The four automation types
Booking Confirmation (trigger: after_booking)
Booking Confirmation (trigger: after_booking)
What it does: Sends a confirmation message shortly after a new booking is received — whether that’s through your Store page or added manually.When it fires: Triggered when a new order is created.Why it matters: Customers expect instant confirmation. A quick message with the service, date, and time removes any doubt and sets a professional tone from the first interaction.Available variables:
Example message:
Hi<customer-name>, thanks for booking! We have you down for<service>on<date>at<time>. Any questions, just reply to this message.<business-name>
Appointment Reminder (trigger: appointment_reminder)
Appointment Reminder (trigger: appointment_reminder)
What it does: Sends a reminder before an upcoming appointment so customers don’t forget and no-shows drop.When it fires: A configurable number of days before the appointment date. Set it to
1 to send the day before, or 0 to send on the morning of the job.Why it matters: A timely reminder dramatically reduces no-shows and last-minute cancellations, especially for longer-lead bookings like ceramic coatings or full paint corrections.Available variables:Example message:
Hi<customer-name>, just a reminder your<service>with<business-name>is on<date>at<time>. See you then!
Post-Job Follow-up / Review Request (trigger: review_request)
Post-Job Follow-up / Review Request (trigger: review_request)
What it does: Sends a follow-up message a set number of days after a job is marked Completed or Paid — typically to ask for a review or offer a next-booking incentive.When it fires: Triggered a configurable number of days after an order reaches Completed or Paid status. The default is 2 days — long enough for the customer to see the car in daylight, short enough that the detail is still fresh in their mind.Why it matters: Most customers who would leave a review simply forget to do it. A single well-timed message asking for one converts a happy customer into a visible review, which brings in the next customer.Available variables:
Example message:
HiAdd your Google Business review short link in the Review link field — find it on your Google Business Profile under Ask for reviews.<customer-name>, thanks for choosing<business-name>for your<service>! We’d really appreciate a quick review if you have a moment:<review-link>
Win-Back Campaign (trigger: winback_lapsed)
Win-Back Campaign (trigger: winback_lapsed)
What it does: Sends a win-back message to customers who haven’t returned after a set number of days, optionally including a one-time discount code to entice them back.When it fires: Matched on the exact day a customer reaches your configured lapse window (e.g. 90 days since their last booking). Each customer is only contacted once, so nobody receives this message twice.Why it matters: Lapsed customers already know and trust you — they just need a reason to rebook. A personalised message, especially one with a discount, is far more effective than any cold advertising.Configurable timing: Set the number of days since last booking that triggers the message. Common choices are 60, 90, or 180 days depending on how regularly your customers typically return.Discount codes: Toggle Offer a discount on to automatically generate a unique, single-use discount code for each customer when their win-back message goes out. Choose between a percentage off or fixed amount off, set the discount value, and set how many days the code is valid. All issued codes appear in Automation → Issued Discount Codes so you can track redemptions.Available variables:
Example message:
HiIf you don’t want to offer a discount, leave the Offer a discount toggle off and remove<customer-name>, it’s been a while!<business-name>would love to get your car looking sharp again. Use code<discount-code>for<discount-value>off your next booking.
<discount-code> and <discount-value> from your message template.Enabling an automation
1
Go to Automation in the sidebar
Click Automation in the left sidebar to see all four automation cards.
2
Find the automation you want
Each automation has its own card with a description and settings. Locate the one you want to enable — for example, Booking confirmation.
3
Toggle it on
Flip the toggle in the top-right corner of the card to enable the automation.
4
Choose a channel
Click Text message or Email in the channel selector. SMS works for UK and US phone numbers. If you have customers outside those countries, switch to email — SMS to international numbers is filtered by carriers before delivery.
5
Customise the message template
Edit the message body to match your voice. Click any variable chip (e.g.
<customer-name>) to insert it at your cursor position. If you selected Email, fill in the Email subject field too. The character counter below the message box shows you the SMS length and how many texts the message will use — watch for emoji and special characters, which reduce the per-text limit from 160 to 70 characters.6
Click Save changes
Click Save changes at the bottom of the card. Your settings are saved immediately.
Automations are enabled per account — once you toggle an automation on and save your message template, DetailAhead handles the scheduling and delivery automatically. You can write and save your templates at any time before enabling them.
Issued discount codes
When the Win-Back Campaign automation is enabled with Offer a discount turned on, DetailAhead generates a unique code for each customer when their win-back message sends. Navigate to the Issued discount codes table at the bottom of the Automation page to see every code, the customer it was issued to, the discount amount, the expiry date, and the current status (Active, Redeemed, or Expired).Automations are sent by DetailAhead’s messaging service on your behalf. Message rates may apply depending on your plan — check your plan details for monthly SMS and email allowances.