Aftercare Sequences

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

Where to find it - Web: Engage -> Aftercare. Mobile: Open Aftercare from the management navigation. Booking detail still controls aftercare for one booking, and Inbox is where staff review customer replies.

TL;DR

• Aftercare is available on PRO and can be managed on web, phone, and tablet.
• Create templates, build sequences with 1 to 12 steps, then assign a sequence to each service that needs post-visit care.
• Starter recommends content for the venue's business and service mix. Nothing sends until a sequence is assigned to a service.
• 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	Owners and managers can configure Aftercare on phone and tablet. 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 Overview shows exact counts for Sent — last 30 days, Scheduled, Needs review, and Failed — last 30 days. Select a metric to open the matching Activity filter.

Create the starter library

Select Add starter content to review OpenChair's recommendation before anything is created. The recommendation uses the venue's industry, business type, and service catalogue. A hair salon normally starts with Hair and General; other specialties remain optional. The preview shows exact template and sequence counts and clearly states that nothing sends until a sequence is assigned.

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

Starter content is safe to apply again. OpenChair restores matching archived starter records, skips existing records, and never overwrites edited copy. Starter sequences initially show Ready · 0 services rather than implying that they are already sending.

Create or edit a template

Templates are reusable message copy for sequence steps.

1. Open Aftercare and choose Templates.
2. Select New template or Edit on an existing template.
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 using minutes, hours, days, or weeks.
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 Sequences, then select New sequence or Edit.
2. Enter Sequence name.
3. Choose Vertical.
4. Set Status to Active or Paused.
5. For each step, choose Template.
6. Set Send after using minutes, hours, days, or weeks.
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.

A sequence contains 1 to 12 ordered steps. The editor previews the complete timeline, supports accessible reordering, and can send a test for one selected step without sending the whole sequence.

Assign aftercare to services

Service assignment controls which bookings can queue aftercare.

In Assignments, search or filter the catalogue, select one or more services, and apply a recommended sequence in bulk. Choose No aftercare to remove an assignment. OpenChair shows specialty-matched sequences first and reports any row that could not be updated.

Archiving a sequence confirms how many services and pending messages are affected. Services are unassigned. Existing scheduled messages continue by default, or the operator can explicitly cancel them. Archived templates and sequences remain restorable; OpenChair never archives a template that an active sequence still uses.

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. I want the studio to check is marked Watch in Inbox. I need help soon is marked Urgent and also creates one durable Activity item. Urgent check-ins do not send staff push, email, or SMS alerts, so the form explains that replies may not be immediate and directs severe or emergency concerns to immediate local help.

Review and resolve check-ins

The Activity section lists Check-ins and Deliveries with filters for severity and delivery state. Inbox remains the operational conversation surface, and photos open in a private in-app viewer on web and native.

To close a check-in:

1. Open Aftercare.
2. Open Activity → Check-ins or the matching Inbox thread.
3. Open any attached photo if needed.
4. Click Resolve.

Resolving a check-in closes its linked Inbox row and Urgent Activity item. If the grouped thread has another unresolved check-in it remains open. Reopen restores the check-in and conversation state; reading or replying alone does not mark an urgent 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 manage the same Aftercare workspace on web, phone, and tablet according to venue permissions.
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.	On web, review the venue plan. Mobile shows this information without a purchase link.
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.

Related Articles

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