An ETA notification is a message sent to a customer when a technician leaves for their job, giving an estimated time of arrival. It is often called an on-my-way text or en route notification.
How it differs from the arrival window
The arrival window is promised at booking, often days ahead. It has to cover everything that might happen before the tech arrives: earlier jobs running long, drives taking longer at that hour, the start of the day slipping.
The ETA notification is sent when most of that has already happened. The earlier jobs are done. The tech is in the truck. What's left is one drive. That is why it can carry a much tighter estimate than the window. In our arrival window math guide's illustrative example, the spread in front of a fourth stop falls from about 55 minutes to about 10 once only the last drive remains.
What a good one says
- The tech's name. The customer knows who is coming to the door.
- An arrival time, not a range, when you can. "Arriving about 2:40" is more useful than "on the way."
- What to do if the time doesn't work. A reply option or a number.
- Nothing that changes the job. Prices, scope and upsells belong elsewhere.
When to send it
Send it when the tech actually leaves the previous job, not on a timer. A message sent at a fixed time before the window opens carries the same uncertainty as the window itself. Tie it to a status the tech sets ("on my way") so the clock starts from a real event.
If the estimate changes by more than a few minutes, send an update. One correction beats a customer who waited by the door.
A common mistake
Using the ETA message to cover for a window that was never reachable. If the booking promised a time the day couldn't make, the on-my-way text just announces the lateness earlier. Fix the booking first, with travel time scheduling, then use the ETA message to tighten an honest promise.
In CrewLink
CrewLink, in early access, texts the customer when the tech is on the way, with an ETA. The tech app has an on my way status for exactly this moment. Texts go to US and Canadian mobile numbers. Customers also get texts at booking confirmation, 24 hours before, when the job is moved or cancelled, when an invoice is sent, and a review link after the job.
Business texting has consent rules. Check what applies to you before sending.
What to take away
- An ETA notification is sent when the tech heads out, with only one drive left to go wrong.
- It can promise far more tightly than the arrival window set at booking.
- Trigger it from the tech's on my way status, not a timer, and update it if the time slips.
- It narrows an honest window; it can't rescue a time that was never reachable.
Related terms
- Arrival window is the promise the ETA notification narrows.
- On-time arrival rate can be measured against the window or the last ETA sent.
- Field service customer communication covers the rest of the messages around a job.
Common questions
What is an on-my-way text?
A message sent when a technician leaves for a job, telling the customer the tech is on the way and roughly when they'll arrive. It's the same thing as an ETA notification or en route notification.
Does an ETA text replace a shorter arrival window?
No. It complements it. The window is the promise the customer plans their day around; the ETA text is the precise update once the tech is moving. Customers still need a window they can trust.
How accurate should a technician ETA be?
Accurate enough that the customer is ready when the tech arrives. Because only one drive remains, it should be much tighter than the window. If ETAs are often off by more than 10 or 15 minutes, check how the drive is estimated.