Hey Tomo
E-bookWin-BackEvery business has customers who used to come in and then, quietly, stopped. Most of them did not decide to leave. Life got busy, a new shop opened nearer, or they simply forgot. A short, friendly message at the right moment brings many of them back. This e-book shows you how to spot the moment for your kind of business, and gives you twelve journeys you can copy.
Every journey here uses marketing messages, unless we say otherwise. That means they go only to customers who agreed to hear from you, never to anyone under 18, and never during quiet hours.
Chapter 1Why customers go quiet
When a regular stops coming, it is tempting to assume they are unhappy. Sometimes they are. Much more often, the reasons are ordinary:
- Life changed. A new job, a new baby, exams, a move across town.
- Habit broke. They missed one visit while travelling and never restarted.
- Convenience won. A new place opened nearer, or an app delivered faster.
- They forgot. Not you, but the reason to come back now.
- Something went wrong. A late delivery, a rushed haircut, a long wait. They did not complain; they just did not return.
Only the last one is about you, and even then a kind message gives you a chance to fix it. A good win-back message does three things: it reminds them you exist, gives them a reason to come back now, and makes it easy to say yes, or to tell you what went wrong.
Why it is worth the effort
Someone who already knows your shop, your staff and your quality is far easier to bring back than a stranger is to win. They know the way to your door. They already trust you. And the conversation you start often tells you something about your business you would never hear otherwise.
Defining “quiet” for your business
"Quiet" means something different for every business. A customer who has not bought milk in two weeks has gone quiet. A customer who has not booked a holiday in two weeks has not.
Use each customer's own rhythm
The most reliable way to define quiet is to look at a customer's own normal gap between visits or orders, and call them quiet when the current gap is clearly longer. A simple rule many businesses start with:
A customer is quiet when it has been about twice their usual gap since their last visit.
A weekly shopper becomes quiet after two weeks. A monthly salon client becomes quiet after two months. You do not have to guess one number for everyone. In Hey Tomo, a customer's visit history and orders sit on their profile, and you can build a segment on "days since last order" or similar properties.
Starting points by business
If you do not yet have enough history, these are sensible places to start. They are not industry figures; treat them as a first guess and adjust once you see your own data.
| Business | Typical rhythm to look at | A first guess at "quiet" |
|---|---|---|
| Kirana store | Weekly or fortnightly orders | Twice their usual gap |
| Café | Several visits a week | Three weeks without a visit |
| Restaurant | Visits every few weeks | Twice their usual gap |
| Salon | Cut or treatment every 4 to 8 weeks | One and a half times their usual gap |
| Clinic | Follow-up or check-up dates | Two weeks past the due date |
| Gym | Check-ins per week | Two weeks with no check-in |
| Coaching centre | Class attendance | Three missed classes in a row |
| D2C brand | When the last pack should run out | One week past that date |
| Pharmacy | Monthly repeat prescriptions | Five days past the refill date |
| Travel | The same season each year | Eight weeks before that season |
| Subscription app | Renewal date | Five days after a lapse |
Leave some people out
- Customers who opted out of marketing, or never opted in.
- Anyone under 18. They never get marketing.
- Customers with an open complaint. Fix the complaint first, by a person.
- Customers who got another marketing message from you in the last few days.
How each journey is built
Each of the twelve journeys in this e-book has the same six parts. Once you can see them, you can design your own.
- TriggerThe moment the journey starts: a customer becomes quiet by your definition.
- WaitWhen the first message goes, and how long before any follow-up. Waits always respect quiet hours, so a message due at night waits until the morning.
- MessagesOne or two short messages. The first is warm and specific; the second, if any, gives them an easy way to answer or to say goodbye.
- GoalWhat counts as success: a visit, a booking, an order, a reply.
- Stop ruleWhen the journey ends early. Every journey stops as soon as the customer comes back, replies, or opts out.
- HoldoutA small random group that does not get the journey, so you can tell whether it worked. Chapter 7 explains why.
The messages below are WhatsApp examples. They show the shape and tone; change the names, details and voice to fit your business. If you use SMS, you may send only templates your own business has registered on DLT, word for word. Hey Tomo never writes or rewrites SMS text. It can offer ready-made wording marked "Needs registration", which you register yourself before it can be used.
When they reply
A reply is the best thing a win-back message can get, even a reply that says "not interested". Every journey here stops on a reply and hands the conversation to a person or your AI employee. A few habits help:
- Answer quickly. A customer who replies "yes, Saturday" and hears nothing until Monday is lost twice.
