Mastering Customer Appointments:
Example Captivated Communications Timeline

When it comes to communicating with customers, there are hundreds of types of messages you might want to send. But where do you start? And how can Captivated fold in to your other internal processes, such as appointment check-ins, dispatching, payment collection, or follow-up prospecting?

We’ve created this example communication timeline to help: below, you’ll see examples of how you can utilize Captivated to streamline your entire service process, from  initial bookings to long-term follow-up cadences.

Months/Weeks Out:
Confirmation & Reminders

First, we would be remiss not to mention that customers can book appointments using your calendar availability through Captivated! When a time slot is scheduled, a booking confirmation text can be automatically sent out to the customer via text. 

Once they opt in for text receipt, you can send other texts to them (maybe a month and/or a week out) reminding them of the upcoming service. You can also send any forms or additional information a few days or weeks out from the appointment, to streamline your intake processes as well.

WEEKS BEFORE

Captivated appointment booking confirmation text message
Captivated sms text example: reminding a customer of appointment and sending check-in intake forms to be filled out

Day Before/Day-of:
Introductions & Final Preparations

Just before the appointment, remind the customer of any final things they’ll need to prepare, bring with them, or be aware of for their upcoming appointment. 

If there will be a technician dispatched out to meet them and perform a service, introducing that tech with a photo and name can help customers feel safe and can help establish trust. A window of time of arrival for that tech is a great practice as well.

Remind them of any thing they can do to make the appointment run more smoothly – noting a preferred door of entry in the house, opening a gate for you, signing any e-documents of authorization. If they’re dropping off an item (like a vehicle) to be serviced, you might send instructions for check-in or drop-off, or link to a page on your site that details those processes for them.

JUST BEFORE

Captivated text example of technician dispatch and arrival times for day of appointment
Captivated example text for day of instructions and preparations for service appointment
Captivated example sms text confirmation of vehicle delivery for body shop

Throughout Services:
Communications & Approvals

While performing services during an appointment, Captivated can be used to communicate with customers – for instance, shown to the left in our examples, the advisor is able to send vehicle updates via text.

Rather than sending a video and long text explaining what he is looking at, this advisor could have invited the customer to a quick video chat to talk face-to-face, or could have sent a picture instead.

After explaining the additional service he is recommending, he is even able to send an approval form for the customer to authorize the additional work. Had the customer declined the work today, he could have made an internal note within Captivated to follow up with that customer on those services at a later date – in this case, the most urgent work was agreed upon, but the less urgent work (the other brakes that are less worn) was declined, so later in this timeline, you’ll see an example of how he might follow up on those recommended services at a later date.

At the end of the appointment, the advisor can send an invoice through Captivated, and can allow the customer to pay their final invoice via secure credit card or ACH pay (which he can request directly through Captivated).

Note: customers will follow the link to see the invoice details and payment options – we have shown it here just to give you an idea of what that page will look like for them.

DURING
APPT

Captivated text example showing a vehicle service advisor texting a customer with updates on their vehicle work
Captivated text example of body shop's service advisor texting customer a video showing brake repair details along with a text
Captivated text example of service advisor sending authorization form for additional repair work
Captivated text example of service cashier or advisor sending invoice and payment request for customer to pay bill via ACH or credit card via text

Several Days After the Appointment:
Follow-up & Review

Once the appointment is finished and the customer is satisfied, take advantage of the opportunity to garner a positive review from them! Reach out to invite them to leave a review on your preferred online reputation site and share their positive feedback.

1-2 DAYS AFTER

Captivated text example showing a follow-up text requesting an online review on a reputation listing site

In the Weeks Following the Appointment:
Continued Follow-up

Depending on whether you recommended any additional services or products during the appointment, you may want to follow up with the customer. For more urgent items, you might follow up only a few days after the appointment; for less immediate needs, you might wait a few weeks or months.

Either way, within Captivated, you can use internal notes and tags to create workflows for following up on those items with your customers. This can not only increase revenue, but can also improve your customer retention as well.

