ServicePal can send automated and ad hoc text messages to customers. Each of the four automated messages are described below.
Appointment confirmation
Customers can receive a confirmation once a job has been scheduled. The message is triggered by a job status linked to the "Confirmed" job stage. If you do not already have a status for this stage, ServicePal will automatically create a job status called "Appointment confirmed" when you enable this notification.
Prerequisites
1. Text Messaging should be setup
2. Customers should have a Mobile number specified on their customer record. This is the only field used for text messages.
Appointment confirmation should be switched on in the "Alerts & Reminders" menu.
Appointment reminder
Customers can receive an automatic reminder some time before the job is to be performed, commonly 24 hours before.
Prerequisites
1. Text Messaging should be setup
2. Customers should have a Mobile number specified on their customer record. This is the only field used for text messages.
Appointment reminder should be switched on in the "Alerts & Reminders" menu.
On the way
Customers can receive notifications that a technician is on the way to the service location. This notification is sent within minutes of the technician updating the job status. The message is triggered by a job status linked to the "On the way" job stage. If you do not already have a status for this stage, ServicePal will automatically create a job status called "On my way!" when you enable this notification.
Prerequisites
1. Text Messaging should be setup
2. Technicians should have a mobile number specified in their user record. This phone is by default included in the message template used.
3. Technicians should have a good looking profile photo on their user record. The photo is included, if one exists.
On the way should be switched on in the "Alerts & Reminders" menu.
Google review
Customers can receive automatic notifications once a job has been completed or closed.
These notifications include a link asking customers to review your business on Google.
Prerequisites
1. Text Messaging should be setup
2. Customers should have a number specified in the Mobile phone number field. This is the only field used for text messages.
3. A Google My Business should exist.
4. You should have created a Google Review URL using your business short name.
Google review should be switched on in the "Alerts & Reminders" menu.
The Google review notification will only be sent when a job reaches either the Completed or Closed stage. If you only have one job status linked to the "Completed" stage, then that status will be used when you switch on the notification.
If you like, you can setup a specific job status to trigger the notification, thereby allowing you to be more selective as to which customers receive the review request.
Replies to messages
When customers reply to text messages, ServicePal automatically forwards the reply to the account owner. You can specify an alternative email address, in case you would like your office staff to handle replies. NOTE: This reply is coming from a ServicePal email address. You cannot reply to this email. You have to contact the customer by phone or email to follow up on their reply.
NOTE:
ServicePal is smart enough to not send multiple text messages to the same phone number, in case you have multiple jobs schedules for the customer.
ServicePal will only send the Google Review message every 6 months to the same phone number.