You're scrolling the appointment book and notice that Mrs Tan, who came every six weeks for two years, hasn't been in since June. Nobody decided she'd stopped coming. She just did.
Under the PDPA's Do Not Call provisions, a marketing message to a Singapore number needs a check against the Do Not Call Registry within the last 21 days, unless the person gave clear and unambiguous consent you can show. That rule decides who you can message, and how.
The system, in four steps:
- Make a short list of customers who've lapsed past their usual gap.
- Check what each one agreed to when they booked.
- Send one personal message, not a blast, with a reason to come back.
- Record who replied, who rebooked and who asked you to stop.
A lapsed customer is someone past their usual gap
Every regular has a rhythm. A colour client might come every eight weeks, a lash client every three, a pilates member twice a week. A customer is lapsing when they've gone noticeably past that rhythm without a booking, not when a calendar month has passed.
Start with the people who matter most: customers who've visited at least three times. Once a month, list the ones who are a few weeks past their usual gap. For most small businesses that's a handful of names, which is why this works by hand. A colour client six weeks overdue is worth a message; a one-off visitor from last year probably isn't.
Check what they agreed to before you write
The Do Not Call rules cover marketing messages, which PDPC calls specified messages, sent to Singapore phone numbers by call, text or fax. You have two clean routes. Either the customer gave clear consent to hear about offers, and you kept a record of it, or you check their number against the registry and only message numbers that aren't listed. Registry results are valid for 21 days.
There's also an exemption for text messages sent during an ongoing relationship, where the message relates to that relationship, such as an active membership or a package with sessions left. PDPC says one-off transactions aren't enough to count. Someone who came once in March isn't in an ongoing relationship with you.
The simplest habit is to ask at booking: "Can we message you about offers and reminders to rebook? Reply YES." Keep the reply. Our PDPA chat checklist covers the rest of the consent and record-keeping basics.
One personal message beats a broadcast
A win-back message should sound like it came from the person who knows them. Mention what they usually book, give one reason to return, and make replying easy:
Hi Mrs Tan, it's Aisha from the salon. It's been a while since your last colour, so we've kept a few Saturday slots open next week. Reply with a time that suits you, or STOP if you'd rather not hear from us.
Offer something only if you'd offer it to anyone in their position, and say when it ends. Don't invent urgency you won't enforce.
A small reason beats a big discount
Discounts train customers to wait for the next one. A better reason is something useful: a new treatment that suits their hair, a quieter time slot, a therapist they liked who now has evening hours, or a reminder that their package has sessions left. If you do offer money off, keep it modest and tie it to a date.
The message also works better from the number they've always used. A message from an unfamiliar number looks like spam, however friendly it is.
Every reply goes into the record
Keep a simple sheet with five columns: name, last visit, date messaged, reply and outcome. Anyone who replies STOP, or asks you not to contact them, comes off the list for good. That's both the law and good manners. Check the sheet before each month's messages, so nobody who said STOP hears from you again by mistake.
After two or three months you'll see which messages bring people back, which services lapse most and which customers simply moved away. That's information no ad platform will give you.
When to stop chasing
Send one message and, if there's no reply, at most one gentle follow-up a few weeks later. After that, let them go. A customer who left because of a bad experience deserves a different conversation, ideally from the owner and by phone, not a discount code. Listen first, fix what you can, and only then ask whether they'd like to book again.
Frequently asked questions
Can I WhatsApp past customers about promotions in Singapore?
Only with care. Marketing messages to Singapore numbers fall under the PDPA's Do Not Call provisions, so you need either clear consent you can show, or a check against the DNC Registry within the last 21 days. Always honour a request to stop.
Does a past purchase count as consent to marketing?
No. PDPC treats one-off transactions as insufficient for the ongoing relationship exemption, and a booking is not consent to promotions. Ask separately and keep the reply.
How often should I message a lapsed customer?
Once, with a personal note, and at most one follow-up a few weeks later. After that, stop.
How Furoki can help
Furoki Concierge keeps customer conversations and bookings in one console your team controls, instead of scattered across staff phones. It answers from your approved prices and policies in English and 中文, books real slots and hands anything sensitive to your team. Website chat is live today, and WhatsApp on your own number is rolling out with our first pilot businesses.
See how Concierge keeps customer history in one place before you plan your first win-back list.
