Question 1

Can I configure automation differently for each service?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Each service can have its own automation settings. Dog trainers often want Instant confirmation but manual completion (to add progress notes). Daycare might want Pre-hold funds but manual check-out. Pet concierge can use full automation for predictable home visits.

Question 2

What automated messages does Petboost send?

Accepted Answer

Petboost sends: appointment confirmation emails, reminder emails and SMS (configurable timing), payment receipt emails, rescheduling and cancellation notifications (email and SMS), pre-authorisation heads-up emails, and a Friday reminder email for each confirmed booking in the coming week. Each follows its switch in Settings, Notifications, and the customer booking emails start off on a new account.

Question 3

How do appointment reminders work?

Accepted Answer

Set a reminder lead time per service (e.g. 2 hours before, or 24 hours before). Reminders are sent via email and SMS. They include appointment details, location, and any preparation instructions. On Friday afternoon, a separate reminder email goes out for each confirmed booking in the coming week.

Question 4

Does Petboost send SMS messages?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Automated SMS includes: appointment reminders, rescheduled and cancelled appointment alerts, payment decline alerts, and payment link delivery. SMS costs are included in your subscription with monthly allowances per plan.

Question 5

When are SMS reminders sent?

Accepted Answer

Set the SMS reminder lead time per service. Most businesses use a 2-hour or 24-hour lead time as the sweet spot: enough notice to reduce no-shows without being so early customers forget. SMS includes appointment details and your business contact info.

Question 6

Can I customise email templates?

Accepted Answer

Email notifications include your business logo and branding. While the overall structure is standardised for reliability, key content (business name, contact details, instructions) are automatically personalised. Professional appearance, zero effort.

Question 7

What triggers the Auto-Pay automation?

Accepted Answer

When enabled, Auto-pay invoices charges the customer's card on file on Petboost's next automatic run once the appointment's invoice is finalised. Checking out finalises the invoice straight away, so make final adjustments, such as an added service, before you check out. For appointments nobody checks out, with Auto-complete appointments and Auto-finalise appointments on, Petboost finalises the invoice 30 minutes after the scheduled end. If payment fails, you and the customer are both texted.

Question 8

Why isn't Auto-Pay working for some of my services?

Accepted Answer

This is the #1 source of payment confusion! Auto-Pay is configured per SERVICE, not just globally. Even if Auto-Pay is enabled in Settings → Automatic Actions, each individual service also has its own Auto-Pay toggle. Check Services → [Service Name] → Automatic Actions → Auto-pay invoices. If it's OFF for that service, appointments won't auto-charge. Quick fix: review all your services and ensure Auto-Pay is enabled on each one you want to auto-charge.

Question 9

How does Pre-Hold Funds (No-Show Protection) work?

Accepted Answer

Pre-Hold (Pre-Authorisation) is Petboost's No-Show Protection system. Here's how it works: with Pre-hold funds on, 72 hours before the appointment Petboost places a temporary hold on the customer's card (funds reserved, not charged). If the hold is declined, both you AND the customer are texted straight away. Once the invoice is finalised, the hold is captured as the payment, by Auto-pay or when you charge. If the customer cancels, the hold drops off with no refund process needed, apart from any late cancellation fee your policy takes from it. This differs from deposits: pre-auth reserves funds without charging immediately, making cancellations simpler for everyone.

Question 10

Should I take a Deposit or use Pre-Authorisation?

Accepted Answer

Petboost supports both, so it comes down to whether you need the money in hand before the appointment. Deposits are charged when the customer books online. Pick pre-pay in full, a partial deposit (a percentage from 5% to 95%, or a fixed amount), or no deposit, set as your business default and overridable on individual services. Bookings you take yourself can wait: if the customer has no card saved the booking lands at Pending, and you take the deposit from the appointment later. The trade-off is what happens if plans change: the refund is issued automatically, but banks still take 5-10 business days to show it. With pre-authorisation, funds are temporarily held (not charged), so a cancellation with enough notice releases the hold automatically and funds return to the card within 30 minutes to 24 hours. No refund to process, no accounting to reverse. A common setup for high-value or boarding bookings is a deposit on the service plus a longer cancellation period. For everything else, a card on file with pre-auth releases faster. Note a partial deposit only protects the portion you took, so use pre-pay in full to cover the whole booking.

Question 11

Can customers reply to automated messages?

