Messages
Read and reply to messages from your clients — questions before they book, and about bookings they already have.
What you can do here
- One conversation per client, newest first, with unread ones marked
- See which booking a message is about
- Reply from here — the client gets your answer by email with a link back
- Get an email when a new message arrives, without a flood
What's on this screen
How clients reach you
Three ways, all landing in the same inbox. A chat bubble in the corner of your public booking page (and a matching Message box at the foot of it), for anyone with a question before they book — it asks for a name and email. A Messages section on the booking link in every confirmation email, for questions about that appointment. And the link in every email we send them about the conversation, which opens their thread on its own page. Clients don't need an account. Each conversation has its own private link, and only the person holding the email address it was sent to can open it.
The conversation list
Everyone who has messaged you, most recent first, with the client's name, how long since the last message, and a one-line preview. A dot marks a conversation with something you haven't read yet; the same count sits on Messages in the sidebar so you can see it from any screen. On a phone the list and the conversation take turns on screen — pick a name to open it, Back to return.
The conversation
The client's messages on the left, yours on the right, oldest at the top. The client's name links to their record. A message sent from a booking link carries a small chip — 'Re: Cut · Tue 13 Oct, 3:00pm' — naming the appointment it's about; the chip opens that booking. Opening a conversation marks it read.
Replying
Type in the box at the bottom and press Send (or Ctrl+Enter — ⌘+Enter on a Mac). The client is emailed your reply straight away, with a button that opens the conversation so they can answer. Replies aren't throttled — every one goes out — and they go out even to clients who have unsubscribed from reminders, because they asked. There's no Reply-To on the emails you receive: answer here, not from your mail app, so the whole exchange stays in one place and your team can see it.
Being told about new messages
A new message rings the bell in the top bar and updates the sidebar count the moment it lands. It also sends an email to your business address and to any team member whose role includes Messages. To stop a chatty client filling your inbox, a conversation triggers at most one email every ten minutes — the in-app count always shows the true number. The email switch is under Settings → Booking page → Messages.
Who can see this
Messages is its own area under Settings → User permissions. View lets a team member read conversations; Full lets them reply and mark things read. Someone without access doesn't see Messages in the sidebar at all. Team members with at least View also receive the new-message emails, so give the area to whoever actually answers.
Turning it off
Settings → Booking page → Messages has two switches. Accept messages from your booking page hides the chat bubble and Message box on your public page; clients who already have a booking can still message you from their booking link, since there's a real appointment to talk about. Email me when a client sends a message stops the emails without touching the inbox — the bell and the sidebar count keep working.