How to personalize, automate, and schedule emails to your participants and guests, including the use of templates and bulk-send options. And, how to configure internal email notifications for your team.
Wow! Lots to cover in this article, as clear and timely communication with your guests and participants is so important.
Emails to participants and guests
- Registration confirmation email
- Guest payment request
- Payment notification email
- Pre-arrival email
- Post-departure email
- Registration cancellation notification
- Waitlist notification email (space available)
- Abandoned registration follow-up email
- Multi-person registration notification emails
- Create custom email templates
- Manually send an email
- Bulk email feature
- HTML email wrapper
Emails to your (internal) team
- Notice to your team of a new registration
- Rental inquiry notification
- Guest edit notification
- Expired personal credit notification
- Room repair notification
See also, Configure a new program and Text customizations.
Registration confirmation email to the guest
The registration confirmation is usually configured to send automatically as soon as a new registration is completed by your guest or a program participant.
The email shown below was automatically sent to Digger Dandy immediately after he completed his registration for a program called FLEX Stay Package at a center named Drala Yoga DM.
To create a template that can be used as the default registration confirmation email for all programs, go to Reg Settings > Email > Registration Notification Email.
Notice that email template codes, like {{first_name}} appear in the template. These codes are placeholders that will be replaced with actual values from the registration in the email sent to your guest.
Click on Show template codes to view available fields.
To use your default registration confirmation email for a program, go to Programs > (choose a program to edit) > Email > Email Options. Select Send standard registration email from the Registration email drop-down box.
If desired, you may modify your default registration confirmation email for this specific program. Select Send custom registration email from the Registration email drop-down box, and then select Initial registration notification email (built-in) from the Insert Email Template drop-down box.
The text from your default registration confirmation email will appear in the Message box, and you can make modifications as desired - changes made to this copy of the default registration confirmation email text will not affect the original content that you configured in Reg Settings.
Remember to Update the program to save your configuration.
Insert custom notice
On a program-by-program basis, you may add a custom notice to a registration confirmation notification email at Programs > (choose a Program to edit) > Email > Email Options > Registration Email > Insert custom notice.
Use the email template code {{important_notices}} to include your custom notice in an email.
To access the Insert custom notice option, choose Registration Email > Send standard registration email. (The option will not appear if Send custom registration email is selected.) Enter the text for the notice and Save Changes. Once saved, if you wish to send a custom registration email, choose that option and Save Changes. Even though the Insert custom notice option is no longer available, you may still use the {{important_notices}} template code in your custom registration email.
Quick Add Registration Notification Email
You may opt to send a confirmation email to the guest when, as a Registrar, you make a Quick Add Registration.
To enable this option, go to Reg Settings > Email > Quick Add Registration Notification Email and choose either Optional (unchecked by default) or Optional (checked by default).
Guest payment request
Configure a default template for an email that you can send manually to request payment at Reg Settings > Email > Guest Payment Request Email.
Payment notification email to the guest
You may customize the email sent to guests and participants after they have made a payment through Retreat Guru.
Go to Reg Settings > Email > Payment Notification Email.
The email you configure here will be used for all programs.
This payment notification email is not sent for refunds.
Pre-arrival email to the guest
You may enable one or more pre-arrival emails to be sent automatically in advance of the program start date.
Pre-arrival emails may be configured on the program level only.
Go to Programs > (choose a program to edit) > Email > Pre-Arrival Emails.
You may choose to send this post-departure email to all guest types, or you may choose which guest types you wish to receive the email.
For pre-arrival emails, only positive values may be entered for Send email X days before the program start.
Post-departure email to the guest
You may enable a post-departure email on a global basis - for all programs - or on a program-by-program basis - for a specific program.
To enable a global default post-departure email to send automatically to participants and guests go to Reg Settings > Email > Post Departure Email Template.
As the name implies, the most common configuration is to schedule the post-departure email a number of days after the program or stay ends.
However, a post-departure email can also be scheduled to send during a stay - to schedule a post-departure email to send during a stay, enter a negative value for days. Here are some examples.