Accepted Answer

Automated emails can be configured with reply-to addresses. For SMS, businesses on Business Pro, Flex, or Max can add Communications Booster, our optional 2-way SMS add-on. With Communications Booster, customers can reply directly to messages and you get a full conversation inbox with complete message history, including automated notifications like reminders and payment alerts. Without Communications Booster, SMS notifications are one-way.

Question 12

Do I receive notifications as the business owner?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You are always texted when a pre-authorisation or payment is declined, and emailed too unless you switch that off. In Settings, Notifications you can also switch on Text you: new booking alert, customer note alerts and a daily run sheet. Choose which alerts come to you and switch on team-member emails for assigned staff.

Question 13

Can I turn off all automations?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Start conservative with only booking confirmations, then gradually enable more automation as you get comfortable. Many businesses run minimal automation for months before expanding. You're always in control.

Question 14

What happens if automation fails?

Accepted Answer

When a pre-authorisation or card payment is declined, you and the customer are both texted, and a declined charge moves the appointment to Payment Declined for you to follow up. Each automatic step is recorded in the appointment's activity log.

Question 15

How does check-in and check-out work?

Accepted Answer

Petboost tracks appointment lifecycle with clear status transitions. Check pets in when they arrive (status changes to In Progress), check out when the service is done (the invoice is finalised and the appointment moves to Ready to Pay). Each transition is timestamped for accurate service time tracking. Staff can check in/out from Mission Control, the Calendar, or the Appointment detail view.

Question 16

Can I track actual service time vs scheduled time?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Check-in and check-out timestamps show actual vs scheduled duration. This helps identify services that consistently run over, staff efficiency patterns, and pricing adjustments needed for complex pets. The data appears in appointment history and can inform scheduling decisions.

Question 17

Does check-out trigger automatic payment?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with Auto-pay invoices on. Checking out finalises the invoice, and the card on file is charged on Petboost's next automatic run, usually within 15 minutes, so make tip or price changes before you check out. Auto-finalise's 30-minute wait after the scheduled end applies only to appointments nobody checked out. If you need to charge immediately, use the manual charge option instead of waiting for auto-pay.

Question 18

Can I send bulk SMS to my customers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, with Communications Booster. Bulk 1-Way SMS has two modes: Business Announcements for operational updates (holiday hours, closures, policy changes) and Marketing SMS for promotional messages. Marketing SMS includes built-in compliance with consent management, opt-out handling, and content analysis. Recipients who have opted out of marketing are automatically skipped.

Question 19

How does marketing consent work for SMS?

Accepted Answer

Each pet owner has a marketing consent preference visible in their profile. When you send a Marketing SMS via bulk send, only recipients with active consent receive the message. Business Announcements (operational messages) are sent to all selected recipients regardless of marketing consent. Customers can opt out at any time, and their preference is respected automatically.

Question 20

What is Grazi AI?

Accepted Answer

Grazi AI is your built-in AI business assistant. Ask questions about your business data, get instant insights, draft client communications, and get step-by-step guidance on any Petboost feature. Access it from the dashboard or via the Quick Command Centre (Cmd+K or Ctrl+K).

Question 21

How do I stop manually texting appointment reminders?

Accepted Answer

Petboost sends personalised SMS and email reminders at the lead time you choose, once you switch them on. With Communications Booster and Confirmation Reply (Y/N) on, customers can reply Y to confirm or N to cancel. This saves 30+ minutes daily. Automatic SMS and email reminders sent at your chosen intervals. Emails greet the customer by name; texts carry the pet, service and time. With Communications Booster, customers reply Y to confirm or N to cancel. With Communications Booster, replies land in your two-way inbox. Reduce no-shows while reclaiming 30+ minutes every day.

Question 22

Can customers confirm their appointments automatically?

Accepted Answer

With Communications Booster and Confirmation Reply (Y/N) switched on, reminder texts ask customers to reply Y to confirm they are coming or N if they cannot make it, and every reply lands in your inbox. Reminders sent automatically via SMS and email. Customers reply Y or N to the reminder text. Replies land in your two-way inbox. Needs Communications Booster (your own dedicated number). Reduce phone calls and guessing games.

Question 23

What if customers don't respond to reminders?

