It's easy for client conversations to get scattered, a question via WhatsApp, a booking change by text, a late notice by email. Barclo's messaging keeps all of that in one place. Every conversation lives inside Barclo, attached to the client's record, and accessible from your desktop or phone.
To open Messages: click Messages in the left-hand menu.
How the Messages area works
The Messages page has two panels: a conversation list on the left, and the active conversation on the right. Tap any conversation to open the full thread, with the most recent messages at the bottom and a reply box ready to type into.
Automated messages
Barclo sends certain messages automatically on your behalf, booking confirmations ("Booking confirmed · Group Walk, Fri 10 Jul at 08:00 🐾") and invoice notifications ("Invoice INV-000002 for £84.00 has been sent"). These appear in the conversation thread so you have a full record, including what was sent automatically. See Bookings and Invoices for what triggers these.
Starting a conversation
Click Start a message at the top of the Messages sidebar. Search for the client by name. Type your message and send. The client receives it via email (or SMS, if configured), and their reply comes back into Barclo.
You can also send a message directly from a client's profile page, open the client in the Clients section and look for the Messages panel there.
Broadcast messages
There's a Broadcast option in the Messages area. This lets you send a message to multiple clients at once, useful for announcements like "We're closed the week of 21 July" or "Prices are increasing from 1 September." Saves writing the same message individually to every client.
Notifications
When a client replies, Barclo notifies you, via a badge on the Messages menu item and an email notification to your address. The dashboard also shows a preview of unread messages so you can spot new replies without navigating to the Messages page.
The benefit of keeping it in Barclo: When a client asks "what time is my appointment on Thursday?" you can answer without switching apps, you have their booking right there. And a year from now, if there's ever a dispute about what was agreed, the full conversation history is in one place, attached to their record.
Solo and not using the messaging much? That's fine, it's there when you need it. Many owners use it mainly for the automated booking confirmations and only occasionally for direct conversations. Use it as much or as little as suits your working style.