The notification system in TheServiceProgram Online allows you to craft custom message templates and then send those to either your Route customer or Task customers.

Part 1: Creating the notification template

Step 1: Navigate to Settings > System Settings > Notifications

Step 2: Click on 'New Message'

Step 3: Name your template

This is how the message will appear when choosing which message to send within the system

Step 4: Fill out the Subject of the message

This is the subject line of the email that the customer will see when receiving this message

Step 5: Fill out the Body of the message you wish to create a template for

You can select 'Placeholders' from the drop-down menu above the body to insert the customer's information as pulled from their profile. This alleviates the need to customize every message to a particular customer.

Step 6: Click 'Create Message'

Once a message is created you can edit it further by clicking the blue pencil icon on the Notifications page.
You can also delete a message template by clicking the red trash icon.

Part 2: Setting the notification method for the customers

Step 1: Navigate to Customers > Customer List > the customer you need to edit the notification method for

Step 2: Scroll down on the customer detail tab and make the appropriate selection under 'Notification Method'

Part 3: Setting the additional contacts to update on sync. (QuickBooks Desktop Only, QuickBooks Online users skip to Part 3b)

Step 1: Navigate to the QuickBooks Dashboard.

Step 2: Click on the Settings tab and make sure the 'Build Additional Contacts on Sync' box is checked.

Step 3: You will need to perform a Reload of your customer list and then a sync in order to see these changes take effect.

More information about syncing with QuickBooks Online can be found here. For syncing with QuickBooks Desktop more information can be found here.

Part 3b: Manually configuring customer accounts to receive notifications (Don't skip even if you synced the additional contacts from QB)

Navigate to Customers > Customer List > then click the name of any customer to enter their profile
In their profile scroll down and look for the 'Notification Method' setting on the bottom left. This MUST be set to receive in-system notifications.
After that, scroll up and click on the 'Additional Contacts' tab. If you followed Part 3 and had those additional contacts setup already you will see them here. If not you can simply add a new one with the '+' icon on the right.
Once the contact is created you need to click the pencil icon next to their name to edit them.
In this window make sure that the Notification By setting matches what you selected as the Notification Method of the customer's account.
Additionally at the bottom of this window you must have a valid email and/or phone number (depending on your notification settings) and you must check the 'Preferred' box next to that email or number.
A customer's account requires all 3 components are in place for notifications to work; Notification Method on the main customer detail tab, Notify By in the Additional Contact's edit menu, and a valid number/email that is marked preferred in that window as well.

Part 4: Sending the notification to customers on the Route Schedule

Step 1: Navigate to Routes > Route Schedule

Step 2: Access the table menu just above the table

Step 3: Select 'Notify Stops'

Step 4: Select the Route, Date, and Category of Route Stops that you wish to notify

Excluding customers with Pending Orders will ignore any customer who already has an invoice in the system with a date the same as the date you are referencing when sending the message.

Step 5: Select the message you wish to send.

You can edit anything in the body of the message that you are about to send without changing the master template contained in the settings. E.g. Feel free to add 'Happy Holidays' to messages being sent around that time.

Part 5: Sending the notification to customers with Tasks assigned to them

Step 1: Navigate to Tasks > Pending Tasks

Step 2: Access the table menu just above the table

Step 3: Select 'Bulk Notify Customers'

Step 4: Select the Date range and type of Tasks you wish to notify

Step 5: Select the message you wish to send.

You can edit anything in the body of the message that you are about to send without changing the master template contained in the settings. E.g. Feel free to add 'Happy Holidays' to messages being sent around that time.