- Listen for the reason. "I moved to Pune", "the last delivery was late", "my son finished his exams". Note it on their profile. It tells you whether to try again, and when.
- Fix what went wrong. If they had a bad experience, apologise and offer to put it right before you offer anything else.
- Say thank you to a goodbye. A graceful exit leaves the door open, and people do come back.
Writing your own
If your business is not on the list, build your own from the same six parts. Start with the customer's rhythm, write the message you would send if you noticed them missing in person, keep it to two messages at most, and decide in advance what counts as success.
You will find ready versions of several of these in our journey templates, and a step-by-step for building one in Build your first journey.
Chapter 4Journeys for shops and food
Shops and food businesses see customers often, so "quiet" arrives quickly and the message can be light. These five journeys suit kirana stores, restaurants, cafés, D2C brands and pharmacies.
1. Kirana: the missed weekly basket
A neighbourhood store knows its regulars by their lists. When a weekly customer misses two or three weeks, a personal note from the owner works better than any offer.
- Trigger
- A customer who ordered at least three times in the last two months has not ordered for twice their usual gap.
- Wait
- Send on the next morning after the trigger, inside your daytime hours.
- Goal
- A reply, or an order within ten days.
- Stop rule
- Stop at the first reply or order. Stop after the second message either way.
The second message gives them a graceful way to say goodbye. Customers remember that.
2. Restaurant: the regular table
Diners who used to come every couple of weeks are worth a personal invite, especially before a weekend.
- Trigger
- A customer with at least three visits or delivery orders has not visited in about twice their usual gap.
- Wait
- Send on a Thursday afternoon, so they can plan the weekend.
- Goal
- A booking or a visit within two weeks.
- Stop rule
- One message only. If they do not reply, wait at least a month before any other marketing.
3. Café: the morning coffee
Café regulars run on habit. When the habit breaks, it often never restarts. A loyalty reminder is a gentle way to bring it back.
- Trigger
- A customer who visited at least weekly has not visited for three weeks.
- Wait
- Send mid-morning on a weekday, not at 7 am.
- Goal
- A visit within ten days.
- Stop rule
- One message. Stop if they visit or reply.
Only mention loyalty stamps or points the customer really has. Hey Tomo can read them from the customer's profile.
4. D2C brand: the reorder that never came
For a brand selling products that run out, such as tea, skincare or pet food, the natural trigger is the day the last pack should be finishing.
- Trigger
- The expected end date of the last order passes with no reorder, plus a week.
- Wait
- Day 0, then 5 days.
- Goal
- A reorder within two weeks, or a reply.
- Stop rule
- Stop at a reorder or reply. Never send more than two.
The second message asks for feedback instead of pushing again. You learn why people stop, which helps the next customer.
5. Pharmacy: the refill reminder
For a customer on regular medicines, a missed refill matters for their health, not just your sales. Keep the wording discreet: never name the medicine or the condition in the message preview.
- Trigger
- A repeat prescription's expected refill date passes by five days with no purchase, and the customer agreed to refill reminders.
- Wait
- Day 0, then 4 days.
- Goal
- A refill picked up or delivered.
- Stop rule
- Stop at a reply or a purchase. Stop at two messages.
This is a reminder, so it keeps quiet hours. Ask for consent to refill reminders separately from offers, and keep health details out of marketing altogether.
Chapter 5Journeys for appointments and memberships
Salons, clinics, gyms and coaching centres run on appointments and memberships. Their customers have a natural rhythm, and the win-back message can point to the next slot.
6. Salon: the overdue cut
Most salon clients have a rhythm: a haircut every five or six weeks, colour every two months. When the rhythm slips, offer them their usual stylist.
- Trigger
- No booking for one and a half times the client's own usual gap between visits.
- Wait
- Day 0, then 6 days.
- Goal
- A booking within three weeks.
- Stop rule
- Stop at a booking or reply. Two messages at most.
7. Clinic: the missed follow-up
For a clinic, a win-back is really care. A patient who missed a follow-up or a six-monthly check-up deserves a calm reminder, not a sales message.
- Trigger
- A follow-up or routine check-up date passes by two weeks with no visit booked, and the patient agreed to care reminders.
- Wait
- Day 0, then 10 days.
- Goal
- A visit booked.
- Stop rule
- Stop at a booking or reply. Two messages at most.
Never mention a diagnosis or treatment in the message text. For a patient under 18, the reminder goes to their parent or guardian, and they get no marketing at all.
