac01121e014658a8ad64424c3eb04d0c4b2c69d..a4ab194348b0ad56cac1032a45d9ef3e1c7e789c 100644
--- a/rattail/emails.py
+++ b/rattail/emails.py
@@ -146,6 +146,44 @@ class filemon_action_error(Email):
         }
 
 
+class new_email_requested(Email):
+    """
+    Sent when a new email address is requested for a customer,
+    e.g. when entering a new customer order.
+    """
+    default_subject = "Email Update Request"
+
+    def sample_data(self, request):
+        model = request.rattail_config.get_model()
+        customer = model.Customer(name="Fred Flintstone")
+        return {
+            'user': request.user,
+            'user_display': request.user.display_name,
+            'contact': customer,
+            'contact_id': '42',
+            'email_address': "fred@mailinator.com",
+        }
+
+
+class new_phone_requested(Email):
+    """
+    Sent when a new phone number is requested for a customer,
+    e.g. when entering a new customer order.
+    """
+    default_subject = "Phone Update Request"
+
+    def sample_data(self, request):
+        model = request.rattail_config.get_model()
+        customer = model.Customer(name="Fred Flintstone")
+        return {
+            'user': request.user,
+            'user_display': request.user.display_name,
+            'contact': customer,
+            'contact_id': '42',
+            'phone_number': "417-555-1234",
+        }
+
+
 class ImporterEmail(Email):
     """
     Sent when a "version catch-up" import is performed, which involves changes.
diff --git a/rattail/templates/mail/new_email_requested.html.mako b/rattail/templates/mail/new_email_requested.html.mako
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..27fde7a05d35785664e20212210d0a433f3107f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rattail/templates/mail/new_email_requested.html.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+## -*- coding: utf-8; -*-
+<html>
+  <body>
+    <h2>Contact Email Update Requested</h2>
+
+    <p>
+      A request to update a contact's email address was submitted by
+      ${user_display}.
+    </p>
+
+    <ul>
+      <li>
+        Contact:&nbsp; ${contact_id} ${contact}
+      </li>
+      <li>
+        New Email Address:&nbsp; ${email address}
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+
+  </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/rattail/templates/mail/new_phone_requested.html.mako b/rattail/templates/mail/new_phone_requested.html.mako
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..9ad8b2946d3d0fe5332591811db7663f538080f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rattail/templates/mail/new_phone_requested.html.mako
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+## -*- coding: utf-8; -*-
+<html>
+  <body>
+    <h2>Contact Phone Update Requested</h2>
+
+    <p>
+      A request to update a contact's phone number was submitted by
+      ${user_display}.
+    </p>
+
+    <ul>
+      <li>
+        Contact:&nbsp; ${contact_id} ${contact}
+      </li>
+      <li>
+        New Phone Number:&nbsp; ${phone_number}
+      </li>
+    </ul>
+
+  </body>
+</html>