Changing your message wording (and the placeholders you can use)
Reword confirmations, reminders and other client messages in your salon's voice, with placeholders like {first_name} filled in for each client.
Every message FullColumn sends for you comes with sensible wording, and you can change any of it to sound like your salon. Placeholders in curly brackets, like {first_name} and {date}, are filled in for each client when the message goes.
Editing the wording of confirmations, reminders and other automatic messages
- Open Settings → Reminders & SMS and scroll to Message wording.
- Choose the message in Message.
- Change the Text message, the Email subject and the Email. The placeholders that message can use are listed above the text box.
- Check the count under the text box (how many texts it takes) and the preview below it (the text filled in with sample details).
- Press Save changes.
Restore default wording puts the text, subject and email of the message you're looking at back to FullColumn's wording (press Save changes to keep it). Changing the wording needs Change salon settings (hours, online booking, messages, branding); owners have every permission. Without it you can still choose a message and read its wording, but not change it.
The messages you can reword
| Message | When it's sent | Default text message |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation | A booking is made, or moved with the client told (reminders) | Hi {first_name}, you're booked in at {business} on {date} at {time} ({services}). View or change: {link}{forms_line} |
| Reminder | Before each appointment, at the time you choose | Reminder: {business} {day} at {time} ({services}).{reply_hint} Change: {link}{forms_line} |
| Cancellation | You cancel and tick Let the client know it's cancelled, or the client cancels online | Hi {first_name}, your {business} appointment on {date} at {time} has been cancelled. Book again any time: {book_link} |
| Form request | You send a client a consultation form | Hi {first_name}, please fill in your {form_name} for {business} before your visit: {form_link} |
| Feedback request | You send a client a feedback form by hand (automatically, feedback forms go with the After the visit message) | Hi {first_name}, thanks for visiting {business}! We'd love to hear how it went: {form_link} |
| Booking request received | An online booking needs approving: it's sent instead of the confirmation, which follows once you approve it | Hi {first_name}, thanks for your booking request with {business} for {date} at {time} ({services}). We'll confirm it soon. View or withdraw it: {link} |
| Booking request declined | You decline a booking request, or nobody answers it in time | Hi {first_name}, sorry, {business} can't fit you in on {date} at {time}.{message}{refund_line} Book another time: {book_link} |
| Deposit request | You ask for a deposit from an appointment (deposits) | Hi {first_name}, {business} asks for a {amount} deposit for your appointment on {date} at {time}. It comes off your bill. Pay securely: {pay_link} |
Each also has an email version, with a subject, that you can change the same way.
Placeholders in confirmations and reminders
| Placeholder | Is filled in with |
|---|---|
{first_name} |
The client's first name, or "there" when you don't have one ("Hi there") |
{date} |
The appointment's date, like "Wed, 14 Oct" |
{day} |
Reminders: "today", "tomorrow", or "on Tuesday" (so write {day}, not "on {day}") |
{time} |
The start time, like "2:30pm" (or "14:30" on the 24-hour clock) |
{services} |
The services booked, like "Cut & blow-dry, Toner" |
{staff} |
The first names of the stylists, like "Anna & Mia", or "our team" |
{link} |
The client's own booking link, to view, confirm, reschedule or cancel |
{forms_line} |
When a consultation form is waiting: " Please fill in your form:" and its link in a text, or a line naming the forms in an email. Empty otherwise. |
{instructions} |
Notes set on the services booked, like "Please come with dry hair" (messages for particular services). If your wording leaves it out, the notes go straight after {forms_line}, or at the end. |
{payment_line} |
Confirmations: "Deposit paid: $20.00", "Paid: $85.00" or "Your card is saved to hold this booking." Empty when nothing was paid ahead. |
{reply_hint} |
Reminder texts: " Reply Y to confirm." when Ask clients to reply Y to confirm is on and the appointment isn't confirmed yet. Empty in emails. |
{business} |
Your salon's name, from Settings → Business |
{business_phone} |
Your salon's phone number, from Settings → Business |
Placeholders in cancellations, booking requests and declines
These use the client's {first_name}, the appointment's {date}, {time} and {services}, and your salon's {business} and {business_phone}, plus:
| Placeholder | Message | Is filled in with |
|---|---|---|
{book_link} |
Cancellation, Booking request declined | Your booking page, so they can book again |
{link} |
Booking request received | Their booking link, to check on the request or withdraw it |
{staff}, {payment_line} |
Booking request received | As in a confirmation |
{message} |
Booking request declined | What you typed when declining, if anything |
{refund_line} |
Booking request declined | "Your $20.00 payment has been refunded to your card." (or "will be refunded"), when they paid online. Empty otherwise. |
Placeholders in form, feedback and deposit requests
- Form request and Feedback request:
{first_name},{form_name}(the form's name, like "Colour consultation" or "How was your visit?"),{form_link}(the link to fill it in),{business}and{business_phone}. - Deposit request:
{first_name},{date},{time},{services},{staff},{amount}(the deposit, like "$30.00"),{pay_link}(a secure card payment that keeps working until it's paid or you withdraw it),{business}and{business_phone}. Paid deposits go on the client's account credit.
Placeholders in one-off messages and marketing
One-off messages and campaigns understand {first_name}, {business} and {book_link}, and offer them as Insert buttons. Automatic marketing adds {business_phone}, {services} in "time to rebook" reminders, and two links in the After the visit message:
{review_link}: your Google review link from Settings → Business. It only needs the link to be set: with{review_link}in the wording and no link there, the message can't be switched on (adding your Google review link).{form_link}: the link to the visit's feedback form. It makes the message a feedback request, sent only after visits a feedback form is due for, and its wording and subject then can't have any other link: no{review_link},{book_link}or web address (sending a feedback form after each visit).
See sending a one-off message, campaigns and automatic marketing.
You never need to add opt-out wording to marketing yourself: it's added to every campaign and automatic message as it goes, and to every feedback request, including a feedback form you send by hand.
Keeping your texts to one SMS
A text of up to 160 characters is one SMS; longer ones are split into parts of 153 characters, and each part uses SMS credits. An emoji or a character outside the standard text alphabet makes the limit 70 (67 a part). The count under the text box shows how your wording measures up with sample details filled in, and is highlighted when it runs to more than one text.
- Keep to plain characters. Curly quotes and long dashes typed on phones are swapped for plain ones before sending, so they don't cost extra.
- Remember that names, services and links vary: a long service name can push a text over.
- Placeholders that are empty for a client (no form waiting, nothing paid) take up no room.
More on counting: SMS credits.
Common questions
What happens if I misspell a placeholder?
It's left exactly as you typed it, so a client would see {frist_name}. The preview shows it the same way, so check the preview before saving.
Can I use the client's surname?
Yes: {last_name} works in confirmations, reminders, cancellations, booking requests, declines and deposit requests, though it isn't listed above the text box and the preview shows it as typed.
Can a particular service have its own wording?
Confirmations and reminders are the same for every service, but each service can add its own notes before the appointment and aftercare afterwards (messages for particular services).
Can I take the booking link out?
You can, but clients then can't confirm, reschedule or cancel from the message. {link} is what lets them do it themselves.