You can turn messages on or off individually. This is crucial during the test and practice phase, and later too if you don't want to use certain messages.
Turning messages on or off
Not every message is relevant for every company. You can turn messages on or off individually.
How do you turn a message on or off?
Go to Settings > Way of working > Customer messages
Click on the message you want to turn on or off
Turn the toggle on or off
Save
Turning off messages for the test and practice phase
This is crucial. During the practice phase, you want to prevent real emails being sent to customers.
Approach for practising
Go to Settings > Way of working > Customer messages
Turn off all messages except quote and invoice
Use fictitious email addresses for your test files (e.g. [email protected] or your own email address)
Once you've finished practising and go live, turn the messages back on
Note: Unfortunately there is no global "practice mode" button. You have to turn off the messages one by one. This takes a bit of time, but it prevents customers of ongoing removals suddenly receiving a "removal scheduled" email from a new system.
Why is this so important?
Imagine this: you're practising with Bas and you create a test file for an existing customer. If you have the "Removal approaching" message switched on, that customer will receive an email from a system they don't recognise. This raises questions and looks unprofessional.
This is even more important when transferring existing files (migration). All messages must be switched OFF before you start entering ongoing files. Otherwise, all your customers will receive unexpected emails.
Tip: During the practice phase, only switch on the quote and invoice messages, and send them to your own email address. This lets you test what the messages look like without anything being sent to customers.
Creating a new message
Note: New messages are only possible if they are linked to a template!
Situation
You want a custom message for a specific document, for example a credit invoice.
Process
The template must be created first
Only then link the message to the template
Edit the message as desired
For most companies, the 13 standard messages are sufficient. You don't need to create additional messages unless you have a very specific requirement.
Example: credit invoice message
If you regularly send credit invoices and want a separate message for them:
Create a credit invoice template
Go to Customer messages
Click on New message
Link the message to the credit invoice template
Adjust the text (e.g. "Please find enclosed a credit invoice for...")
Tip: Most companies: the 13 standard messages are sufficient. Only create a new message if you really have a custom requirement.
Pitfalls with messages
1. Not turning off messages when practising
The most common mistake. Customers receive real emails from your test session. Turn off all messages before you start practising.
2. Leaving appointment changed messages switched on during the onboarding period
Every schedule adjustment triggers an email. If you're still setting up your planning and rearranging a lot, customers will receive several emails a day. Switch this message OFF during the onboarding period. Only switch it back on once your planning is stable and you're no longer rearranging daily.
3. Invoice reminder without checking
An automatic reminder that is sent too early or incorrectly can damage your customer relationship. First test manually whether the payment terms are set up correctly before switching on the automatic reminder.
Don't edit at the same time
Note: If two people have the same message open in the editor at the same time, one overwrites the other's changes. Whoever saves last wins. There is no locking or warning.
So agree internally who edits which messages, or do it one after another. This applies to all messages and templates.
Setting sender, CC and BCC
For each message, you can set who the sender is, and whether copies are sent to others (CC/BCC).
Sender name and email address
Open a message
Under Sender name, enter the name the customer sees (e.g. "Example Removals")
Under Sender email address, enter the email address (e.g. [email protected])
Note: After typing the email address, you must press Enter to confirm the address. If you forget this, the address will not be saved!
CC (Carbon Copy)
CC sends a visible copy to another email address. The recipient can see that a CC was also sent.
Click in the CC field
Type the email address (e.g. [email protected])
Press Enter to add the address
Want multiple CCs? Repeat steps 2-3 for each address
Note: If you forget to press Enter, the address will not be added! You really do need to press Enter after each address.
BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)
BCC sends an invisible copy. The customer cannot see that a BCC was sent. This is useful for administration or archiving.
Click in the BCC field
Type the email address (e.g. [email protected])
Press Enter to add the address
Want multiple BCCs? Repeat steps 2-3 for each address
Tip: Use BCC to your own email address to receive a copy of every outgoing message. This way you can check that everything looks right and you always have a backup.
Common mistake: forgetting to press Enter
The most common mistake is typing the email address but forgetting to press Enter. It looks as though the address has been entered, but it disappears again when you save.
Rule of thumb: Type the address, press Enter, and check that it appears as a "pill" (rounded tag). This way you know for sure it has been added.
Mollie payment button in messages
If you have activated Mollie (for iDeal payments), you can add a payment button to your invoice messages. The customer can then pay directly from the email.
How do you add the payment button?
Open the Invoice sent message
Add a button element below the invoice text
Link the button to the Mollie payment link (your onboarding specialist helps with this)
Save the block as a reusable block, so you can also use it in other invoice messages
Why is this valuable?
With an iDeal payment button, the average payment time drops from 16 days to 1.2 days. At some companies, 40% of customers already pay via the button in the email.
Note: Make sure Mollie is out of test mode before you go live. In test mode, payments are marked as "paid", but no money is actually received.
Mollie not active? Remove the payment button
If you haven't (yet) activated Mollie, remove the payment button from your invoice email. A payment button that leads nowhere is confusing for the customer and looks unprofessional. You can always add the button back later if you activate Mollie.
Tips
Turn all messages OFF when starting the practice phase. Only switch them back on when you go live.
Use BCC to your own email. This way you receive a copy of every message and can check that everything looks right. Don't forget to press Enter after entering the BCC address!
Go through each message once. Read the text, check the variables, and adjust where needed.
Don't create unnecessary new messages. The 13 standard messages cover most needs.
After saving, check that the CC/BCC addresses have been saved. Open the message again and check that the addresses appear as "pills".
Please note
Always press Enter after entering CC/BCC addresses. If you forget this, the address will not be saved. This is the most common mistake with messages.
The system sends real emails. This cannot be emphasised enough. Use fictitious email addresses when testing.
Switch off messages during migration. If you're transferring existing files to Bas, all messages must be switched off. Otherwise, all your customers will receive unexpected emails.
No global practice mode. You have to turn each message on or off individually. This takes a bit of time but is essential.
Switch off Mollie test mode when going live. In test mode, payments are marked as "paid" but no money is actually received.
Remove the payment button if Mollie is not active. A non-working payment button is confusing for customers.
Appointment changed message OFF during the onboarding period. Prevents customers being flooded with emails while you're setting up your planning.
Don't edit at the same time. If two people have the same message open, one overwrites the other. No locking, no warning.