1-2 WEEKS LATER

Captivated text example of declined service recommendation follow-up campaign

First, we would be remiss not to mention that customers can book appointments using your calendar availability through Captivated! When a time slot is scheduled, a booking confirmation text can be automatically sent out to the customer via text. 

Once they opt in for text receipt, you can send other texts to them (maybe a month and/or a week out) reminding them of the upcoming service. You can also send any forms or additional information a few days or weeks out from the appointment, to streamline your intake processes as well.

Captivated appointment booking confirmation text message
Captivated sms text example: reminding a customer of appointment and sending check-in intake forms to be filled out

Just before the appointment, remind the customer of any final things they’ll need to prepare, bring with them, or be aware of for their upcoming appointment. 

If there will be a technician dispatched out to meet them and perform a service, introducing that tech with a photo and name can help customers feel safe and can help establish trust. A window of time of arrival for that tech is a great practice as well.

Remind them of any thing they can do to make the appointment run more smoothly – noting a preferred door of entry in the house, opening a gate for you, signing any e-documents of authorization. If they’re dropping off an item (like a vehicle) to be serviced, you might send instructions for check-in or drop-off, or link to a page on your site that details those processes for them.

Captivated text example of technician dispatch and arrival times for day of appointment
Captivated example text for day of instructions and preparations for service appointment
Captivated example sms text confirmation of vehicle delivery for body shop

While performing services during an appointment, Captivated can be used to communicate with customers – for instance, shown to the left in our examples, the advisor is able to send vehicle updates via text.

Rather than sending a video and long text explaining what he is looking at, this advisor could have invited the customer to a quick video chat to talk face-to-face, or could have sent a picture instead.

After explaining the additional service he is recommending, he is even able to send an approval form for the customer to authorize the additional work. Had the customer declined the work today, he could have made an internal note within Captivated to follow up with that customer on those services at a later date – in this case, the most urgent work was agreed upon, but the less urgent work (the other brakes that are less worn) was declined, so later in this timeline, you’ll see an example of how he might follow up on those recommended services at a later date.

At the end of the appointment, the advisor can send an invoice through Captivated, and can allow the customer to pay their final invoice via secure credit card or ACH pay (which he can request directly through Captivated).

Note: customers will follow the link to see the invoice details and payment options – we have shown it here just to give you an idea of what that page will look like for them.

Captivated text example showing a vehicle service advisor texting a customer with updates on their vehicle work
Captivated text example of body shop's service advisor texting customer a video showing brake repair details along with a text
Captivated text example of service advisor sending authorization form for additional repair work
Captivated text example of service cashier or advisor sending invoice and payment request for customer to pay bill via ACH or credit card via text

Once the appointment is finished and the customer is satisfied, take advantage of the opportunity to garner a positive review from them! Reach out to invite them to leave a review on your preferred online reputation site and share their positive feedback.

Captivated text example showing a follow-up text requesting an online review on a reputation listing site

Depending on whether you recommended any additional services or products during the appointment, you may want to follow up with the customer. For more urgent items, you might follow up only a few days after the appointment; for less immediate needs, you might wait a few weeks or months.

Either way, within Captivated, you can use internal notes and tags to create workflows for following up on those items with your customers. This can not only increase revenue, but can also improve your customer retention as well.

Captivated text example of declined service recommendation follow-up campaign
Screen Shot 2022-08-31 at 3.39.05 PM

No matter how you follow up or what your workflow processes look like today, our team can help ensure that you’re utilizing Captivated to the fullest extent. Every team and department can utilize the different categories of business communication we offer – from sales prospecting and retention pipelines, to BDC follow-ups, to accounting services and everything in between. If you are considering Captivated for your business, and would like to learn more, visit our virtual demo page or schedule a live demo today.

If you are a current customer and want to maximize your Captivated usage, chat with us or text our Support team to learn more about our Professional Services and schedule a personal consultation for your specific business case and needs!