Using the Pre Check-in Feature
Current Status: Please be aware that the Pre Check-In feature is in beta. This means it is undergoing testing and refinement with a select group of users before its full release. Based on feedback, functionality and appearance may evolve. If you are interested in participating in the beta phase, please contact the Garage Hive support team.
The Pre Check-In feature is designed to streamline the customer drop-off process. This reduces time spent at the front desk, improves information accuracy, and helps both the customer and the garage prepare for the visit, resulting in a smoother, faster vehicle drop-off experience.
Note: This feature is part of the Garage Link Advanced module of Garage Hive.
Table of contents
Table of contents
Pre Check-In Introduction Message and Terms and Conditions
Before you can send Pre Check-In notifications, you must first set up the introduction text, and terms & conditions that the customer will see. This is done from the GarageLink Setup page.
In the top-right corner, use the search icon to find and open the GarageLink Setup page.
Scroll down to the Validity Periods FastTab. In the Pre Check-in Link Validity field, enter the number of hours the link should remain active after being sent. For example, entering 72 will make the link valid for 3 days.
Next, scroll down to the Pre Check-in FastTab.
- In the Pre Check-in Intro Text field, enter the welcome message you want customers to see on the start page for the Pre Check-in process.
- In the Pre Check-in Terms and Conditions field, enter any terms & conditions the customer needs to agree to.
Hint on Formatting:
The Intro Text and Terms & Conditions fields support markdown formatting. To make text bold, place double asterisks
** before and after the text you want to format. For example: **This text is bold**
*This text is italicised*
***This is bold and italic***
Once the information is entered, you can close the page. The changes are saved automatically.
How to Set Up Pre Check-In Notifications
To set up the Pre Check-In notification:
In the top-right corner, choose the search icon, enter Customer Notifications and select the related link.
The window that appears displays a list of all customer notifications that have been previously set up.
You can modify an existing PRECHECKIN notification or create a new one. To create a new notification, select +New.
From the General FastTab, begin by assigning a Code to identify the notification. For example, PRECHECKIN.
Add a Description, which also populates the Display Description field. The Display Description is what the customer sees when the notification is sent.
The next step is to set the Type of notification. In this case, select Pre Check-in Notification from the available options.
In the Date Formula field, enter when the notification should be sent relative to the booking date. The formula uses D (Days), W (Weeks), or M (Months) preceded by a number. For a pre-check-in, it is recommended to send the notification a few days before the booking. For example, entering -4D will send the notification 4 days before the scheduled booking date.
Select the Source Code as PRECHECKIN.
Set the Scheduled Time; this is the time of day at which the notification will be sent to the customer.
Use the Location Filter to specify the garage locations to which the notification should be sent. Click on the ellipsis (…) along the Location Filter field, and select the locations to include in the notification.
Writing the Message Template
After setting up the notification details, it’s time to create the message that will be sent to the customer. You can set up a message for SMS, Email, or both in their respective sections.
In each section, the Field Tags field helps you understand the placeholders you can use in your message. When a tag is included in the template, the system automatically replaces it with the correct information from the Jobsheet.
Some examples are as follows:
[CustName]- The customer’s name from the jobsheet is automatically added to the message.[VehReg]- The vehicle registration number from the jobsheet is automatically added to the message.[BookingDate]- The booking date from the jobsheet is automatically added to the message.[PreCheckInURL]- This is the most important tag for this notification. It generates the unique link the customer uses to complete their pre check-in online.
Create your message in the SMS Text and Email Text fields. When you have finished writing the template, enable the Send SMS and/or Send Email slider to activate the desired channel.
Note: The standard length of an SMS is 160 characters. If special characters are used, this limit is reduced.
SMS Text Example:
Hi [CustName], a reminder of your booking for [VehReg] on [BookingDate]. To save time on arrival, please complete our quick pre check-in beforehand: [PreCheckInURL]
Next, scroll down to the Recurrence FastTab and select the slider on the days when you want the notification to be sent (e.g., enabling Monday to Friday only).
When you have completed the notification setup, ensure the Enabled slider is turned on.
Sending the Pre Check-in Invitation
You can send the Pre Check-In invitation from a Customer's Jobsheet:
Open the relevant customer's Jobsheet from the Jobsheet list or from the schedule. From the menu bar, select Print/Send, followed by Send Pre Check-In.
The Pre Check-In message will be queued to be sent to the customer.
Previewing the Pre Check-In
To see exactly what the customer will receive, you can use the preview function:
Open the relevant customer's Jobsheet. From the menu bar, select Print/Send, followed by Preview Pre Check-In.
Customer Experience
The customer will receive a Pre Check-in Link: The customer receives an SMS/email and opens the link.
Introduction Text: The introduction text is the first page they see when they open the link. Then they can click the Start button in the bottom right corner.
Confirmation of Planned Work: On the next page, they confirm the planned work for their vehicle and the price and click Continue.
Terms and Conditions: The customer is prompted to read and agree to the terms and conditions. The customer cannot complete the process without agreeing to them. After accepting the terms and conditions, the customer clicks on Finish.
Map and optional message: The last page provides the garage location, and the customer can add an additional message.
Adding Additional Services to Pre Check-In
You can enhance the Pre Check-In process by offering optional additional services. This is done by linking the primary Service Package with a related additional service for customers to add to their booking:
On the Home page, click on Catalogues, then choose Service Packages.
From the Service Package list, select the main service package that you want to attach an additional service.
On the Service Package Card actions menu at the top of the page, select Related, then Package, and finally Additional Services.
On the Additional Service Packages page, click +New to add a new one. In the Type field, select Pre Check-In from the dropdown menu.
The Main Service Package No. will be automatically filled based on the package you selected earlier. In the Additional Service Package No. field, search for and select the service package you wish to offer as the additional service.
Once set up, customers with the main Service Package on their booking will see a step in their online Pre-Check-In process where they can add this service to their booking.
Courtesy Car Option
When the option to have a courtesy car is selected in the customer's jobsheet, an extra step to upload their driver's licence is made available in the pre check-in process.
The Upload Driver's License step will be added for the customer during Pre Check-in.
Reviewing Responses
Once a customer completes their Pre Check-In, you can review their responses from the customer's Jobsheet Comments FastTab.
The pre check-in response will appear in the Comments Attention tile on the Home Page.
Click on the tile to open the list of attention lines. Then select the document Number, for example, click on SJ000658 in the image below, to view the pre-check-in responses.
Once the Jobsheet is opened, scroll down to the Comments FastTab where you will find the pre check-in responses for review.
To view the attached Driver's Licence, select Show Attached from the menu bar, followed by Document Media.
English (UK, IE, IM and IZ). To find documentation in other regions where Garage Hive operates, click here.
English (UK, IE, IM and IZ). To find documentation in other regions where Garage Hive operates, click here.