- A value of 2 will send the email 2 days after the end date of the stay.
- A value of -2 will send the email 2 days before the end date of the stay.
- A value of zero will send the email on the last day of the stay.
To enable a post-departure email for a specific program to send automatically to participants and guests go to Programs > (choose a program to edit) > Email > Post Departure Email. By default, the post-departure email that you configured in Reg Settings will be used.
You may change this setting for a specific program, to send a custom post-departure email or not send (none).
If you choose to send a custom post-departure email, you may modify the content that appears in the Message box, or you may Insert Email Template (use a custom email template that you created in Reg Settings).
At the program level, you may configure multiple post-departure emails. Choose Add another email, then select an email template or create a new email from scratch.
Registration cancellation notification to the guest
You may customize the email sent to guests and participants after their registration has been cancelled.
Go to Reg Settings > Email > Registration Cancellation Email.
The email you configure here will be used for all programs.
Waitlist notification email (space available) to the guest
You may customize the email that you can send manually to participants to advise them that space has become available. The special {{wait_list_reg_form}} link should be included in this email so that the participant can register.
Go to Reg Settings > Email > Waitlist Notification Email.
The email you configure here will be used for all programs.
Abandoned registration follow-up email to the guest
When enabled, the abandoned reg feature will send a follow-up email to the person who began the registration but exited the form before completing the registration.
After your friendly support person at Retreat Guru enables this feature for you, check the Send auto-response box at Reg Settings > Email > Abandoned Registration Follow-up Email.
You may choose the number of days after abandonment to send the email.
And, you may customize this email. The special {{abandoned_reg_form_link}} link should be included in this email so that the participant can register.
Multi-person registration notification email to guests
When enabled, the multi-person registration feature allows one person to register additional persons in their group or family. The primary registrant (the person making the registrations) will complete the full online registration form for themselves, and enter basic information about the other members of their group (first name, last name, and email).
On a program-by-program basis, you have the option of sending an email to the additional people listed so that they can complete the form by entering responses in the remaining fields. Go to Programs > (select a program to edit) > Registration > Advanced Options > Multi-person and check the box for Send email to additional registrants.
When checked, an email will be sent automatically to the additional people registered with a link to complete/update their registration details.
This email will not be sent to the primary registrant.
This email template is also used for remote registrations when that feature is enabled.
To configure the multi-person registration notification email to guests, go to Reg Settings > Email > Multi-person Notification Email.
Create custom email templates
In addition to the standard email templates available in Retreat Guru, you can configure custom email templates and easily apply them when sending an email to an individual (from their registration) or to many people via the bulk send feature.
Go to Reg Settings > Email > Email Templates.
For example, you may wish to create an email template named Getting Here as shown below.
Once configured, you may select this email template for use with a specific program.
For example, to use this email template for a pre-arrival email, go to Programs > (select a program to edit) > Email > Pre-arrival Emails.
The text from your email template will appear in the Message box. You can make modifications as desired - changes made to this copy of this email text will not affect the original content that you configured in Reg Settings.
Remember to Update the program to save your configuration.
Manually send an email
To manually send an email to a person related to their registration, go to Registrations > (select the appropriate registration) > Sent Messages.
The image above shows that Retreat Guru automatically sent the initial registration confirmation email to Digger Dandy.
To re-send this email, click on the Subject to open a new dialogue box, and then click on Resend message (at lower right) to view the email before it's actually sent.
At this point, the email has not been sent.
You will now see a copy of the email above the original email. You may modify this copy if needed. When you are ready, click on Send message to actually send this email.
Click on Save Changes.
You should now see the email just sent in the Sent Messages section.
If you wish to send an email using one of the standard templates or one of your custom email templates, click on Send a new message to Digger Dandy and choose the template.
If you wish to create an email from scratch, click on Send a new message to Digger Dandy, enter a Subject and Message, then click Send message.
Click on Save Changes.
You should now see the email just sent in the Sent Messages section.
Bulk email feature
To send an email to many people in a single action - to bulk email - you must first create a list of the intended recipients.
