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Contact RFM Trigger Block

The Contact RFM trigger starts an automation when a contact falls into a specific RFM category based on their Recency, Frequency, and Monetary behavior. Patch scores each area on a 1–5 scale, then uses those scores to place contacts into RFM segments like New, Promising, Loyal, At-Risk, and Lost—which match the RFM chart you see in reporting.

What’s in This Article

 

 

What This Trigger Does

The Contact RFM trigger fires when:

  1. Patch recalculates a contact’s RFM scores, and

  2. The contact falls into a defined RFM score/segment, and

  3. The automation receives the RFM event + contact information

In simple terms:
“Run this automation when a contact’s RFM status changes or matches a segment.”

 

 

When to Use This Trigger

Use Contact RFM when you want to:

  • Automatically engage at-risk or lost customers before they churn

  • Reward loyal customers to build repeat behavior

  • Nurture new and promising customers into regulars

  • Run different campaigns based on customer value/behavior without manual lists

  • Trigger win-back, loyalty, or VIP messaging based on RFM segments

 

 

When Not to Use This Trigger

Don’t use Contact RFM if you need a workflow tied to a specific event:

  • Order Finished → post-purchase flows (revenue + product detail)

  • Check-In Finished → visit-based flows

  • Calendar Event → time-based reminders tied to bookings

  • SmartLink Clicked → intent-based follow-up from link clicks

  • Contact Updated → field-change workflows (tags, preferences, email engagement)

A simple rule:

  • RFM = overall customer behavior patterns

  • Other triggers = one specific action

 

 

How RFM Scoring Works (1–5 Scale)

Patch scores each contact in three areas:

Recency (1–5)

How recently the contact took an action (usually a purchase).

  • 5 = very recent

  • 1 = a while time ago

Frequency (1–5)

How often the contact takes action (how many orders or visits over time).

  • 5 = very frequent

  • 1 = very infrequent

Monetary (1–5)

How much the contact tends to spend overall.

  • 5 = higher spender

  • 1 = lower spender

Patch then uses the combination of these scores (example: R=5, F=5, M=4) to group contacts into segments that match the RFM chart in reporting.

Example segment behaviors:

  • New → recent first-time customers

  • Promising → recent + starting to repeat

  • Loyal → frequent and consistent repeat customers

  • At-Risk → used to be active, now fading; at risk of being lost

  • Lost → no recent activity

 

 

Block Settings Explained

Details (Info Panel)

This section explains:

  • How the block is triggered

  • When to use this block

It’s informational only - no settings here change behavior.

Add Conditions

Use Add Conditions to control which RFM events trigger the automation.

Most common filters:

  • RFM Segment (example: Loyal, At-Risk, Lost, New, Promising)

  • RFM Sub-Segment (more specific groupings; "At-Risk Loyalist")

  • Recency / Frequency / Monetary scores (1–5)

  • RFM Value (combined score value)

Tip: If you only want to target one group (like At-Risk), filter by RFM Segment first. It’s the easiest way to control who enters.

Trigger Event Fields (What You Can Filter On)

The Contact RFM trigger includes RFM-specific event fields you can use in conditions, including:

Current values

  • Recency

  • Frequency

  • Monetary

  • RFM Average

  • RFM Segment

  • RFM Sub-Segment

  • RFM Value 

Previous values (for change-based targeting)

  • Recency (previous)

  • Frequency (previous)

  • Monetary (previous)

  • RFM Average (previous)

  • RFM Segment (previous)

  • RFM Sub-Segment (previous)

  • RFM Value (previous)

Other fields you may see:

  • Account ID

  • Blast/Automation ID

  • ID (Patch Internal)

  • Time
  • Type

Why previous values matter: you can trigger on movement like Loyal → At-Risk or Promising → Loyal, not just the current segment.

 

 

Common Use Cases

  • Win-back automation when someone becomes At-Risk

  • Reactivation offer when someone becomes Lost

  • VIP perks when someone becomes Loyal

  • Second-visit push for New customers

  • Segment-based messaging that keeps campaigns relevant (without manual lists)

 

 

What Data This Trigger Has Access To

Contact RFM includes:

  • Contact data (standard + custom fields)

  • RFM event data, including:

    • current R, F, M scores

    • segment/sub-segment

    • previous values (when available)

    • time of the scoring event

It does not include:

  • Order line items or product details (Order Finished does)

  • Check-in-specific context (Check-In Finished does)

 

 

Important Things to Know

  • RFM is designed for behavior-based lifecycle marketing (retain, win-back, reward).

  • RFM changes over time, so contacts can move between segments as behavior changes.

  • Use previous segment/value conditions if you only want to act when someone moves into a segment (example: “just became At-Risk”).

  • Pair with frequency controls and delays so you don’t message someone repeatedly if their score updates often.

 

 

Example Automations

Example 1: At-Risk Win-Back Offer

  1. Trigger: Contact RFM

  2. Condition: RFM Segment = At-Risk

  3. Send SMS/email: “We miss you—here’s a small perk for your next visit.”

  4. Delay: 3 days

  5. If no order/check-in → send reminder

 

 

Example 2: Lost Reactivation Campaign

  1. Trigger: Contact RFM

  2. Condition: RFM Segment = Lost

  3. Send message: “It’s been a while—want to come back this week?”

  4. Add tag: “Winback – Lost”

 

 

Example 3: Loyal Customer Reward

  1. Trigger: Contact RFM

  2. Condition: RFM Segment = Loyal

  3. Send message: “VIP perk unlocked 🎉 Show this at the counter.”

  4. Add tag: “Loyal – Rewarded”

 

 

Example 4: New → Second Order Push

  1. Trigger: Contact RFM

  2. Condition: RFM Segment = New

  3. Delay: 2 days

  4. Send message: “Want to come back? Here’s a link to book your next time.”

 

 

Best Practices

  • Start simple: build one automation per segment (New, Promising, Loyal, At-Risk, Lost).

  • Use previous segment conditions to avoid re-triggering (example: previous ≠ At-Risk AND current = At-Risk).

  • Keep offers consistent with the segment:

    • Loyal → perks/VIP

    • At-Risk → gentle nudge + small incentive

    • Lost → stronger offer + easy booking link

  • Combine RFM with other triggers for best results (example: RFM triggers win-back, Order Finished triggers upsell).

 

 

Changing RFM Settings (Dashboard Settings)

Before you use the Contact RFM trigger, make sure your RFM defaults are set in Dashboard Settings.

In Dashboard Settings → RFM: Required Information, you can configure:

  • Days Until Lost Customer (Recency “lost” threshold)

  • Average Order Value (AOV) (used when an exact order value isn’t available)

  • Which events should count toward RFM and attribution (example: Order Finished, Check-In Finished)

  • Customer Inclusions rules (which contacts are included in your RFM reporting)

Why “Days Until Lost Customer” matters most

The most important setting to review is Days Until Lost Customer because it determines when Patch considers a customer Lost based on their last activity.

This number varies by business and industry, and it directly impacts:

  • Which contacts land in Lost vs At-Risk

  • How customers are bucketed across the RFM chart

  • When win-back automations should start

Example: A seasonal attraction may choose a longer “lost” window than a weekly league or membership-based business.

Tip: If your RFM segments don’t feel accurate, start by adjusting Days Until Lost Customer first.