Automatic SMS notification of customers about the repair status

In the day-to-day work of service centres and repair shops, customers often call to check the status of their order, distracting staff from their primary duties. 

The repair management mode in Torgsoft is designed to comprehensively record each repair order from acceptance to return, including work stages, materials used and payments. 

When automating communication with customers, business owners usually have the following questions: 

Below is a detailed workflow that addresses these tasks.

Preparation and required options 

To implement the automatic notification workflow, two additional options must be activated in your Torgsoft software: «Repair and warranty service» and «Bulk messaging to customers». You must also have a configured account with a messaging service, such as TurboSMS, to send messages. When selecting a notification channel, keep in mind that sending a Viber message usually costs more than sending a standard SMS.

Configuring templates and variables 

Instead of entering the text manually each time, the service administrator creates message templates once. 

To automate notifications from the repair module, select the «By repair» mailing type. The software allows special variables to be used in the text. They are automatically filled with actual data from the relevant repair order: <Repair number>, <Repair amount>, <Repair item status comment> and <Repair item status>. This allows the customer to receive a personalised message, for example: "Your order No. 123 has changed its status to: Ready. Amount due: UAH 500". All variables, including status names, are inserted and translated correctly according to the selected Torgsoft interface language.

Working with transactional messages and SMS fallback 

If you plan to send transactional service messages through Viber, the text of your template must first be registered and approved in the TurboSMS service. 

In some cases, the customer may not have a Viber account, the phone may be switched off or there may be no internet connection, so Torgsoft allows hybrid delivery to be configured. To do this, activate the «Send additionally via SMS» switch in the Viber template settings. A field for entering alternative text will then appear. If the Viber message receives the «Error» or «Not delivered» status, the software will automatically send an SMS to the customer.

The notification process is simplified as much as possible for staff and is integrated into their usual workflow.

1. While working in the «Document» — «Repair» mode, the employee records the repair order moving to a new stage, for example from «Under repair» to «Ready», by adding a new «Repair item status».

2. The «Send a message to the customer» switch is located directly in the status creation window. The employee selects this checkbox.

3. Immediately after the new status is saved, the «Send a message to the customer» window opens. The employee only needs to select a prepared template from the list and click the send button.

For convenient monitoring, the business owner or administrator does not need to search for information in the general marketing menu. The complete communication history, including the exact contact time, is automatically linked to the relevant repair order. It can be viewed directly in the «Repair» window on the dedicated «Contacts» tab located next to the item status tab. This table includes a «Sending status» column. After the status update button is clicked, it displays the final result, such as delivered, not delivered or rejected. This allows the technician to immediately understand whether the customer has received information that the equipment is ready and whether an additional phone call is required.