Inside Cortex · Growth + Elite
The calendar that fills itself. While you're on the tools.
The Diary lets customers book jobs directly into your calendar. From your website, any time of day. No phone tag. No back and forth. Just a booking request, already in the system.
The problem
Booking a tradie shouldn't require three calls, two texts, and a follow up.
Customers find you on Google. They read your reviews. They decide they want to use you. Then they have to call. You don't answer. They leave a message, maybe. You call back. They don't answer. Someone texts someone. Eventually a time gets agreed on and written in a notebook somewhere.
Half the time one of you forgets. The customer has moved on to someone who made it easier to say yes.
And the person managing this phone tag admin is usually not you. It is whoever is holding the household together at 10pm. That is a lot of unpaid labour going into a booking process that does not have to work this way.
That's what The Diary fixes.What The Diary does
Customer picks a time. Booking lands in the calendar. Done.
The Diary is a 24/7 online booking system set up for your trade business. Here is what happens from the moment a customer finds your booking link.
They see your real availability
The booking page shows only the time slots that are actually open. No double booking. No back and forth confirming. They pick what works for them and the slot is held immediately. You and the office see the same calendar in real time. You on the app on your phone, the office on the dashboard.
Their details come through with the booking
Name, number, address, and what they need. All captured when they book. Their details go straight into The Pulse so you arrive at the job already knowing who you are seeing and what for.
Automatic confirmations and reminders go out
The customer gets an instant confirmation by SMS and email the moment they request a time. Reminder messages go out automatically before the appointment. No shows drop. You are not chasing anyone to confirm they are still on.
You call to confirm. Then the diary runs itself.
You get a notification. You or someone from the business calls the customer to confirm the job scope and timing. That is the one step that stays human, because trade jobs are not all the same size. Once confirmed, the reminders go out automatically and the job sits in the calendar, sorted.
Same customer. Two very different Tuesday mornings.
Without The Diary. And with it.
Without The Diary
- Customer finds you on Google at 9:30pm Sunday.
- Can't call. Decides to try in the morning.
- Calls Monday. Goes to voicemail. You call back. They don't answer.
- Eventually you swap texts to agree on a day.
- They no show. No reminder was sent. Admin: 40 minutes. Revenue: $0.
With The Diary
- Customer finds you on Google at 9:30pm Sunday.
- Clicks Book Now. Sees Tuesday slots. Picks 10am.
- Gets instant SMS confirmation the slot is held.
- You call Monday morning to confirm scope. Two minutes.
- Reminder goes Monday evening. Shows up Tuesday 10am. Job done.
Available on Growth and Elite. Set up in 14 days. Done for you.
Get The Diary in your business →The maths
What are deferred bookings costing you?
70% of appointments are made outside business hours. Without a booking option, those customers wait until morning and often book someone else. Enter your numbers.
Industry average: 4 per week
Avg job: $768 (ServiceSeeking 2026)
Industry average: 30% (MethodisAI 2026)
Missed and deferred bookings are costing you
$47,923
per year in unconverted work.
That is $3,994 per month walking out the door while you are on the tools.
Working: missed calls per week × 52 weeks × average job value × win rate. Conservative estimate. Sources: ServiceSeeking 2026, TradieScaler 2026, MethodisAI 2026.
Get The Diary capturing those bookings →Part of the system
Every part of Cortex feeds the next.
When a customer books through The Diary, their details flow automatically into The Pulse. That means you arrive at the job knowing who you are seeing, what they said they needed, and whether they have used your business before.
If a customer enquires through The Door but does not book immediately, The Chase follows up the quote automatically. The Diary is there waiting when they are ready to commit. Once the job is done, Halo sends a review request automatically. The Diary fills the calendar. Halo builds the reputation that fills The Diary again. That is the loop.
Cortex is built on infrastructure ranked in the global Top 100 by G2, named Best Enterprise CRM Solution at the 2025 MarTech Breakthrough Awards, and recognised by Deloitte as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America. The Diary runs on that same foundation. Tested at scale. Built for reliability.
Why I chose this platform →The Diary is included in Growth and Elite. Set up in 14 days. Done for you.
See pricing and get started →Common questions
Questions about The Diary
Can customers book jobs outside business hours?
Do customers see my actual availability when they book?
What happens after someone books?
Where can customers find the booking link?
Is The Diary suitable for emergency callout work?
Which Cortex tiers include The Diary?
Right, here's the thing.
The customer who just found you on Google is ready to book right now.
If there is no booking option, that moment passes. Find out what that is costing across a year of customers who were ready and found nothing to click.
Calculate your missed booking cost