Aftercare Sequences

Aftercare Sequences send service-specific post-visit follow-ups and collect customer healing updates.

Where to find it - Web: Engage -> Aftercare. Mobile: Booking detail can toggle aftercare for a booking, and mobile Inbox can review aftercare check-ins.

TL;DR

• Aftercare is available on PRO and is managed from Aftercare on web.
• Create templates, build sequences with 1 to 10 visible steps, then assign a sequence to each service that needs post-visit care.
• Messages queue only from completed bookings and only when the customer has not opted out.
• Customers can send a check-in with a message, severity, and up to 3 photos from the aftercare link.
• Aftercare opt-out is separate from booking confirmations, appointment reminders, receipts, and direct replies.

Requirements

Aftercare Sequences require PRO access and a service with an assigned active sequence.

Requirement	Details
Plan	PRO. Router access returns Aftercare sequences are available on Pro plans. when unavailable.
Web access	Owners and managers can open Aftercare.
Editing access	Owner-level aftercare procedures save templates, sequences, assignments, check-in resolution, opt-outs, and booking toggles.
Mobile access	Mobile booking detail can toggle aftercare for a booking. Mobile Inbox can review check-ins and photos.
Customer access	Customers use signed aftercare check-in and unsubscribe links from sent messages.

How aftercare works

Aftercare uses templates, sequences, service assignment, and a dispatch queue.

Part	What it does
Template	Stores reviewed SMS or email copy, merge tags, channel, vertical, and default send timing.
Sequence	Orders one or more template steps and sets when each step sends after the booking is completed.
Service Assignment	Chooses which services should queue aftercare when completed.
Dispatch queue	Stores scheduled messages and their status: pending, sending, sent, skipped, failed, or cancelled.
Check-in	Lets the customer send a message and photos back to the studio, creating an Inbox conversation.

The Aftercare page shows four metric cards: Recent sent, Scheduled, Open check-ins, and Failed.

Create the starter library

The Starter button creates the default aftercare library for the venue. If the library already exists, OpenChair shows Aftercare starter library already exists.

Starter sequences include:

Vertical	Starter sequences
Tattoo	Tattoo aftercare - Cling-film, Tattoo aftercare - Saniderm, Tattoo aftercare - Dry-heal
Piercing	Piercing aftercare - Standard
Aesthetic	Aesthetic aftercare - Standard
Brow	Brow aftercare - Standard
Laser	Laser aftercare - Standard
Hair	Hair aftercare - Colour, Hair aftercare - Extensions, Hair aftercare - Smoothing, Hair aftercare - Scalp
General	General aftercare - Standard

The starter library is safe to run again because existing starter templates and sequences are not duplicated.

Create or edit a template

Templates are reusable message copy for sequence steps.

1. Open Aftercare.
2. Go to Create Template or select Edit in Template Library.
3. Enter Template name.
4. Choose Channel: SMS, Email, or SMS and email.
5. Choose Vertical: General, Tattoo, Piercing, Aesthetic, Brow, Hair, or Laser.
6. Set Default send after in hours.
7. Add Email subject when the channel is not SMS.
8. Write the Body.
9. Click Save template or Update template.

Template fields are limited in code: name up to 120 characters, subject up to 200 characters, body up to 3000 characters, and default timing up to 90 days.

Available merge tags are:

Merge tag	Meaning
{{client.firstName}}	Customer first name.
{{service.name}}	Booked service name.
{{venue.name}}	Venue name.
{{artist.name}}	Staff member name when available.
{{aftercare.checkinUrl}}	Signed customer check-in link.
{{aftercare.unsubscribeUrl}}	Signed aftercare-only unsubscribe link.

Create or edit a sequence

Sequences decide which templates send and when.

1. Open Create Sequence or select Edit on an existing sequence.
2. Enter Sequence name.
3. Choose Vertical.
4. Set Status to Active or Paused.
5. For each step, choose Template.
6. Set Send after in hours.
7. Choose the step Channel: Template default, SMS, or Email.
8. Click Add step when another step is needed.
9. Click Save sequence or Update sequence.

The UI describes a sequence as 1 to 10 ordered steps. Shared validation accepts up to 12 steps, but the current web editor stops adding steps at 10.

Assign aftercare to services

Service assignment controls which bookings can queue aftercare.

In Service Assignment, each service row shows the service name, category, active state, and an aftercare sequence selector. Choose a sequence, or choose No aftercare to leave the service without post-visit aftercare.

When a sequence is archived, OpenChair removes that archived sequence from services that were using it.

When messages queue and send

Aftercare queues when a booking is completed and passes all checks.

Check	Required result
Booking status	Booking must be completed.
Booking aftercare toggle	Booking must not have aftercare disabled.
Service assignment	Service must have an aftercare sequence.
Sequence status	Sequence must be active and not archived.
Customer preference	Customer must not be opted out of aftercare.
Reachable channel	SMS steps need a phone number. Email steps need an email address.

