Abandoned Purchase Reminders

Overview

Not everyone who starts booking a class finishes. Some people request a login code and never use it; others sign in but get distracted before they pay. Abandoned purchase reminders automatically email these customers with a link straight back to their purchase, already signed in, so they can pick up exactly where they left off.

Reminders work for class bookings, passes, products and memberships. They're included on every plan, and you choose when (or whether) they're sent.

How it works

1. A customer starts a purchase. They click Book, Buy or Join on a class, pass, product or membership on your booking page, and either start signing in or, if they're already signed in, go straight to checkout.
2. They leave before finishing. This covers people who never enter their login code as well as people who sign in but don't pay.
3. HeyBookMe waits, then checks. After the delay you've chosen, HeyBookMe checks the customer can still complete the purchase - for example, that the class still has places - and sends them a reminder email.
4. The customer clicks the link. They confirm it's them and land back on the payment step for that item, already signed in.

If a customer looks at several items, the reminder is about the last one they tried to buy. If they complete any purchase with you in the meantime, no reminder is sent.

Turning reminders on or off

1. Go to Settings > Organisation settings and open the General tab.
2. Choose an option under "Follow up abandoned purchases". You can choose Never, or to send the reminder 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours or 4 hours after the customer last tried to buy.
3. Save your changes. The new setting takes effect straight away.

What your customers see

When they sign in

When reminders are switched on, customers who enter their email address to book or buy see a short notice:

"[Your organisation name] may email you a reminder with a link back to your purchase if you don't complete it. Tick to opt-out now."

Ticking the box means they won't get a reminder. The notice isn't shown when reminders are switched off, or when a customer is simply signing in to their account.

The reminder email

The email comes from your organisation and carries your branding. It names what the customer was buying - for a class, that includes the date, time and location - and has a button back to their purchase. It tells them how long the link works for and asks them not to forward it, because it signs them in. Every reminder includes an unsubscribe link.

The default subject lines are:

• Class: Finish booking [class name]
• Pass: Finish buying [pass name]
• Product: Finish buying [product name]
• Membership: Finish joining [membership name]

The link

Clicking the link opens a page that reads "Continue as j•••@example.com", so the customer can see which account they'll be signed in to. Once they confirm, they land on your booking page at the payment step for that item. There's no need to find the class again or wait for a new login code. A "Not you?" link lets someone continue without signing in.

When a reminder is (and isn't) sent

A reminder is only sent while the customer can still complete their purchase, and only if they haven't asked not to be contacted. Each abandoned purchase gets one reminder at most - there are no follow-up sequences.

A reminder is sent when:

• The class still has places and booking closes more than 30 minutes from now.
• The pass, product or membership is still on sale and doesn't end within the next 30 minutes.
• The item is private (shared by link only) - the customer has already seen it.

A reminder isn't sent when:

• The class is full or cancelled, or booking closes within 30 minutes.
• The pass, product or membership is no longer on sale, or ends within 30 minutes.
• The customer has completed any purchase with you since.
• The customer already has the item - they're booked on that class, already a member, or have already bought a one-per-customer pass.
• The customer ticked the opt-out box, or has unsubscribed from these reminders.
• The customer has received a reminder from you in the last 24 hours.
• An earlier email to that address bounced or was marked as spam.
• Your setting is Never.

Customising the emails

There's a separate reminder email for each kind of item, so the wording always fits. You'll find them in Settings > Emails:

• Unfinished class booking - shown for all organisations.
• Unfinished pass purchase - shown if you sell passes.
• Unfinished product purchase - shown if you sell products.
• Unfinished membership signup - shown if you sell memberships.

The link back to the purchase is required and can't be removed from a customised email. These emails can't be switched off individually - the Follow up abandoned purchases setting is the single on/off switch for all of them.

Privacy and security

Because the link signs the customer in, it's deliberately short-lived and limited:

• Expires within a day. It works for 24 hours, or until the class's booking cut-off or the item's end date if that's sooner.
• Three uses at most - enough for opening it on a second device or after closing a tab.
• Cancelled automatically if the customer starts buying something else or completes a purchase.
• Confirm before sign-in. Nothing happens until the customer clicks Continue, so email security scanners that open links can't sign anyone in.
• Customer choice. Customers can opt out when they sign in, and unsubscribe from any reminder.

Common questions