Automation gets a bad rap because most people automate the wrong things — or automate with zero personality. "Dear Valued Customer, your payment is overdue." Thanks, robot. Very warm.
Automate the timing, not the relationship
What should be routine: sending the invoice when work is done, and a reminder once an invoice is overdue. Plus emails overdue invoices at 1, 7, 14, and 30 days past due. QuickBooks stays the books — Plus can import your existing customers, products, and expenses once, and it does not keep syncing after that. What should stay human: the first conversation, the apology when something goes wrong, the thank-you when someone pays early.
Write templates that sound like you
Start with your actual voice. "Hey [Name], hope the kitchen remodel is going great — here's the invoice for phase 2" beats generic corporate filler. Save it as a template, reuse it forever.
Let Lux handle the nudge
Lux drafts follow-ups from your invoice data and waits. Nothing sends until you approve it. Overdue reminders on the fixed schedule go out on their own, so you are not copy-pasting "just checking in" at 10pm.
The 48-hour rule
Automate invoice delivery within 48 hours of job completion. Every day of delay is lost momentum. If you're tracking time in Plus, converting hours to an invoice is a few taps.
When NOT to automate
Big accounts, disputed invoices, or clients going through something personal — pick up the phone. Automation is for the repetitive 80%, not the relationship-critical 20%.
Ready to automate the boring stuff? See Plus invoicing or start free.