Automated Job Reminders
Automated job reminders send your customers an SMS, WhatsApp message, or email before their appointment — reducing no-shows without any manual effort from your team.
What automated reminders are
Automated reminders are messages triggered by Trade2Base a set number of hours or days before a scheduled job. Once configured they run in the background without any manual action — every booked job gets a reminder sent automatically. You can set up multiple reminders per job (for example, one 24 hours before and one 2 hours before) and choose a different channel for each.
The three reminder types
Highest open rates. Requires your Trade2Base account to be connected to a WhatsApp Business number. Messages appear in the customer's WhatsApp app. Customers can reply directly to confirm or request rescheduling.
Works on any mobile without a smartphone or app. Ideal as a fallback for customers who do not use WhatsApp. Sent from your Trade2Base SMS number. Replies come into your Trade2Base inbox.
Best for formal communications or for customers who prefer email. Can include a link to the customer portal where they can view job details, confirm attendance, or request changes.
Configuring reminder timing
- 1Go to Settings > Automations > Job Reminders and click Add reminder.
- 2Choose the channel (WhatsApp, SMS, or email), then set the timing — for example, 24 hours before the job start time, or 2 hours before.
- 3You can add multiple reminders — for example, a WhatsApp message 24 hours before and an SMS 2 hours before. Each reminder can use a different channel and message template.
- 4Toggle the reminder Active and click Save. Reminders apply to all new jobs immediately.
Customising the message template
Each reminder has a customisable message template. Click Edit message to modify the text. You can use the following merge tags to personalise each message:
{customer_first_name}The customer's first name{job_date}The scheduled date of the job{job_time}The scheduled time of the job{engineer_name}The name of the assigned engineer{job_type}The type of job (e.g. Boiler Service){contact_number}Your business contact numberHow customers confirm or request rescheduling
Reminder messages include a confirmation link. When the customer taps it they are taken to a simple page where they can:
- Confirm they will be home
- Request a different date or time
- Contact you directly via phone or WhatsApp
Customer responses appear in your Trade2Base inbox and the job record is updated automatically. If a customer requests rescheduling you receive a notification so you can act quickly.
Reminder delivery reports
Go to Reports > Reminder Delivery to see a log of every reminder sent, including delivery status (delivered, failed, opened for email) and whether the customer confirmed. Use this report to identify jobs where reminders failed to deliver — for example, if a customer's phone number is out of date.
Turning off reminders for specific jobs
To disable reminders for a single job, open the job record, scroll to the Reminders section, and toggle Send reminders off. This is useful for trade or commercial customers who do not need a reminder, or for jobs that were booked at very short notice where the reminder timing would not make sense.
Appointment reminders are considered legitimate interest communications under UK GDPR as they relate directly to a booked service — you do not need separate marketing consent to send them. However, customers can opt out of future messages at any time by replying STOP. Trade2Base will automatically suppress future messages to any customer who opts out. Do not use job reminder templates for promotional messages, as those require explicit marketing consent.