8. Gym: the member who stopped coming
Members often stop coming long before their membership ends. Reach out while they still have time left, and lead with care, not a renewal pitch.
- Trigger
- An active member has not checked in for two weeks.
- Wait
- Day 0, then 7 days.
- Goal
- A check-in within two weeks.
- Stop rule
- Stop at the first check-in or reply. Stop if they say they are travelling or unwell, and set a gentle check-in later instead.
9. Coaching centre: the student who missed classes
Coaching centres usually teach students under 18. That changes the rules: no marketing ever goes to them. What you can send is a service reminder about classes, to the parent or guardian.
- Trigger
- An enrolled student misses three classes in a row.
- Wait
- Send the same evening, before quiet hours begin.
- Goal
- The student is back in class, or the parent replies.
- Stop rule
- Stop at a reply or the student's next attendance. One message only; a person follows up by phone if needed.
Do not use this journey to sell a new course. For adult learners who opted in to offers, a separate marketing win-back is fine.
Chapter 6Journeys for trips, subscriptions and bills
Some businesses sell trips, subscriptions or financial services. The rhythm is longer and the stakes are different, so these journeys lean on timing and honesty.
10. Travel: the yearly holiday
Families often travel at the same time each year: summer holidays, Diwali, winter breaks. Reach out before they plan, not after they book elsewhere.
- Trigger
- A past customer who travelled with you last year, about eight weeks before the same season.
- Wait
- Day 0, then 10 days.
- Goal
- A reply or an enquiry.
- Stop rule
- Stop at a reply. Two messages at most this season.
11. Fintech: the bill reminder (a service message)
A loan EMI, a credit card or a utility bill reminder is a service message, not marketing. That means no offers, no cross-selling, and wording that sticks to the facts. On SMS it must use your own DLT-registered service template, word for word.
- Trigger
- A bill or EMI due date is three days away and the customer has not paid yet.
- Wait
- Day 3 before due, then on the due date.
- Goal
- Paid on time.
- Stop rule
- Stop the moment payment is received. Never send more than the reminders your terms allow.
Reminders keep quiet hours. Never use threatening language, and never mix a loan offer into a reminder. We have used a sample date only to show where the date goes.
12. Subscription app: the lapsed subscriber
When a subscription to a fitness, learning or meal app lapses, the customer has usually not decided against you. Their card failed, they were busy, or they forgot. Help first, sell second.
- Trigger
- A subscription ended or a renewal failed, and the customer has not renewed after five days.
- Wait
- Day 0 (in-app or push), then day 4 (WhatsApp or email).
- Goal
- A renewal, or a reply telling you why.
- Stop rule
- Stop at a renewal or reply. Two messages at most, then wait for the next natural moment, such as a new feature that solves their reason for leaving.
Measuring with a holdout, and not over-messaging
A win-back journey can look like a big success and still be doing very little. Some of the customers who came back would have come back anyway. The only fair way to know is to compare with a group who did not get the message.
Run every win-back with a holdout
Before a journey starts, set aside a small random slice of the customers who match the trigger. They get nothing. After a few weeks, compare the share of each group who came back. The difference is the journey's lift. Hey Tomo's Analyze section reports this as "did it work" lift for journeys that run with a holdout.
- Choose the holdout randomly. If you hand-pick, you will bias the answer.
- Keep it small enough not to lose many returns, but big enough to mean something. With only a few dozen customers per group, treat the result as a hint.
- Wait long enough. For a salon or a monthly kirana basket, a few weeks at least.
- Look at opt-outs alongside returns. A journey that brings back a few customers but drives many more to opt out is not working.
Do not over-message
The quickest way to lose a quiet customer for good is to chase them. A few habits keep win-back friendly:
- Two messages at most per win-back attempt. Then leave them alone for a good while.
- Space your marketing. Set a limit on how many marketing messages any one customer can get in a week, across all journeys and campaigns.
- Stop on any reply. A reply means a person should take over the conversation.
- Use one channel at a time. A WhatsApp message, an SMS and an email on the same day feels like pressure.
- Accept goodbye. If someone says they have moved or switched, thank them and stop.
Respect consent and quiet hours
Win-back messages are marketing. They go only to customers who agreed to marketing on that channel. Hey Tomo checks that consent before each message is queued and again when it is sent. They never go to anyone under 18. They keep quiet hours, so no offer arrives late at night or early in the morning. And a stop request in any words, including "band karo" or "mat bhejo", ends it at once.
For the full picture of the rules, read Consent-First Marketing in India and our guide Consent, opt-outs and quiet hours.