Booking Automation Checklist (Service Businesses)

Goal: reduce back-and-forth, prevent no-shows, and capture better job details.

Rule of thumb: automate the handoffs (confirmations, reminders, intake) — keep the judgement calls (quoting, exceptions) human.

1) Booking basics

Create 2–3 appointment types only (e.g. Quote Call, On-site Visit, Job).
Set buffer time (10–20 min) and minimum notice (e.g. 4–12h).
Require name + phone + email. Optional: address + job type.
Add “reschedule/cancel” link in every confirmation.

2) Intake (get the info you need)

Ask 3–6 questions max: job type, urgency, suburb, photos link, access notes, preferred time windows.
For quotes: ask budget range or "are you looking for cheapest vs best?" (optional).
If you do travel: auto-calc service area or add a "suburb" dropdown.

3) Confirmations & reminders (no-show prevention)

Instant confirmation (email + optional SMS).
Reminder schedule: 24h + 2h before.
Include: address, time, what to prepare, reschedule link.

4) Handoff to CRM

Create/update contact in CRM.
Create a deal/opportunity with stage = Booked.
Attach intake answers to deal notes.
Create follow-up task if they don’t show.

5) Optional automations (phase 2)

Auto-send "How to get ready" message for the job type.
Auto-create a job checklist in your task app.
Auto-request review 24–48h after job completion.

Metrics to track

Speed-to-lead (minutes)
No-show rate (%)
Quote-to-close rate (%)

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