Client Follow-ups
Many visits end with a “next step” that nobody writes down: come back in six weeks for a check-up, call in three days to see how the shoulder responded, book the colour touch-up before the wedding. Follow-ups capture that step on the client record and tell you when it is time to act. Available on Pro and Max.
Two Kinds of Follow-up
- Rebook - the client should book again by the date you set. It closes itself the moment they book, whatever the channel (your calendar, the booking page, WhatsApp or the assistant). With Notify the client when the date arrives ticked (the default), Timeblu writes to them that day if they still have not booked; if a week goes by without a booking, it is flagged as needing attention so you can reach out yourself.
- Check in - a reminder for you to call or message the client on that date, for example to ask how they are doing after a treatment. Nothing closes it automatically; you mark it done once you have talked to them.
A client can have several follow-ups pending at once, for example a check-in in three days and a rebook in six weeks.
Scheduling a Follow-up
The natural moment is the checkout: when you mark a session as completed, open Schedule a follow-up in the dialog, pick the kind, choose 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks, 1, 2, 3 or 6 months or a specific date, and add an internal note if you like. The follow-up is saved together with the checkout.
You can also schedule one with Save and complete in the visit sheet, from an appointment’s menu on the client’s History tab, from the appointment popup in the calendar, from the Follow-ups card on the General tab, or by asking the assistant on Max: “schedule a rebook for Ana in six weeks”. When you schedule it from an appointment (checkout, visit sheet, popup or History menu), the follow-up stays linked to it and the Follow-ups view shows the professional who saw the client.
The note is for your team only. The client never sees it - not in the notice either.
The Client Notice
When a rebook with the box ticked reaches its date and the client still has not booked, Timeblu sends them a notice mid-morning (between 10:00 and 21:00 in your timezone), once:
- Email, whenever the client has one: in your brand, naming the service of the original visit, with a button to your booking page (or your phone number if online booking is off).
- SMS or WhatsApp, on top of the email, if Settings → Notifications has phone reminders on and you switch on Follow-up notices by SMS or WhatsApp too. It uses the same channel as your reminders and one credit from the same balance. On WhatsApp the client can reply to the message to book.
Blocked clients, clients who opted out of your messages and clients with neither an email nor a phone are never notified; the follow-up then needs attention that same day and tells you why. Once sent, the follow-up stays In progress until the client books; after a week without a booking it needs attention again. You see it on the client card and in the Follow-ups view: “The client will be notified on…”, “Client notified on… by email” or “The client could not be notified: …”.
Where Follow-ups Show
- Client profile - the Follow-ups card lists what is pending, soonest first, with its state and your note. The last one you closed stays as context underneath.
- Calendar - the appointment popup shows the soonest pending follow-up under the client’s alerts, with a
+Nwhen there are more. - Follow-ups - its own section in the sidebar, right below Clients. The red badge on the entry is how many need attention right now. Open it to see them all in two blocks: Require attention and In progress and scheduled.
- Morning briefing - if you receive the daily briefing email, it opens with the follow-ups needing attention that day.
What “Needs Attention” Means
A follow-up needs attention when its date has arrived and it is still open: a check-in to make, a rebook whose client has not booked yet, a notice that could not be sent. That is the number on the sidebar badge and in the briefing. A rebook whose notice went out is In progress for a week; follow-ups whose date is still ahead are simply Scheduled.
Closing a Follow-up
From the card, the popup or the Follow-ups view: Mark done when handled, Dismiss when it no longer applies, or Edit to change the kind, date or note. From the Follow-ups view you can also Book appointment straight away, with the client preselected - which closes a rebook by itself.
Team members with Edit access on a calendar can schedule and manage follow-ups from the appointment popup; View access reads them only.