Business/Enterprise Feature
This feature is enabled by request only as it can significantly increase the volume of emails and texts that are sent from an account. Please reach out to support@timetap.com to request this feature be enabled for your account.
Automated Messaging Triggers allow you to add additional messaging that is sent based on the conditions you define for that trigger. These conditions can be tied to appointments, invoices, or disclaimer forms, and can be triggered either based on time (for a certain time before or after an appointment) or by an event (such as a specific status update).
This opens the door for custom communications that aren’t provided as part of TimeTap's default configuration. For example, you could set up a trigger to email clients a review link a few days after their appointment, or have TimeTap automatically send a receipt once an invoice is marked Closed.
Setting up a trigger is a two-part process. First, you’ll need to create or customize the Appointment Triggers template for that message (the contents of that message), and then you’ll create the Automated Messaging Trigger (the conditions for when that message should be sent).
On this page we will go over:
Here is a refresher on how to clone or customize appointment templates: Cloning Appointment Templates
Trigger templates added for Invoices can be found under Messaging > Invoice Templates.
How to Add a New Trigger
On this page you will find the following call to action buttons:
- Add New Trigger: Click add new trigger to define a reason, staff, location, and what the trigger activation is before sending an Appointment Trigger template to clients and/or staff
- Edit: Click edit to make changes to a previously created trigger. (If you want to add an additional message or change the time frame at which the trigger message is sent)
- Delete: Click delete to completely remove the trigger from your account
Once you have clicked the button "Add New Trigger" you will be taken to the Update Event Screen where you will define the properties of your trigger(s). In this example, we will label this trigger "Confirmed Appointments" and we will assigned it to all locations, staff and services. We will then set the trigger to send based on status change, specifically the status change from Open to Open-Confirmed
Under the Add Event section you will choose the properties your trigger is assigned to.
- Internal Descriptions: This will be the name of your trigger will be (internal use only)
-
Add Event For: assign the type of event this trigger will be tagged to
- Appointments – applies to individual appointments for services or classes
- Class Sessions – option for setting reminders for the overall class session, rather than each individual appointment
- Disclaimer Forms – triggers tied to the submission or update of a disclaimer form
- Invoices – triggers based on invoice activity, such as status changes
- Locations To Send For: Identify which location(s), if not all, will be assigned to this trigger message
- Staff To Send For: Identify which staff(s), if not all, will be assigned to this trigger message
- Services & Classes to Sent For: Identify which services and classes, if not all, will be assigned to this trigger
-
Trigger Based On: this field is the action that will initial the trigger message to send. In this section you can choose:
- Time – a specified number of months, weeks, days, or hours before/after an appointment
- Status Change – when the status of an appointment or invoice changes (for example, Any Status → Completed, Open → Canceled, Pending Payment → Open, etc.)
- On Creation – automatically send the message when a service or class is created, targeting the clients assigned to that Reason
Now that you have selected the properties that define your automated trigger message it is now time to decide who gets the message, what type of message it is and which appointment triggers template you want to send to this audience.
In this section we are choosing to send the message to the client via email and the template we choose for our confirmed appointment trigger which is called "Appointment Triggers - Confirmed Appointments." As a reminder this Appointment Trigger template was created under Messaging Settings > Appointment Templates > Click view next to Appointment Trigger > Cloned the default template.
Once you have set the below fields we will click save event.
Under Messages you have the following to select:
- TO: This is who the trigger message will be sent to. In this field you will choose either Client or Staff
- Type: You have the choice to send an email or a text message to your clients or staff
- Template: Here you will choose from the templates you created in the appointment templates. As you can see we have listed out some examples to show the selection process
- Add Another Message: Click this button to add another message where you will have the same fields to choose from. If your first message is sent to the client via email and now you want to sent another message to client via text OR if you want to send a message to staff as well you can set up multiple messages within the Trigger
- Save Event: Once you have finished setting the properties of the Trigger you will then press Save Event to put it into motion
- Cancel: If you decide you no longer want to set up this trigger click cancel to exit the process
Trigger Message Received
Now that we have set our Automated Messaging trigger into action from here on out when a client confirms their upcoming appointment(s) they will automatically receive the Appointment Template labeled "Appointment Trigger - Confirmed Appointment" email notification.
