In a busy rental office, the tasks that get missed are rarely the ones in front of you; they are the ones due next week. Reminders in VEVS Car Rental Software create automatic follow-ups for upcoming dates, renewals, and deadlines, so the right customer or staff member is notified ahead of time without anyone having to keep it in their head.
What reminders do
A reminder is a scheduled notification linked to a maintenance task. Instead of relying on a wall calendar or a personal to-do list, you tell the system who should be contacted, how many days before the task date the message should go out, and which contact method to use. When the date arrives, the reminder is sent automatically to the chosen recipients.
This is particularly valuable for recurring fleet work such as servicing and inspections, where a missed date can put a vehicle off the road.
Where to access reminders
Open Fleet Operations and choose Reminders. The page shows a list of every reminder you have created. Click a row to edit an existing reminder, or use the Add Reminder path to create a new one.
The Reminders menu item is only visible when the corresponding module is enabled under Configurator and then Business Modules. If you cannot see the menu, check the module settings before assuming the feature is unavailable.
Who the reminder goes to
Under Send reminder to you can tick one or more recipient options. Combining them is allowed, which makes it easy to notify both the customer and a member of staff about the same task.
| Recipient option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Select customer | Sends the reminder to a specific customer. Tick it and use the Client search to choose the customer. |
| Customer at reminder time | Sends the reminder to the customer associated with the reservation at the moment the reminder fires. |
| User | Sends the reminder to one of your staff. Tick it and choose the person from the User dropdown. |
The distinction between Select customer and Customer at reminder time matters. The first is fixed at the moment you create the reminder, while the second follows the reservation, which is useful when the vehicle may be rented by different people over the coming weeks.
Task reference and timing
Every reminder is tied to a maintenance task through the Task reference field. The reminder is scheduled relative to that task's date rather than to a standalone calendar date, so if the task moves, the reminder moves with it.
Days before controls the offset and is required. Entering 3 schedules the reminder three days before the task is due. The value cannot be negative, which prevents a reminder from being scheduled after the work it is meant to prepare for.
Type selects the contact method: Email, Phone, or Other. Choosing the method deliberately helps your team understand at a glance whether the follow-up is an automated message, a call to make, or an internal note.
Reading the reminders list
Each row of the list shows the reminder's ID, who it is sent to, the linked task with its date and odometer reading, the Days before value, and its Type. The search box lets you find reminders by Client, Email, Task, or Type, which is the fastest way to answer questions such as which reminders are queued for a particular vehicle or which ones are configured as phone calls.
The list also shows the task date and odometer reading, giving each reminder a maintenance context.
How to create a reminder
- Open Fleet Operations and then Reminders.
- Open the add form, for example via Add Reminder from a maintenance task.
- Under Send reminder to, tick who should receive it and pick the customer or user.
- Confirm the Task reference, set the Days before value, and choose the Type.
- Click Save.
Creating the reminder from the task's own Reminders panel is often the smoothest route, because the task reference is already correct and there is no risk of linking the reminder to the wrong maintenance job.
What happens next
Once saved, the reminder appears in the reminders list and in the Reminders panel of its linked maintenance task. When the calculated time comes, it is sent to the chosen recipients using the selected method. You can edit or delete a reminder at any time, so a change of plan does not leave a stale notification in the queue.
Rules and special cases
- A reminder must have at least one recipient: a specific customer, a user, or the customer at reminder time.
- Days before is required and cannot be negative.
- Recipients can be combined, for example notifying both a customer and a staff member for the same task.
- Editing is only available to users with permission to manage reminders.
- The menu itself depends on the module being enabled in the Configurator.
Business benefits
Fewer missed dates
Automatic follow-ups remove the dependency on individual memory and make service and renewal deadlines visible before they become urgent.
Better customer communication
Customers appreciate a timely heads-up about an upcoming service or return-related task, and a prepared customer is easier to deal with at the counter.
Less downtime
Warning your team a few days ahead gives them time to order parts, book a workshop slot, or arrange a replacement vehicle.
Clear accountability
Each reminder records who it goes to and which task it belongs to, so ownership is explicit rather than assumed.
Practical use cases
Scheduled servicing. Link a reminder to the maintenance task for an oil change or inspection and set it several days before the due date. The workshop receives advance notice, and the vehicle is less likely to be booked out when it needs to be in the garage.
Customer-facing follow-ups. Use Customer at reminder time when the message should reach whoever is renting the vehicle when the reminder fires. This is helpful for tasks that depend on the current rental rather than on a fixed customer relationship.
Renewals and deadlines. Any dated obligation attached to a maintenance task can carry a reminder, which keeps renewals from depending on a paper diary. The type field lets you distinguish an email that goes out automatically from a phone call your team still has to make.
Coordination between departments. Ticking both a customer and a user means the customer receives the notice while an internal colleague receives the same heads-up. That dual visibility reduces the chance of a conversation starting from scratch.
Setup and configuration considerations
Start by confirming that the Reminders module is enabled under Configurator and then Business Modules. Without it, the menu item will not appear and staff may conclude that reminders are broken when they are simply switched off.
Next, review your maintenance tasks. Because every reminder needs a task reference, the quality of your task list directly affects how useful reminders can be. A task with a clear date and a recorded odometer reading gives the reminder a solid anchor and gives staff useful context.
Think about permissions as well. Editing is restricted to users who can manage reminders, so decide which roles may change timing and recipients, and which should only read the list.
Best practices
- Set a reminder a few days before each scheduled service so your team has time to order parts or contact the customer.
- Use Customer at reminder time when the reminder should reach whoever is renting the vehicle at that moment.
- Create reminders from the task's own Reminders panel so the link to the right task is established automatically.
- Choose the contact method honestly. Marking a follow-up as a phone call when it is really an automated email blurs accountability.
- Review the list regularly and delete reminders for tasks that have been cancelled or rescheduled beyond recognition.
- Combine recipients only when both parties genuinely need the notice, to avoid notification noise.
- Use the search box by client, email, task, or type to audit coverage before a busy season.
Conclusion
Reminders are a small feature with a large operational effect. By tying a notification to a maintenance task, choosing the right recipients, and setting a sensible number of days before the due date, you build a reliable early-warning system for your fleet. The result is less downtime, clearer accountability, and customers who hear from you in time rather than after the fact.