AI‑Drafted Win‑Back Automation that Reactivates Your Retail Customers

Below is a step‑by‑step walkthrough that shows exactly how a shop owner in a Tier‑2 city such as Ahmedabad would set up and run a win‑back automation for their grocery store, “Shree Kirana Store”.

1. Log in to the Ferbz dashboard
   Open the browser, go to https://dashboard.ferbz.com/, and sign in with the store’s credentials. The home screen shows the main navigation bar on the left: Dashboard, Billing, Customers, Automation, Broadcasts, Reminders, Reports.

2. Navigate to the Automation tab
   Click Automation. The page displays a list of existing journeys (if any) and a prominent Create New Automation button at the top right.

3. Start a new win‑back journey
   Press Create New Automation. A modal pops up with a single text field labelled “Describe your goal in plain English”. Type:

   win back anyone who hasn't ordered in 30 days
   

   Click Generate. Ferbz’s AI reads the goal and instantly drafts a three‑step journey:

   Step 1 – Wait 30 days after the last order
   Step 2 – Send WhatsApp message “Namaste! It’s been a while since your last purchase at Shree Kirana Store. We miss you. Use code WELCOME10 for 10 % off your next bill.”
   Step 3 – If no reply after 3 days, send a follow‑up “Still thinking? Here’s an extra 5 % off – code EXTRA5.”

   The draft appears on a visual canvas with draggable blocks for Wait, Message, Branch, and Message.

4. Edit the message to match the store’s tone
   Click the first Message block. The text editor opens; replace the generic text with the store’s branding:

   🙏 नमस्ते {{customer_name}}! Shree Kirana Store में आपका स्वागत है। 
   पिछले 30 दिनों में आपका कोई ऑर्डर नहीं आया, इसलिए हम आपको 10 % की छूट (कोड: WELCOME10) दे रहे हैं। 
   जल्दी आएँ, स्टॉक में आपके पसंदीदा दाल‑चावल अभी भी हैं! 
   

   Use the {{customer_name}} placeholder to personalize each WhatsApp.

5. Set the wait periods
   The first Wait block already shows “30 days after last order”. Confirm it. For the second Wait, click the block and change “3 days” to “2 days” – you want a quicker follow‑up for grocery shoppers.

6. Add a branch for positive replies
   Drag a Branch block after the first message. In the branch settings, choose “If customer replies with ‘YES’ or ‘कुर्सी’” (the store often receives “YES” or the Hindi word “कुर्सी” for “sure”). For the Yes path, add a Message block:

   🎉 धन्यवाद {{customer_name}}! आपका कोड WELCOME10 अभी सक्रिय है। आपका अगला बिल 10 % कम होगा। 
   

   For the No/No reply path, keep the existing follow‑up message.

7. Choose the trigger
   At the top of the canvas, there is a Trigger dropdown. Select “Days since last order” and enter 30. This tells Ferbz to enroll a customer the moment the 30‑day gap is reached.

8. Save and activate
   Click Save Journey. A confirmation toast appears: “Win‑back journey saved. 0 customers currently enrolled.” Switch the toggle Active to On. Ferbz now starts scanning the Customers database for anyone whose last order date is 30 days ago.

9. Verify enrollment on the Reminders board
   Go to the Reminders tab on the left navigation. The board lists three columns: Scheduled, Sent, Failed. You will see a line for each customer who just crossed the 30‑day threshold, e.g.,

   Customer: Ramesh Patel – Order #1023 – Scheduled for 2026‑09‑15 10:00 AM

   The status updates in real time as WhatsApp delivers the message (sent → delivered → read).

10. Monitor performance in Reports
    After a week, click Reports → Messaging Effectiveness. Filter by Journey: Win‑back 30‑day and date range 01‑Sep‑2026 to 07‑Sep‑2026. The table shows:

    Messages Sent: 124
    Delivered: 119 (96 %)
    Read: 105 (84 %)
    Conversions (order placed within 7 days): 18
    Revenue Recovered: ₹12,340

    This data helps the owner decide whether to tweak the discount amount or the follow‑up timing.

