Most of the SMS your shop sends day-to-day is the same 20-30 messages over and over: scheduling acknowledgments, cure-time reminders, parts delays, photo gallery shares. Saving them as templates turns 30 seconds of typing into 2 taps.
Step 1 — Identify your most-used replies
Open your SMS inbox and scroll the last 100 outbound messages. Count what repeats:
- "Got it, see you at [time]" — booking confirmation
- "Your car is ready for pickup" — pickup notification
- "Cure time is 7 days — keep it dry" — post-install care
- "We're slammed today, looking at [time] tomorrow" — reschedule
- "Here's your gallery: [link]" — photo share
- "Parts came in, want to schedule?" — backordered job
10-15 templates covers 90% of your outbound SMS.
Step 2 — Save them as templates
Settings → Messaging → SMS templates. Click "Add template" and fill in:
- Shortcut — what you type to trigger the template (e.g., "/ready", "/cure", "/late")
- Body — the message with {{variables}}
- Channel — usually SMS-only, but you can scope to email if needed
Common variables you'll use: {{first_name}}, {{vehicle}}, {{cancel_link}}, {{gallery_link}}, {{shop_address}}, {{pickup_time}}.
Step 3 — Use them in the inbox
In any SMS conversation, type "/" and your shortcut. The template body appears in the compose box. Edit any variables that need a specific value, hit send.
Two taps instead of typing the same paragraph for the 80th time.
Step 4 — Share across the team
Templates created at the shop level are available to every team member with messaging access. Personal templates (just for you) save under "My templates."
Suggested starter library
These are the templates we recommend every shop has on day one:
- /ready — "Hi {{first_name}}, your {{vehicle}} is ready for pickup. We're open until {{close_time}} today."
- /cure — "{{first_name}}, your tint cure time is 5-7 days. Keep windows up, don't roll them down. Light condensation between film and glass is normal and clears up."
- /gallery — "{{first_name}}, here's your photo gallery: {{gallery_link}}. Feel free to share — and if you'd leave us a review, we'd love it: {{review_link}}."
- /late — "Hey {{first_name}}, running about {{minutes}} late on your {{vehicle}}. Looking at {{updated_pickup_time}} for pickup. Sorry for the wait."
- /reschedule — "Hi {{first_name}}, need to reschedule your {{appointment_time}} appointment? Tap here: {{cancel_link}}."
- /quote-follow-up — "Hi {{first_name}}, wanted to check in on the quote we sent for {{vehicle}}. Any questions? Happy to clarify anything."
- /no-show — "{{first_name}}, we had you booked at {{appointment_time}} today but didn't see you. Everything okay? Want to reschedule?"
Tips
- Keep templates short. SMS is not the place for paragraphs. 2-3 sentences max.
- Always include {{first_name}}. Personalized templates outperform generic ones.
- Avoid {{shop_name}} in the template body — already visible in the conversation header and adds clutter.
- Test on your phone before saving — rendering can surprise you.