Pre-visit information emails/SMS

Purpose

1.1. Inform upcoming aquarium visitors with essential details, such as visit date, address, parking, ticket rules, safety, offers, and reminders.
1.2. Enhance guest engagement and reduce no-shows by ensuring clear, timely communication before arrival.
1.3. Foster guest satisfaction and readiness by delivering tailored directions, weather tips, and policies via email or SMS.
1.4. Lower staff workload by automating repetitive guest notifications and information dispatches.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New visitor ticket purchased in the POS/reservation system.
2.2. Scheduled visit within a set window (e.g., 48–24 hours before event).
2.3. Manual trigger for updated info (e.g., new COVID guidelines).
2.4. Additional trigger based on visitor type (schools, VIPs).

Platform Variants

3.1. Twilio (for SMS)
• Feature/Setting: Messaging API — configure sender number; set recipient as customer number; message body built dynamically.
3.2. SendGrid (email)
• Feature/Setting: Mail Send API — authenticate with API key, use dynamic template, set recipient email, insert variables (date, time).
3.3. Mailgun
• Feature/Setting: Messages API — domain setup, API credentials, endpoint for sending transactional email with merge fields.
3.4. AWS SNS
• Feature/Setting: Publish action — select SMS, configure SMS attributes, publish message to user phone number.
3.5. Mandrill
• Feature/Setting: Send-message API — configure template, set merge vars for guest info, assign recipient.
3.6. Freshdesk Messaging
• Feature/Setting: Automated campaign — set API trigger via ticket status, map customer fields.
3.7. HubSpot
• Feature/Setting: Workflows → Email — enroll contact by date property, send scheduled pre-visit emails.
3.8. ActiveCampaign
• Feature/Setting: Automation builder — trigger on custom date field, sequence sends SMS/email.
3.9. Salesforce Marketing Cloud
• Feature/Setting: Journey Builder — event trigger set to reservation creation, send communication modules.
3.10. Constant Contact
• Feature/Setting: Email automation series — use RSVP trigger, insert event details from contact fields.
3.11. Klaviyo
• Feature/Setting: Flows → Event-triggered flow, map reservation event to pre-visit messaging template.
3.12. Zoho CRM
• Feature/Setting: Workflow rules — on record creation, execute email template via Send Mail action.
3.13. Google Cloud Functions
• Feature/Setting: Event-triggered HTTP function, connects with third-party email/SMS service API.
3.14. Microsoft Power Automate
• Feature/Setting: Scheduled flow — triggers on calendar/event app, sends mail/SMS via connectors.
3.15. Infobip
• Feature/Setting: Automated SMS/Email — events driven by API call; message templates linked to reservation data.
3.16. MessageBird
• Feature/Setting: SMS API — configure route for guest phone numbers; compose SMS from event info.
3.17. Intercom
• Feature/Setting: Automated outbound messages — rule-based trigger on booking date, multi-channel send.
3.18. Pipedrive
• Feature/Setting: Workflow automation — trigger when new activity is scheduled, send email reminder using templates.
3.19. Slack API
• Feature/Setting: Reminder bots — direct message guests (if using Slack for bookings) before visit.
3.20. WebEngage
• Feature/Setting: Journey campaign — reservation event, branch by channel preference, dispatch email/SMS.
3.21. Mailjet
• Feature/Setting: Transactional Email API — configure template ID, invoke API with guest parameters.
3.22. Plivo
• Feature/Setting: SMS API — authenticate, set 'src' and 'dst', insert custom message.
3.23. Sendinblue (Brevo)
• Feature/Setting: Automation workflows — event: new booking, action: send transactional email/SMS.

Benefits

4.1. Maximizes guest preparedness and reduces inbound queries.
4.2. Boosts attendance rates via timely, relevant reminders.
4.3. Enables personalization and multilingual options at scale.
4.4. Frees up staff resources with reliable, rule-driven automation.
4.5. Ensures compliance and consistent communication protocols.