The 3-Step Post-Order Email Chain
The automatic customer emails that fire 0, 3, and 7 days after an order is marked completed — what they do, how to customise, and how to turn off.
What It Does
Following up after a delivery is the highest-leverage retention action — but you don't have time to do it manually for every order. BakeOnyx automates three touches that branch intelligently on the customer's response.
The Three Steps
Day 0 — Thank-You Email
Fires the moment you mark the order completed. A short note thanking the customer with a summary of what they ordered and the total.
Why it matters: a personal thank-you within a day of pickup is rare in retail and memorable in small-business contexts.
Day 3 — Review Request
Three days after completion, a one-click 1–5 star rating email. The customer clicks a star, lands on a public review page, and optionally adds a written comment.
Reviews are stored against the order so you can see ratings and comments in your analytics.
Day 7 — Follow-up (branches on rating)
Four days after the review request, we look at what the customer did and choose one of four paths:
- 5-star AND you've set a Google Place ID → an email inviting them to leave a Google review. Your reputation compounds.
- 3 stars or below → an email to you (not the customer) with their name, rating, and any comment. Reach out personally and try to save the relationship.
- 4 stars → no email. We don't nag.
- No rating submitted → no email. We don't nag.
Per-Step Controls
Each of the four potential emails (thank-you, review request, 5-star Google invite, low-rating alert) has its own switch. Turn any one off without losing the others. Each has a Preview button that sends you a rendered sample first.
Customising the Content
Go to Settings → Email Templates and look for templates of these types:
post_order_thank_youpost_order_review_requestpost_order_five_star_invite
If you add a custom template, BakeOnyx uses it instead of the default. Available merge fields: {{customerName}}, {{bakeryName}}, {{orderNumber}}, {{total}}, {{currencySymbol}}, {{itemsList}}, {{reviewUrl}}, {{stars}}, {{googleReviewUrl}}, {{unsubscribeUrl}}.
Customer Opt-Out
Every email includes a signed Unsubscribe link. Clicking it flips the customer's growth email preference off — they'll still receive order confirmations and invoices. You can also set this manually on the customer's detail page.
Per-Order Skip
On any order's detail page there's a "Skip post-order emails" switch. Flipping it on cancels the chain for just that one order — useful for gift orders, staff orders, or orders where you've already followed up in person.
Google Place ID
For the 5-star follow-up to fire, you need your Google Place ID. Find it at Google's Place ID finder and paste into the Growth Emails settings page. Without it, the 5-star follow-up is skipped.
Resolution Order When a Step Fires
- Master "Post-order emails" toggle off → whole chain silent
- Order has "Skip post-order emails" on → entire chain cancelled for this order
- Customer has opted out (growth email or all-email opt-out) → cancelled for this customer
- Per-step toggle off → this specific step silently no-ops; chain continues to the next step
- Custom email template exists → use it; otherwise built-in default
What's Deferred
A Day 14 AI product recommendation email is planned (Growth+ tier) but needs the AI recommendation engine (Spec 041) to be ready. We've left space for it in the chain but it's not currently firing.
Related Articles
The summary, FAQ, and statistics in this section were compiled from public sources and reviewed by the BakeOnyx editorial team. AI-assisted research.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does BakeOnyx automate post-order communication?▾
BakeOnyx initiates a three-step email sequence automatically once an order is marked as 'Completed.' This sequence includes a thank-you email sent immediately, a review request three days later, and a final follow-up seven days after completion. The system intelligently adapts the final email based on the customer's previous rating, personalizing the engagement.
Can I customize the post-order emails sent by BakeOnyx?▾
Yes, BakeOnyx allows extensive customization of its post-order emails. You can access and edit templates for the thank-you, review request, and five-star review invite emails within the 'Settings → Email Templates' section of your dashboard. This ensures the messaging aligns with your bakery's brand voice and specific promotions.
What happens if a customer gives a low rating?▾
If a customer submits a rating of 3 stars or below, BakeOnyx sends an alert email directly to you, the bakery owner. This notification includes the customer's name, rating, and any comments provided. It allows you to proactively reach out to the customer to address their concerns and potentially salvage the relationship.
How does BakeOnyx encourage online reviews?▾
BakeOnyx encourages reviews through a dedicated email sent three days after order completion. This email features a simple one-click star rating system. Based on the rating, customers may be directed to a public review page to add comments or, if they leave a 5-star rating and a Google Place ID is configured, invited to leave a review on Google.
Can I disable specific emails in the post-order chain?▾
Absolutely. BakeOnyx provides per-step controls, allowing you to individually enable or disable each email in the post-order chain, including the thank-you, review request, and the five-star Google review invite. You can also preview each email before it's sent to ensure it meets your expectations.
How do I integrate my bakery's Google reviews with BakeOnyx?▾
To enable the automated invitation for 5-star reviews on Google, you need to provide your bakery's Google Place ID. This ID can be found using Google's Place ID finder tool and then entered into the Growth Emails settings page within BakeOnyx. Without this, the 5-star follow-up email will not trigger the Google review prompt.