Workshop Software provides several ways to communicate with your customers — from sending individual invoices and SMS messages to bulk email and text campaigns via the Communication Centre. You can also give customers access to a self-service Customer Portal where they can view their vehicles, invoices, quotes, and bookings. This guide covers all communication options and how to set up the Customer Portal.
Sending Communication from an Invoice
- Open the invoice and press the Share icon.
- Choose to Email the invoice or job card. You can include or exclude the PDF, customise the message, or use a saved template.
- If an inspection is attached to the job, you can include it in the email.
- Choose SMS to text the customer a link to the PDF invoice. You can add a template or custom message.
Sending SMS or Email Without an Invoice
From an Open Invoice
- Press the Star icon on the customer line and select SMS Customer.
- Add your message or select a saved template (e.g. “Your vehicle is ready for collection”).
From the Customer Page
- Go to the Customers page and find the customer.
- Press the SMS bubble icon to send a text message or the Email icon to send an email — no PDF attachment is included.
Using the Communication Centre for Bulk Messages
- Go to Actions > Communication Centre.
- Select the Communication Type to filter your customer list.
- Choose the Contact Method:
- SMS All — shows only customers with a mobile number who accept SMS.
- Email — shows only customers with an email address.
- All — shows all matching customers.
- Press Search to load the list.
- Select individual customers by clicking on them, or select all.
- For SMS: type your message in the text field at the bottom.
- For Email: enter a subject line and email body.
- Use Placeholders (words between % signs) to personalise messages. For example,
%full_name%inserts each customer’s name automatically, even when sending to multiple customers at once.
Setting Up the Customer Portal
The Customer Portal gives your customers self-service access to their vehicles, invoices, quotes, bookings, and history. It is available on Gold and Platinum plans at no extra cost.
- Go to Settings > Customer Portal.
- Press Activate to enable the portal.
- To invite a customer, open their profile, press the Star icon, and select Send Portal Invitation.
- Choose to send the invitation by Email or SMS.
- The customer clicks the link and creates a password to sign up.
What Customers Can Do in the Portal
Once logged in, customers have access to:
- Vehicles — view all vehicles registered to their account, including due dates for rego and service.
- Outstanding Invoices — view and download PDF copies of unpaid invoices.
- Quotes — review any open quotes.
- Open Jobs — see jobs currently in progress.
- Future Bookings — view upcoming scheduled bookings.
- History — access all past invoices, even those already paid.
- Add Vehicles — customers can add new vehicles to their account using the + icon, so the vehicle is already in the system when they call to book.
- Create Booking — links directly to your public booking page so customers can book online.
Good to Know
- The Customer Portal is available on Gold and Platinum plans at no additional cost.
- Customers must be individually invited — the portal is not automatically available to all customers.
- Placeholders in the Communication Centre work per-customer, so you can send personalised bulk messages.
- SMS messages require SMS credits. Purchase credits in your Company Profile.
- Customers can add their own vehicles through the portal, saving you data entry time.
FAQ
Does the Customer Portal cost extra?
No. It is included with Gold and Platinum subscription plans at no additional charge.
Can customers make bookings through the portal?
Yes. The portal includes a Create Booking button that links to your public booking page.
Can I send bulk SMS and email at the same time?
No. You select one contact method per campaign. Run separate campaigns for SMS and email.
What are placeholders?
Placeholders are dynamic fields (e.g. %full_name%) that automatically insert customer-specific information into bulk messages.