Sending Letters
The automatic follow-up system generates letters to customers based on the number of visits to the shop, the type of work performed on their vehicles, and any suggested repairs. Select Send Letters in the toolbar to begin the process.
There are four sections for follow-up:
Each section may be selected by clicking on the tab for the desired section, or by pressing the Next button.
To exit this selection, click the Shop Codes Tab, and click the Done button.
Customer List
You run a customer list on each tab. Then, you sort, select, and manipulate the customer list. Finally, if you can send or print customer letters.
The Customer List generated from each tab has five columns:
| Column | Displays a… | To indicate that the customer is… |
|---|---|---|
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1 |
|
Selected or not. |
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2 |
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To be notified by letter. |
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3 |
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To be notified by email. |
|
Customer |
Name |
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ZIP |
Zip code |
|
- To change the sort order of the list, click on the Customer or ZIP column headings.
- To select all customers in the list, click the Select All button,
- To de-select all customers, click the Select None button.
- To select and de-select customers individually, double-click on the selection designation (the
or the 
). - To view the customers to be sent a letter, click the Print button. The list of designated customers will appear. The depicted figure displays lists with the mail and email option, and the mail or email option.
- To print letters to the selected customer list and update the customer records, click Print. See Printing Follow-up Letters.
- To exit without making changes, click the Cancel button.
Customer Format
Customer names and addresses print on Follow-up lists in Marketing and all Follow-up reports exactly how they were entered on the Edit Customer window. If customer names were entered in ALL CAPS, they print on letters in ALL CAPS.
Emailing Letters
A connection to the internet must be established before attempting to send email. Ensure that the email configuration has been properly set up before attempting mass mailing using email (see E-Mail Setup).
The methods of notification are
- Letter only
- Email and Letter
- Email only
- Email or Letter
Email is given preference over letter. If a customer has an email address in their information, the notification is sent to that address. If a customer does not have an email address, their notification will be by regular mail to their street address.
New Customers
The new customers are the first item in the follow-up list. The system will check each customer to see if a new customer letter has been sent. Each time a customer has work performed at a shop, the number of visits is incremented, and the total spent is calculated and saved on the customer record. If a customer has been in the shop, and the New Customer Letter Sent box has not been checked, the follow-up system will flag them as a new customer.
To designate that a customer has received the Customer Letter without actually sending a letter, press the Mark Sent button. This will update the records of all customers that were selected.
When entering the Follow-up system, the number of customers designated as a new customer is calculated, and displayed on the screen. The letter that has been configured for new customers appears as the default, as well as the method of notification (See Marketing Setup). Both the letter to be sent and the method of notification may be changed by selecting an alternative from the dropdown lists.
Repeat Customers
The repeat customers are the second item in the follow-up list. The system will check each customer to see if a repeat customer letter has been sent. Each time a customer has work performed at a shop, the number of visits is incremented, and the total spent is calculated and saved on the customer record. If a customer has been in the shop more than the designated number of times (see Marketing Setup), and the Repeat Customer Letter Sent box has not been checked, the follow-up system will flag them as a repeat customer.
When clicking the Repeat Customers tab, the number of customers designated as a repeat customer is calculated and displayed on the screen.
The letter that has been configured for repeat customers appears as the default, as well as the method of notification (see Marketing Setup). Both the letter to be sent and the method of notification may be changed by selecting an alternative from the dropdown lists.
Check List
The checklist customers are the third item in the follow-up list. Each time a customer has work performed at the shop, and service recommendations are made on the checklist, a record is kept of the recommendations, and the date when they should be performed (see Checklists). When these items have passed the date recommended for service, they are eligible for inclusion on the follow-up list. These items are also included on the repair order service recommendations (see Services). When an item is selected from the needed services window and added to a repair order, it is removed from the follow-up list and a letter will not be generated.
When clicking the Checklist tab, the number of customers designated as a checklist customer is calculated, and displayed on the screen. The letter that has been configured for checklist customers appears as the default, as well as the method of notification (see Marketing Setup).
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It is recommended to use the Suggest letter which includes the Needed Services data field or a letter you have created that also includes the Needed Services data field.
Shop Codes
The shop code customers are the final item in the follow-up list. Each time a customer has work performed at the shop, and services, or labor operations, are performed, a record is kept of these services. When these items have passed the date recommended for service, they are eligible for inclusion on the follow-up list.
The shop codes to be included and the length of time before the service is due are defined in the setup portion of this module (see Marketing Setup). When an item is selected from the needed services window (see Services) and added to a repair order, it is removed from the follow-up list and a letter will not be generated.
When clicking the Shop Codes tab, the number of customers designated as a shop code customer is calculated, and displayed on the screen.
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The letter that has been configured for a particular shop code, as well as the method of notification (see Marketing Setup), is set in the Configuration and can only be changed there. Since each shop code may have a different letter, there may be a variety of letters included, depending on the different shop codes selected.