Due dispatches are claimed by the aftercare cron and sent through Postmaster with type AFTERCARE. Before sending, OpenChair re-checks booking status, booking aftercare disabled state, customer aftercare opt-out, and reachable channel.

Toggle aftercare for one booking

Web and mobile booking detail can turn aftercare on or off for a specific booking when the booking's service has an aftercare sequence.

The booking detail card is labelled Aftercare and shows one of these messages:

Message	Meaning
Messages will not be sent for this booking.	Aftercare is disabled for this booking.
Sequence queues from this completed booking.	The booking is completed and aftercare can queue.
Sequence will queue when this booking is completed.	The booking is not completed yet, but aftercare can queue later.

Turning the switch off cancels pending aftercare dispatches for that booking.

Customer check-ins

Customers open the signed check-in link from an aftercare message to send healing updates to the studio.

The public page is headed Aftercare check-in and Send an update to your studio. The form is Healing update and includes:

Field	Details
Message	Optional note up to 2000 characters.
How does it feel?	Looks normal, I want the studio to check, or I need help soon.
Photos	Up to 3 images. Each image must be 10 MB or smaller.

Accepted upload types are JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC, and HEIF. Photos are converted to WebP and stored privately. Customers must add a note or at least one photo before sending.

When a check-in is submitted, OpenChair creates an aftercare check-in and an Inbox conversation. Check-ins marked I want the studio to check or I need help soon are flagged for review.

Review and resolve check-ins

The Recent Check-ins card shows the latest check-ins and signed photo thumbnails when photos exist.

To close a check-in:

1. Open Aftercare.
2. Review Recent Check-ins.
3. Open any attached photo if needed.
4. Click Resolve.

The check-in status changes to resolved and OpenChair shows Check-in resolved.

Aftercare check-ins also appear in the unified Inbox with the source label Aftercare on web and mobile. Conversation detail can show the original outbound context and submitted aftercare photos.

Aftercare opt-out

Aftercare opt-out stops only aftercare messages.

Customers can opt out by:

Method	Result
Replying STOP AFTERCARE	Sets aftercare opt-out for the matched customer.
Replying START AFTERCARE	Re-subscribes the customer to aftercare.
Opening the aftercare unsubscribe link	Shows Aftercare messages stopped or Already unsubscribed.
Operator update	Owner-level procedure can set the customer aftercare opt-out in OpenChair.

The unsubscribe page tells customers they will still receive booking confirmations, appointment reminders, receipts, and direct replies from the studio.

Who can use this

Aftercare has separate access for setup, booking control, and customer check-ins.

User	Access
Owner	Can manage templates, sequences, service assignments, check-ins, opt-outs, and booking aftercare toggles.
Manager	Can open the web Aftercare page. Owner-level router procedures control write actions.
Team	No web Aftercare setup access. Mobile booking detail may show the aftercare card according to booking permissions.
Customer	Can use signed check-in and unsubscribe links from aftercare messages.

Common mistakes

Do not assign aftercare only by creating templates. A service must be assigned an active sequence before completed bookings can queue messages.

Do not expect aftercare to send for bookings that are not completed. The scheduler skips bookings that are not completed.

Do not forget channel details. SMS steps need a customer phone number and email steps need a customer email address.

Do not use aftercare opt-out as a universal unsubscribe. It only stops aftercare messages.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Aftercare sequences are available on Pro plans.	Upgrade to PRO before using aftercare.
No aftercare sequences yet	Click Starter or create a sequence manually.
No templates yet	Create a template or click Starter to seed the starter library.
Add at least one sequence step	Choose at least one template before saving a sequence.
Aftercare template not saved	Check template name, body, channel, vertical, and timing, then retry.
Aftercare sequence not saved	Confirm every step uses an active venue template and retry.
Messages will not be sent for this booking.	Turn the booking aftercare switch on if aftercare should send.
Add a note or at least one photo before sending.	The customer must enter a message or select at least one image on the check-in form.

FAQ

What are Aftercare Sequences?

Aftercare Sequences are PRO post-visit message tracks that queue SMS or email follow-ups after completed bookings for services with an assigned sequence.

Who can manage Aftercare Sequences?

Owners and managers can open Aftercare on web. Creating templates, editing sequences, assigning services, resolving check-ins, and changing opt-outs use owner-level aftercare procedures.

When do aftercare messages send?

Aftercare messages queue when a booking is completed, the service has an active sequence, the booking is not disabled for aftercare, the customer has not opted out, and a reachable channel exists.

Can customers stop aftercare without stopping booking reminders?

Yes. Customers can reply STOP AFTERCARE or use the aftercare unsubscribe link. Booking confirmations, appointment reminders, receipts, and direct replies are managed separately.

Related Articles

• Automated Notifications
• Using the Inbox
• Customer Communication Preferences
• Creating and Editing Bookings