The Bulk Email Everyone in Results button mentioned in the sections below will not appear until you click on Apply Filter.
Bulk email from the Registrations view
Go to Registrations > Filters and Reports and choose the options that will yield the desired list.
For example, we set filters to show registrations with Stay Dates 13-19 June 2021, and with Reserved status to yield the following results.
To send an email to all participants listed in this view, click on Bulk Email Everyone in Results. Next, create an email from scratch or click on Insert Email Templates to choose a standard or custom email template.
In the example below, we selected Getting Here (a custom email template).
If you wish to remove one or more people from this mailing, just uncheck the box next to their name.
Click Send bulk email to send a personalized copy of this email to the people selected.
A copy of this email will appear in the admin view of each person's registration.
Bulk email from the People view
Go to People > Filters and Reports and choose the options that will yield the desired list. Proceed as described above for Bulk Email from the Registrations view.
Bulk email from Edit Program page
Alternatively, you may choose to Send bulk email while on the Edit Program page. This approach will automatically filter the results to include everyone who has registered for the program.
HTML email wrapper
To configure a header and footer that will be used to style all emails send from Retreat Guru, go to Reg Settings > Email > HTML Email Wrapper.
The sample code entered above would render the email shown below.
Notice to your team of a new registration
For every new registration, a notification email will be sent to the address you specify at Reg Settings > Email > Registrar's Email.
And, if you check the Notify Registrar box, a copy of all emails sent from Retreat Guru will be sent to the Registrar's Email address that you specify.
For some programs, you may wish to specify a different reply-to address for the sent emails. If so, check the Set Reply-to to Program Contact box on this page in Reg Settings, and at Programs > (select program to edit) > Information > Program Information enter a Contact Person and Email.
You may customize the emails sent to your Registrar when new registrations are received for programs and rentals at Reg Settings > Email > Registrar's Email > Advanced Options.
Rental inquiry notification
You may specify an email to receive a notification when a new rental inquiry is received at Reg Settings > Email > Registrar's Email > Advanced Options > Rental Inquiry Notification.
This rental inquiry notification only applies to the standard rental inquiry form - it does not apply if you use the alternative approach of configuring one or more special programs to collect information from people who inquire about your property.
However, you may achieve a similar result if you check the Set Reply-to to Program Contact box at Reg Settings > Email, and enter a Contact Person and Email at Programs > (select program to edit) > Information > Program Information. for the program(s) used to collect information from people who inquire about your property.
Guest edit notification
If you use Secondary Registration Form Questions as part of a two-part online registration process, you can configure an auto-email to be sent to your Registrar (or another address) when a guest updates their registration information.
Go to Reg Settings > Email > Guest Edit Notification.
In Reg Settings, you may set the global default to Enabled or Disabled.
You may override this global default on a program-by-program basis.
For example, if you set guest edit notification to Enabled in Reg Settings, you may choose to override this default (to disable) for a specific program. Or, if you set guest edit notification to Disabled in Reg Settings, you may choose to override this default (to enable) for a specific program.
To override the global setting, go to Programs > (choose a program to edit > Email > Guest Edit Email.
Expired personal credit notification
See also, Configuring and Using Personal Credit.
Configure the email address that will receive notifications when a personal credit has expired at Settings > Email Templates > Expired Personal Credit Notification.
The expiration date on a personal credit does not actually expire the credit - you, as an admin user, may still apply it to a registration. This notification is just intended as a reminder - you may want to contact the person and encourage them to give them one last chance to apply it to a future program!
A sample notification is shown below. The content of this internal email is fixed - you do not have the option of modifying the content.
Room repair notification
Admin users may create a new entry in the Room Repair - Report Issue log for a specific room. Go to Rooms > (choose a room to edit) > Room Repairs.
You can configure the email address to receive a notification when a new issue has been logged. Go to Reg Settings > Email Templates > Room Repair Notification.
A sample notification email is shown below.
We love email! What are the best practices that you follow in your email communication? We'd love to hear from you - contact your friendly support guru.