Automated WhatsApp win‑back reminders that bring back café regulars after Ganesh Chaturthi

Below is a step‑by‑step walkthrough of setting up a “win‑back reminder for cafés after Ganesh Chaturthi” inside Ferbz. The example uses a fictional café, Morning Brew Café, located in Melbourne’s Fitzroy neighbourhood.

1. Prepare your customer list

1. From the left‑hand navigation, click Customers.
2. Use the Import CSV button to upload your existing loyalty list (name, phone, email, last order date).
3. Ferbz automatically creates a profile for each row and tags them with “Imported 2024‑03.”
4. Verify that the last order field shows the most recent receipt date for each customer – this will be the basis for the “days since last order” trigger.

2. Create the win‑back automation flow

1. Switch to the Automation tab.

2. Click New Automation and type the plain‑English goal:
   “Win back anyone who hasn’t ordered in 14 days after Ganesh Chaturthi.”

3. Ferbz’s AI suggests a three‑step journey:

   • Wait – 14 days after the customer’s most recent order.
   • Message – “Hey <First Name>, we missed you at Morning Brew after Ganesh Chaturthi! Enjoy a 10 % discount on any coffee this week – just show this WhatsApp message.”
   • Branch – If the message is opened, send a second WhatsApp with a QR‑code for the discount; if not opened after 3 days, send a gentle reminder.

4. Click Edit Canvas to fine‑tune each block:

   • In the Wait block, set the trigger to “Days since last order = 14” and add a condition “Order date ≥ 2024‑09‑02” (Ganesh Chaturthi fell on 1 September 2024).
   • In the Message block, select your pre‑saved template “Win‑Back Coffee Discount” (templates are stored under Automation → Templates). Insert the dynamic field <First Name> and attach an image of your seasonal latte.
   • In the Branch block, choose “Message opened?” as the decision point. For the “Yes” path, drag a Message node that says “Great! Here’s your QR code: <QR Image>”. For the “No” path, drag a Message node with a softer tone: “Just checking – we’d love to see you back soon.”

5. Save the flow and give it a clear name: “Post‑Ganesh Chaturthi Win‑Back”.

3. Connect the flow to order completion

1. Go back to Billing → New Sale.
2. Open Settings (gear icon) in the top‑right corner of the billing screen.
3. Under Automation Triggers, enable “Enroll on order completion” and select the newly created “Post‑Ganesh Chaturthi Win‑Back” flow.
4. This tells Ferbz to automatically enrol any customer whose order is ringed up after 1 September 2024 into the win‑back journey.

4. Monitor the reminders

1. Navigate to the Reminders board.
2. You will see three columns: Scheduled, Sent, and Failed.
3. For each customer, the board shows a countdown (e.g., “14 days – 09‑15‑2024”). Once the wait period expires, the reminder moves to Sent and the status updates to Delivered or Read in real time.

5. Review performance

1. Open Reports → Messaging.

2. Filter the date range to 01‑Oct‑2024 to 31‑Oct‑2024.

3. The report shows:

   • Total reminders sent: 312
   • Delivered: 298 (95.5 %)
   • Read: 184 (58.5 %)
   • Orders generated from reminder: 27 (8.6 % conversion)

4. Export the CSV if you need to share results with your accountant or marketing partner.

6. Credit consumption (wallet)

Every WhatsApp message (including the follow‑up branch messages) draws a small number of credits from your prepaid wallet. The Reminders board shows a “Cost” column next to each reminder, so you can see exactly how many credits were spent per customer. Top‑up the wallet at any time via Billing → Top‑up; there is no monthly subscription, only the credits you use.

Worked Example – Morning Brew Café

Customer	Last Order	Trigger Date (14 days later)	Reminder Sent	Opened?	Follow‑up Sent	Order Result
Liam H.	2024‑09‑03	2024‑09‑17	2024‑09‑17 09:12	Yes	QR‑code 2024‑09‑17 09:15	Coffee $4.80 (incl. GST) on 2024‑09‑20
Zoe K.	2024‑09‑02	2024‑09‑16	2024‑09‑16 14:05	No	Gentle reminder 2024‑09‑19 14:07	No order
Arjun P.	2024‑08‑30	2024‑09‑13 (outside window)	–	–	–	No reminder (order before Ganesh Chaturthi)

In this snapshot, the win‑back flow automatically excluded Arjun because his last order fell before the Ganesh Chaturthi window, while Liam received the discount and returned within three days, generating a net revenue of $4.80 (the exact GST amount is handled by your usual billing process).

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Cafés and quick‑service shops lose regulars silently; there is no way to know that a customer who used to order a flat‑white each morning has stopped coming. Before Ferbz, owners would have to manually scan receipts, export a spreadsheet, and send individual WhatsApp messages – a process that can take 3–4 hours per week and still misses many customers.

With the automated win‑back reminder:

• Time saved: The entire setup (CSV import, automation canvas, trigger linking) takes roughly 45 minutes the first time. Ongoing operation requires only a weekly glance at the Reminders board – about 10 minutes. That is a reduction of ≈ 85 % in manual effort.
• Revenue recovered: In the Morning Brew example, 27 out of 312 reminded customers placed a new order, delivering an additional $1,260 in sales (average order $46.70). Without the flow, those 27 orders would likely have been lost.
• Consistent communication: Because every reminder is generated from the same template, branding and compliance stay uniform. No more “forgot to send the weekend promo” moments.
• Data‑driven decisions: The Reminders board and Reports give you instant visibility into delivery rates and conversion, allowing you to tweak the message or timing within the same dashboard – no external analytics platform required.
• Cost control: Credits are only spent when a message is actually sent. If a reminder fails, the wallet is not debited, and the failure appears on the Reminders board for quick re‑try.

Overall, the win‑back reminder turns a seasonal dip (post‑Ganesh Chaturthi) into a measurable, repeatable revenue stream while freeing staff to focus on coffee preparation rather than spreadsheet gymnastics.

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Setting up an automated win‑back reminder for your café after Ganesh Chaturthi takes less than an hour and immediately starts protecting your regulars from slipping away. Log in to the Ferbz dashboard, import your customer list, create the “Post‑Ganesh Chaturthi Win‑Back” automation, and watch the Reminders board keep you informed in real time.

Ready to try it for free? Visit https://dashboard.ferbz.com/, create a prepaid credit wallet, and start building your first automation today. If you hit any snags or want advice on optimal timing, drop a line to support@ferbz.com – the team is on hand to help Australian café owners keep their regulars coming back, day after day.