Tip of the Week #76-How to Set Up an "Out of Office" SMS Workflow

Tip of the Week: Need to let leads know you’re away from the gym? Here’s how to automatically reply to SMS messages that come in after hours using a custom workflow inside Gym Lead Machine.

📍 Step 1: Create a New Workflow

  1. Head to your Gym Lead Machine Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Automations.
  3. Click + Create Workflow and choose Start from Scratch.
  4. Give your workflow a name like Out of Office SMS so you can easily come back to it later if needed.

🔁 Step 2: Set the Trigger

  1. Click + Add Trigger.
  2. Choose Customer Replied as the trigger.
  3. Set the channel to SMS.
  4. Click Save Trigger.

⏱ Step 3: Add a Short Wait

  1. Click the + to add a new step.
  2. Choose Wait and set it to 30 seconds.
  3. This gives the system a moment before checking the time and day.

🧠 Step 4: Add Time-Based Branching

Use the If/Else condition to filter based on the day of the week and time of day.

Weekdays Before 8 AM or After 6 PM

  1. Add an If/Else Branch.

    Set the condition:

    • Current Day of Week is Weekday
    • Time of Day is Before 8:00 AM OR After 6:00 PM

  2. In the “Yes” path, add a Send SMS step that says something like:

    “Thanks for texting! We’re currently out of office. We’ll get back to you during business hours.”

Saturdays Before 8 AM or After 12 PM

  1. Add another If/Else Branch.

    Set the condition:

    • Current Day of Week is Saturday
    • Time of Day is Before 8:00 AM OR After 12:00 PM
  2. Add a similar SMS reply in the “Yes” path.

Sundays (All Day)

  1. Add a final If/Else Branch.

    Set the condition:

    • Current Day of Week is Sunday
  2. Add your out-of-office message in the “Yes” path.

✅ Step 5: Add Your Default Path

If none of the above conditions are met (i.e., the lead texts during business hours), the workflow will end and your team can reply as normal.

💾 Step 6: Save & Publish

Don’t forget to click Publish and Save to activate your workflow!

This workflow is a great way to ensure leads feel acknowledged, even when you're not available to respond right away. Adjust the times and messages to fit your gym’s hours and voice!