What's the best app for improving customer communication and delivery scheduling?

[mdix]

I'm looking for an app that will allow easier and better communication with customers.  When we receive an order we need to send customized messages to the customer regarding pick up of their items. It varies for most customers and items.  When the order comes into our existing email we don't have the ability to respond directly.  We need to send the email as a forward and then copy the email address from the orders page, put that into the email To field, then edit the message and send it to the customer.

Does anyone have any recommendations for an app that would give us a better solution.  I know there are lots of CRM options but looking for something maybe a little simpler.

The second issue I'd like recommendations for is a good delivery/calendar app.  We deliver products ourselves to our local customers.  We put the delivery into our calendar and then send an email the day prior with a delivery reminder.  I'd like an automated option that would send the reminder

to the customers

[PaulNewton]

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@mdix wrote:

It varies for most customers and items.

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I'd fix that downstream issue as much as possible first so it has less side effects.

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@mdix wrote:

When the order comes into our existing email we don't have the ability to respond directly

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Could you elaborate on this.

1. When the order comes in from the shopify email address
2.  send the shopify email as a forward
3. then copy the email address from the orders page

For #3 have you tried editing the notification template for new orders to more plainly contain the customers email to skip the step of going to the order admin.

Even possibly having a mailto link with custom subject etc

Then revisiting shopify-flow you could have it add rows to a spreadsheet again using mailto links to open a pre-ready email in the staffs email client.

For more robust email event behavior see apps like  mechanic   https://tasks.mechanic.dev/?q=email 

Then next, before a full blown CRM, look into extensions for whatever mail-client or service you use, for example gmail has an marketplace

https://workspace.google.com/marketplace/search/?host=gmail&pricing=free 

Or other low code service https://zapier.com/blog/best-gmail-add-ons/#zapier 

After that is browser extensions, etc

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@mdix wrote:

second issue I'd like recommendations for is a good delivery/calendar app

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Would need excess beyond scope of this topic but probably the zapiet app, bookthatapp or even shopify-flow.

Regardless, avoid glomming topics together makes it harder for relevant people to find you and adds noise to the core conversation.

There is also a shipping forum to research as this has to be a common thing https://community.shopify.com/c/payments-shipping-and/bd-p/payments-shipping-fulfilment 

[PaulNewton · Accepted solution]

Addendum , for the new order notification template the following html adds a mailto email customer button to the email;

Before changing notification code ALWAYS backup notification templates to an external backup 

And make sure you know how to revert notification templates.

Around line 108 in the new order notification template

https://admin.shopify.com/store/email_templates/new_order_notification/edit 

After the <tr> but before the next <td> that makes the order admin link button:

{%- comment -%}2023-05-05 Paul N. add email mailto customer button to order notificaiton template {%- endcomment -%}
<td>
    <a href="mailto:{{customer.email}}" class="mail-button">Email Customer {{customer.email}}</a>
</td>

It should look like this:

<table class="button main-action-cell">
    <tr>
      {%- comment -%}2023-05-05 add email mailto customer button to order notificaiton template {%- endcomment -%}
          <td>
            <a href="mailto:{{customer.email}}" class="mail-button">Email Customer {{customer.email}}</a>
          </td>
      <td><a href="https://{{ shop.permanent_domain }}/admin/orders/{{ id }}" class="mail-button">View order</a></td>
    </tr>
</table>

Example of what the notification may look like in gmail after clicking the mailto link-button:

[mdix]

Thank you so much for your solution to provide a mail to button.  This is exactly what I was looking for and your instructions were very thorough.

[drs997]

Hi @mdix,

Your requirements seem to align well with my app, Order Status Pro. It offers the ability to send automatic and customizable messages to customers when the order status changes. This can greatly simplify the communication process around pick-up times, as you can create a custom status that triggers the appropriate email ("Ready for Pickup" status). Not only does it streamline the communication process, but it also helps reduce the manual work of copying email addresses and editing messages.

As for your second question regarding a delivery/calendar app, the app also has a "due date" feature, allowing you to specify when orders need to be completed. When a due date is set, an email can automatically be sent to you containing a calendar event.

Feel free to check out the app and let me know if you have sny questions!

Cheers,

Daryl