Reply to new website leads instantly
“People fill out the contact form on our site, but by the time I reply a few hours later, they've already booked with someone else.”
Lead Management
Bring back past clients automatically
“Clients come in once or twice and then drift away, and I don't have time to personally reach out to hundreds of people.”
The short answer
Create a 'win-back' email automation that automatically emails any client who hasn't booked an appointment in the last 6 months. It costs significantly less to re-engage an old client than to acquire a new one. A simple, personal-sounding email checking in and offering an easy way to book a touch-up or check-in appointment will reliably convert a percentage of your dormant list into active revenue every month.
- ~2 hours/week back (estimated)
- 45 minutes to set up
- Medium difficulty
How we estimated that: Assumes 2 hours a month currently spent building lists and writing one-off win-back messages. This is a model, not a measurement — check it against your own numbers, because if the assumption does not match your business the figure will not either.
What you'll need
- Mailchimp free tier
Free tier includes basic automations.
Free until: 250 contacts and 1,000 email sends/mo on the Free plan (daily limit 500 emails). Sending is paused when limits are exceeded.
Watch the pricing: Essentials from $13/mo for 500 contacts (1,000 monthly sends); Standard from $20/mo for 500 contacts (6,000 monthly sends). 14-day free trial on Standard/Essentials reverts to paid unless downgraded. Overages apply on paid plans if contact/email limits are exceeded.
Pricing checked 2026-08-02 — source. - Klaviyo free tier
Great for e-commerce, but works well for service businesses too.
Free until: Up to 250 active profiles, 500 email sends/month, $5 credit of mobile messages/month (SMS). Email support is limited to the first 60 days.
Watch the pricing: Paid plans scale by contacts/sends: e.g. Email plan starts at $20/mo (up to 500 contacts, 5,000 monthly email sends). Email + SMS plan starts at $35/mo. When free limits are hit, sending stops until upgraded.
Pricing checked 2026-08-02 — source. - Booking System CRM
Tools like Boulevard or Mindbody have native 'client retention' campaigns.
Pricing checked 2026-08-06 — source.
We are not paid by any tool listed here. If a cheaper or better option exists, that's what you'll see.
Pricing above was checked between 2026-08-02 and 2026-08-06. Vendors change their terms without notice, and free tiers do get withdrawn. We take no money from any vendor listed here. If something on this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Watch the quick setup (29s)
Original tutorial by Larry Snow · Watch full video on YouTube →
How to set it up
- Segment your audience
Create a rule in your email tool for 'Last Appointment Date is more than 180 days ago'.
- Write the email
'Hi [Name], we realized it's been a while since we saw you! Just checking in to see how everything is going. If you're due for a visit, you can grab a spot here: [Link].'
- Automate the trigger
Set the campaign to send automatically whenever a contact meets the 180-day criteria.
- Monitor replies
Ensure replies go to an inbox you actually check, as some will write back directly.
Common questions
- Should I include a discount?
- You can, but test it without one first. Often, people just forgot to book and only needed the reminder.
- Which email CRM tools allow free automatic win-back email sequences?
- Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign allow simple single-step automated email triggers, while MailerLite or HubSpot Free allow entry-level drip campaigns for inactive clients.
Last reviewed 2026-07-30. Tools change — if something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.
Related fixes
Got a different problem?
Using 3+ disconnected tools?
Stop duct-taping your business together. Book a Discovery Session — if we can't find you four hours a week, we refund the fee and you keep everything we found.