Accepted Answer

Petboost doesn't require customer responses to work. Reminders are sent, but the system continues operating whether customers confirm or not. Pre-hold funds and card requirements provide additional assurance. Reminders sent regardless of previous response. Appointments proceed as scheduled. Pre-hold funds places a hold on the card 72 hours before. Card on file requirement reduces no-shows. Mission Control flags appointments needing attention.

Question 24

What if I forget to send an invoice?

Accepted Answer

With Auto-complete appointments and Auto-finalise appointments on, Petboost finalises each invoice 30 minutes after the appointment ends, so none slip through. When your team checks an appointment out, its invoice is finalised there and then. Invoices generate automatically after completion. Receipt emailed when paid, while Email the customer: booking updates is on. Accurate pricing captured at the right moment. No delayed invoices or forgotten charges. Every appointment gets invoiced, every time.

Question 25

Will I ever get my weekends back?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's automation means the admin work that used to pile up for weekends now happens automatically throughout the week. No more catch-up sessions on your days off. Invoices finalised automatically, no weekend batching. Payments collected automatically, no chasing. Reminders sent automatically, no evening texting. Bookings managed automatically, no manual scheduling. Business owners report reclaiming their weekends.

Question 26

What if a service takes longer than expected?

Accepted Answer

Petboost lets you manually adjust appointment times when services run long, and you can update your standard service durations if you notice consistent patterns. Extend individual appointments manually when needed. Disable auto-complete for variable services. Adjust service duration settings based on real data. Add buffer time to account for variations. Communicate delays to affected customers.

Question 27

Do automated messages sound like a robot?

Accepted Answer

Petboost's automated messages are personalised with customer names, pet names, service details, and appointment times, so they feel helpful and professional, not robotic. Messages include pet name and customer name. Service and time details always accurate. Professional but friendly tone. Custom pre-appointment and post-appointment messages. Your business name on every communication.

Question 28

How much time will I actually save?

Accepted Answer

Pet business owners using Petboost's full automation suite report saving 20+ hours per week (10+ on bookings and messaging, 10+ on payments and invoicing) on tasks that used to be manual: reminders, invoicing, payment collection, and booking management. Automated reminders save 30+ minutes daily. Self-service booking reduces phone time by 70%+. Auto-invoicing eliminates manual invoice creation. Auto-pay removes payment chasing entirely. Mission Control reduces searching and admin.

Question 29

When should SMS appointment reminders be sent?

Accepted Answer

Petboost lets you set the SMS reminder lead time in weeks, days, hours and minutes. Most businesses use 24-hour reminders as the sweet spot: enough notice to reduce no-shows without being so early customers forget. Set the lead time in weeks, days, hours and minutes. 24-hour reminders work best for most businesses. Add 2-hour reminders for high-value services. Texts carry the pet, service, date and time; confirmation and change texts also link to the booking. Email reminders run on separate timing if needed. An SMS allowance comes with your plan, with top-up packs beyond it.

Question 30

How do I check pets in and out of daycare or grooming?

Accepted Answer

Petboost tracks appointment lifecycle with check-in and check-out. Mark pets as In Progress when they arrive, Complete when finished. Each transition is timestamped. Staff can update from Mission Control, Calendar, or Appointment view. Check in: status changes to In Progress, timestamp recorded. Check out: the invoice is finalised and the appointment moves to Ready to Pay, timestamp recorded. Update from Mission Control, Calendar, or Appointment view. Compare actual vs scheduled service duration. Identify services that consistently run over. Check-out finalises the invoice; with Auto-pay invoices on, the card is charged on the next automatic run.

Question 31

What happens when a client calls and I cannot answer?

Accepted Answer

With the Call Catcher Booster, the call rings your own phone first. If nobody answers, or you are closed, the caller hears your greeting and can press 1 for a booking link by text, with their pets filled in when they are a client, or press 2 to leave a voicemail in Messages. You call back from the business number, so your personal mobile stays private. More on the Call Catcher page.

Question 32

Does Petboost answer calls with AI?

Accepted Answer

No. Call Catcher does not use AI to answer calls. It rings you, and when you cannot take the call it offers the caller a booking link or voicemail. Calls, in Messages & Calls, lists every call in and out of your Petboost number, with missed calls and voicemails.

Automations & Notifications

Read the full feature

Automation

Call Catcher Booster

Automated SMS & Email

Automations & Notifications

Read the full feature

Automation

Call Catcher Booster

Automated SMS & Email