Keep customers informed with automatic notifications about job updates, invoices, and payments.
Overview
Automatic notifications keep customers informed throughout their service journey. This reduces phone calls, improves satisfaction, and builds trust through proactive communication.
Notification Settings
Configure notifications at Settings → Communications → Customer Notifications
Available Notification Types
- Job scheduling: Appointment confirmations
- Job updates: Status changes and delays
- Invoice sent: New invoice notifications
- Payment received: Payment confirmations
- Job completion: Work finished notifications
Job-Related Notifications
Appointment Scheduled
Trigger: When new job is created with customer assigned
Timing: Immediately after scheduling
Contains:
- Appointment date and time
- Service description
- Technician assigned (if selected)
- Your business contact details
- Estimated duration
Appointment Reminder
Trigger: Configurable time before appointment
Default timing: 24 hours and 2 hours before
Contains:
- Reminder of upcoming appointment
- Date, time, and location
- Preparation instructions (if any)
- Contact number for changes
Technician En Route
Trigger: When job status changed to "En Route"
Timing: Immediately when updated
Contains:
- Technician name and photo
- Estimated arrival time
- Vehicle description
- Direct contact number
Job Started
Trigger: When technician starts job timer
Timing: Immediately upon arrival
Contains:
- Work has begun
- Expected completion time
- Any immediate findings
- Contact for questions
Job Completed
Trigger: When job marked as complete
Timing: Immediately after completion
Contains:
- Work completion confirmation
- Summary of work performed
- Any warranty information
- Care instructions
- Invoice preview (if applicable)
Invoice and Payment Notifications
Invoice Sent
Trigger: When invoice is emailed to customer
Timing: Immediately after sending
Contains:
- Invoice number and amount
- Payment due date
- Online payment link
- Payment methods accepted
- Questions contact info
Payment Received
Trigger: When payment is processed successfully
Timing: Within 5 minutes of payment
Contains:
- Payment confirmation
- Amount paid and method
- Receipt number
- Remaining balance (if partial)
- Receipt download link
Payment Failed
Trigger: When payment attempt fails
Timing: Immediately after failure
Contains:
- Payment failure notice
- Reason for failure (if available)
- Retry payment link
- Alternative payment methods
- Contact for assistance
Overdue Payment Reminder
Trigger: Configurable days after due date
Default timing: 3, 7, and 14 days overdue
Contains:
- Friendly payment reminder
- Outstanding amount
- Days overdue
- Easy payment options
- Contact for payment plans
Delivery Methods
Email Notifications
- Rich formatting: HTML emails with branding
- Attachments: Can include PDFs and receipts
- Links: Direct links to payment portals
- Professional appearance: Matches your branding
- Delivery tracking: Open and click tracking
SMS Notifications
- Instant delivery: Messages arrive within seconds
- High open rates: 95%+ of texts are read
- Character limit: Keep messages under 160 characters
- Cost effective: £0.04-0.05 per message
- Links included: Shortened URLs for easy access
Dual Delivery
- Important notices: Send both email and SMS
- Customer preference: Let customers choose
- Backup delivery: SMS if email bounces
- Time-sensitive: SMS for urgent notifications
Customizing Notifications
Message Templates
Customize standard templates with:
- Your branding: Logo, colors, and fonts
- Personal tone: Match your business voice
- Custom fields: Add business-specific information
- Variable content: Job details, customer names, etc.
Timing Controls
- Delay settings: Wait X minutes/hours before sending
- Business hours: Only send during operating hours
- Day restrictions: Skip weekends or holidays
- Frequency limits: Maximum messages per day
Customer Preferences
Communication Preferences
Allow customers to control:
- Delivery method: Email, SMS, or both
- Notification types: Which updates they want
- Frequency: How often they hear from you
- Opt-out options: Unsubscribe from specific types
Preference Management
- Customer portal: Self-service preference updates
- Unsubscribe links: One-click opt-out
- Phone requests: Update preferences by phone
- Default settings: Sensible defaults for new customers
Notification Performance
Delivery Tracking
- Sent status: Confirmation message was sent
- Delivered status: Message reached recipient
- Read receipts: Customer opened message (email)
- Click tracking: Links clicked in messages
- Bounce handling: Invalid addresses flagged
Key Metrics
- Delivery rate: Percentage successfully delivered
- Open rate: How many customers read messages
- Click rate: Link engagement percentage
- Unsubscribe rate: Opt-out frequency
- Response rate: Customer replies or actions
Best Practices
Message Content
- Clear subject lines: Descriptive and specific
- Concise content: Get to the point quickly
- Action-oriented: Tell customers what to do next
- Professional tone: Friendly but business appropriate
- Contact information: Always provide a way to reach you
Timing Best Practices
- Business hours: Respect customer's time
- Appropriate urgency: Match timing to importance
- Advance notice: Give customers time to prepare
- Follow-up spacing: Don't overwhelm with messages
Troubleshooting
Messages Not Sending
- Check customer contact info: Valid email/phone required
- Verify notification settings: Ensure notifications enabled
- Business hours restrictions: May be outside allowed times
- Communication preferences: Customer may have opted out
Low Delivery Rates
- Email bounces: Update invalid email addresses
- SMS failures: Check phone number formats
- Spam filtering: Email may be caught by filters
- Network issues: Temporary delivery delays
Customer Complaints
- Too frequent: Adjust notification frequency
- Wrong information: Review template accuracy
- Inappropriate timing: Check business hours settings
- Unwanted messages: Ensure opt-out options work