11. Top‑up credits for the campaign
    Each WhatsApp message costs 1 credit. The journey above will consume 2 credits per customer who receives both the initial and follow‑up messages, plus 1 credit for any reply‑based message. If the store expects 150 lapsed customers, they need roughly 300 credits. Go to Dashboard → Wallet, click Top‑up, choose the ₹299 pack (350 credits) via Razorpay, and confirm. The balance updates instantly.

12. Iterate
    If the conversion rate is lower than desired, return to Automation → Win‑back 30‑day, edit the message (maybe add a limited‑time offer), and Save. The changes apply to any future reminders; already‑sent messages remain unchanged.

Worked Example – Shree Kirana Store

• Store details: 30 sq ft shop in Ahmedabad, sells rice, dal, oil, and household items. Average daily turnover: ₹8,000.
• Customer base: 1,200 registered customers in Ferbz, most with phone numbers collected at checkout.
• Problem: 20 % of customers (≈240) have not ordered in the last 30 days, leading to an estimated ₹1.2 L loss per month.
• Goal: Recover at least 10 % of that lost revenue using win‑back automation.

Setup: Follow steps 1‑9 above, setting the discount code to WELCOME10 (10 % off) and a follow‑up code EXTRA5 (additional 5 % off).

Result after 30 days:

• Customers enrolled: 238 (all who crossed 30 days)
• Messages sent: 238 (initial) + 70 (follow‑up) = 308 credits used (₹99 = 100 credits, so ₹299 pack covered it).
• Orders placed: 27 customers returned, average basket ₹1,150.
• Revenue recovered: 27 × ₹1,150 = ₹31,050 (≈2.6 % of monthly turnover).
• Cost of campaign: ₹299 for credits + negligible time spent (≈2 hours to set up).

The owner sees a clear ROI: ₹31,050 recovered vs. ₹299 spent on credits, plus the intangible benefit of re‑engaging loyal shoppers.

Retail shops in Tier 2/3 cities often lose repeat business because they cannot remind customers when it is time to restock staples like rice, dal, or batteries. Before Ferbz, the owner would need to maintain a paper ledger, manually calculate the last purchase date for each customer, and then call or SMS them – a process that can take 4–6 hours per week and still miss many customers.

With the AI‑drafted win‑back automation:

• Time saved – The entire workflow (goal definition, message drafting, trigger setting) takes under 15 minutes. No manual spreadsheets or phone‑calls are required.
• Revenue recovered – In the Shree Kirana example, ₹31,050 was earned back in one month, while the cost of credits was ₹299. That is a ≈10,300 % ROI. Even a modest recovery of 5 % of lost sales translates to ₹6,000 recovered for a shop turning over ₹2 L per month, far exceeding the credit expense.
• Fewer manual errors – Because the reminder clock is calculated automatically from the order date, there is no risk of sending a “time‑to‑reorder” message too early or too late.
• Consistent brand voice – The visual canvas lets the owner edit the AI‑drafted template once, ensuring every WhatsApp carries the same store name, Hindi greeting, and discount code.
• Visibility and control – The Reminders board shows the exact status of each message, so the owner can instantly retry a failed send (e.g., if a number is temporarily unreachable) without digging into logs.

Overall, the automation converts a previously invisible, labor‑intensive task into a measurable, credit‑based campaign that directly tackles the pain point of drifting repeat customers.

Ready to stop losing repeat shoppers to the competition? Set up your first win‑back automation in minutes and start reclaiming revenue today. Sign up for a free trial at https://dashboard.ferbz.com/, top up your wallet with as few as 100 credits, and follow the step‑by‑step guide above. If you need help, our support team is just an email away at support@ferbz.com. Let Ferbz handle the reminders so you can focus on serving your customers in‑store.