How to Use Auto-Reply Messages for Your Service Business

What are auto-reply messages?

Auto-reply messages are automated emails and texts sent after being triggered by a specific action. The most well-known auto-replies are out-of-office (OOO) messages, but they can be used in various scenarios. For example, in service businesses, auto-replies are often sent: 

• In response to a client reaching out to you via your website’s contact form
• A day or two before an appointment to remind a client of their booking
• When an invoice isn’t paid on time
• After a job’s done to ask for feedback or a review

Auto-reply messages should only be used for common communications that don’t require a lot of back and forth.

Auto-reply messages for service businesses

Auto-reply messages can come in the form of text messages or emails, and typically work best for service businesses in the following circumstances. 

1. First contact 

It’s not uncommon to send an auto-reply when a client first reaches out to let them know their message was received. For example, if they contacted you through your website, a simple acknowledgment shows potential customers their message went to the right place and they can expect a response soon. 

Here’s a template for a simple first contact auto-reply that you can use for text, email, or social media responses:

2. Quote follow-ups

Sometimes, clients request quotes then fail to respond after you send them. It’s not always because they lost interest. It also happens when life gets in the way, or your quote email is lost in a flooded inbox. 

Following up on quotes is the perfect way to turn warm leads into contracts. They remind clients that you sent a quote, encouraging them to respond so you don’t have to wait around for them to get back to you. 

Quote follow-up auto-replies should be adjusted to reflect the job details, cost, and next steps, which can be tricky when done manually. But if you use software like Jobber, it can pull information from your initial quotes to draft templates like this:

3. Appointment confirmations

With most bookings taking place online, it’s hard for clients to know whether their request went through unless you send them a confirmation. 

Not only does it confirm their booking was made, but it also acts as a reference they can use if they forget the details. 

Appointment confirmation auto-replies should be easy to skim and include basic information about the job the client requested, plus your contact information. Here’s an auto reply email template you can customize for your own customers:

4. Appointment reminders 

Getting to a jobsite only to find out the client forgot about your appointment is a huge hassle. At best, you have to wait around for them to arrive. At worst, you have to cancel and reschedule the appointment, leaving a gap in your schedule that you won’t get paid for. 

Sending automatic text messages or emails to remind clients about an upcoming appointment is a fast and easy way to avoid these situations. 

Use Jobber’s appointment reminder software to draft a template like this that keeps your books full and clients on the ball:

5. Appointment follow-ups

Following up with a client after an appointment is one of the best ways to get feedback and generate reviews. In turn, feedback and reviews help you to improve your processes, grow your online presence, and show customers you care what they think. 

Appointment follow-ups are usually sent to: 

• Send a thank you note to a client
• Ask for a review
• Request feedback through a survey or questionnaire

You can choose to focus on one or mix and match as you see fit. 

Here’s an example that combines a thank you message and review request:

6. Invoice follow-ups

Not all clients pay their invoices on time. Sometimes they forget or lose track of time, which is where invoice follow-ups come in handy. Sending an automated overdue payment reminder jogs their memory and can save you from having to make a call or typing up an off-the-cuff email. 

Jobber tracks payments for you, which means it can automate invoice follow-ups when payments aren’t received on time. But if you’re looking to set up payment reminder auto-replies manually, use this template to get started:

How to set up auto-reply messages

Automated messages that trigger at specific times or in certain circumstances help your business to run smoothly and ensure customers are acknowledged. But setting them up can be a challenge depending on your budget and preferences. 

Consider these options to find what works best for you and your business.

1. Field service software

Software like Jobber is your best bet for complicated triggers and customized messages. Jobber combines field service software with client notification software to pull important information about jobs to include in your auto-replies. 

For example, Jobber tracks your invoices to see when and if they’re paid on time. If they aren’t, Jobber automatically sends a customized email or text follow-up to customers, reminding them to pay their outstanding invoice.. 

2. Auto-reply emails

If your needs are simple and you just want to set up a basic out-of-office email, you can do it in Outlook or Gmail. 

These messages tell clients you’re unavailable to respond to emails, either because you’re on the job or away from the office, and usually include: 

• The dates or times you are unavailable
• When clients can expect a response
• Who to contact for urgent issues

Automatic replies set up through Gmail and Outlook can’t be set for specific triggers and will be sent for every incoming message you receive while they’re on. 

3. Chatbots

Chatbots speed up your client response time and are a good way to learn more information about customer inquiries while you’re unavailable. For example, you can use their automatic reply to gather relevant information such as the client’s name, email address, and question or concern, then send that information to your email or mobile device to respond to later. 

With Chatbots, multiple people can access the chat, meaning your team members can respond to queries if you’re busy. 

Facebook offers a free chatbot that integrates with your website and Facebook Business Page, or you can use more specialized software like Broadly, which integrates with Jobber, Mobile Monkey, or Chatfuel. 

4. Text messages

Email is the most common communication method between service providers and clients, but text messages are a close second. 

You can automate text message replies through Jobber or sign up for a business text messaging service like Textline to send any of your auto-replies to clients who prefer text to email. 

For example, appointment confirmations, follow-ups, and payment reminders all work great as auto reply texts as long as you have the client’s number and confirm they prefer to communicate that way. 

With Jobber, You can also automate other client communications, like on-my-way text messages that tell clients when to expect you. 

Pro Tip: If you have an iPhone, you can also set up a basic auto-reply message to specific contacts or to all contacts from Do Not Disturb mode.

Why you should use automated messages

Auto-replies benefit you and your clients in many ways. By adding them to your service business, you can expect to: 

1. Save time

It takes a lot of work to draft, customize, send, and track client communications. And it’s probably time you’d rather be using for something else, like finishing a job or generating leads. 

Auto reply messages free up your schedule by taking on administrative work that you’d otherwise have to complete manually. 

2. Improve customer service

Without auto-replies, the weight of responding to every client message falls on you. Unfortunately, that means that sometimes they get missed. 

When you set up auto-replies to trigger for certain events like quote requests or appointment bookings, clients get an automatic response, letting them know their message has been received. 

This prevents them from reaching out multiple times to confirm their booking or ask when to expect a response. In turn, this saves you from having an inbox flooded with duplicate emails from the same client. 

3. Get more jobs 

Quote follow-ups turn warm leads into signed contracts. But that’s not the only way follow-ups generate business. 

By using automated messages to ask for reviews, you build your online presence without having to lift a finger. And the more positive reviews you have, the more likely you are to attract new customers.