Sending appointment reminders helps clients efficiently plan their time and schedule around an upcoming appointment. This way, they always know when their meeting time is approaching and can be ready for their appointment. The best practices for incorporating appointment reminders are definitely worth studying, especially when so many businesses have reported fewer no-shows and higher client satisfaction after adding appointment notifications to their communication workflow.
In this article, we’ll overview:
- the benefits of using automated appointment reminders
- the main types of automated appointment reminders
- the nuts and bolts of setting up automated notifications
- the best appointment reminder software
Keep reading to learn how to efficiently remind clients of appointments.
How automated appointment reminders can boost your business
Businesses are always looking for ways to improve their performance and spend fewer resources to get better results. That’s why so many companies have embraced automation, especially for routine communication tasks.
Automated appointment reminders have become the norm for almost every service industry.
There are multiple ways your business can benefit from an automated appointment reminder system. Let’s check out their main advantages.
1. Fewer no-shows
As you may know, the non-attendance rate often varies for each industry. However, using even the most simple reminders was reported to cut the non-attendance rate by 34%. If you struggle with clients skipping appointments and late cancellations, you can choose any type of appointment reminder, from calls to text messages, and your no-show rate will decrease.
2. Higher client satisfaction
Client satisfaction goes hand in hand with a positive experience during your client’s interaction with your service. This interaction necessarily includes the means you use for communication and the ease of use when your clients are tasked to do something (prepare for an upcoming appointment, give their consent for your services, or read the necessary onboarding instructions in a short time).
According to a Phreesia survey, 48% of the respondents said they would rather get a text than any other kind of notification when it comes to appointment reminders.
Of course, these statistics refer to both online and offline services, so making a call or a physically mailed reminder sometimes is not an option if the service is provided mainly online. Also, you should take into account that these statistics generalize the preferred experience of different age categories, so you have to make sure that the appointment notification type you use is most suitable for your business.
However, the fact is that most people will expect you to send them an appointment reminder.
3. Increased client loyalty
Having a strong connection with your clients is crucial to achieving client loyalty. You can maintain this connection by using tools to personalize communication and using automation tools. Automated appointment reminders should become a part of your communication strategy that is aimed at resolving your clients’ concerns and helping them get the most from your services. This way, your clients will keep coming back.
4. Saving resources
If it’s possible to cut resources and get the same results, why not do it? With automated appointment reminders, you reduce redundant communication, saving your time for more important matters. You also no longer need third-party assistance to remind your clients of upcoming appointments, which is perfect for small business maintenance. All the matters that should be automatically covered in communication can be included in automated emails and text messages.
5. More privacy
Using phone calls to remind your clients of upcoming appointments isn’t always effective. Some people don’t have an opportunity to speak over the phone during the day, or they can be simply unable to discuss private matters over the phone when they are at work. Automated text reminders are a good alternative to personal phone calls. However, remember that this preference might depend on your clients’ expectations and prior experiences.
6. Better organization for service providers
Some applications let you not only schedule appointments and notify clients about upcoming meetings but also offer you versatile notifications that can remind you about various events, from new bookings or booking status changes to signed documents, rescheduled meetings, or cancellations. Thus, appointment reminders, as well as other in-app notifications keep you in the loop and help you better manage your workflow.
Types of automated appointment reminders
There are three types of automated appointment reminders, and it’s difficult to tell which one will work best for your client. Check out the table below to learn about the pros and cons of each option to see which will best suit your clients.
| Appointment reminder type | PROs | CONs |
|---|---|---|
|
|
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| Text message |
|
|
| In-app reminder |
|
|
| Call |
|
|
As you can see, each of the appointment reminder types has its advantages and disadvantages. We recommend you use a combination of several notification methods to ensure your clients won’t miss their meetings.
How to set up automated appointment reminders
As we’ve already learned, there are many ways to alert your client about an upcoming appointment. The next step is learning how to set up an automated appointment reminder system and determining how frequently you should send notifications.
Basic calendars and telecommunication platforms like Zoom and Google Meet sometimes send notifications before scheduled meetings. It’s best to check if the software you choose to use offers these notifications:
Let’s overview each of the above in detail.
A confirmation email
Once your client books an appointment, it’s important to send them a confirmation email to let them know everything is settled between you two. A confirmation letter might contain location, contact details, and intake forms. With a confirmation email, you can also encourage clients to ask questions in the chat and provide onboarding instructions.
When to send: right after the booking
The goal: to confirm an appointment
A general meeting reminder
Most likely, you, as a service provider, have a cancellation window that allows clients to cancel a meeting with you and get a refund. That’s why you must double-check that your client remembers they have an appointment with you. The best option is to send a heads-up before the cancellation window ends (usually companies use a 24-hour cancellation policy, but that’s not a must). This type of reminder should also contain additional meeting preparation details.
When to send: 24 hours before the meeting
The goal: to prepare for an appointment
Same-day preparation reminder
This reminder should be sent to let the client know that the meeting will start soon. This is especially important if you provide online services because your client will have to find a private place to securely connect to the internet and speak with you.
When to send: 30 minutes before the meeting
The goal: to inform the client of the upcoming appointment
Last-minute reminder
This is an invitation that is sent when the meeting is about to start. It often includes a link or a button that suggests joining an online conversation and a support chat or contacts that your client should use in case they have any difficulties.
When to send: less than a minute before the appointment
The goal: to invite the client to join the meeting
Want to know what information to include in appointment reminders? Check out our free guide!
Appointment reminder software
Automating appointment reminders means that you don’t need to edit them or worry that some of them aren’t sent on time. That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to appointment reminder automation software.
Learn what options you can use to remind your clients about the upcoming meetings they’ve booked.
ExpertBox
ExpertBox is the ultimate service business management software that comes with an array of features, including client self-booking and scheduling, services representation, advanced video meetings, CRM and team management tools, as well as a full set of appointment reminder features.
As for automated appointment reminders, ExpertBox provides you with:
- powerful calendar integrations
- smart email and in-app notifications
- advanced notification controls
Price: from $29.95/month
Free version: free 14 day trial
Get everything you need for online service business management, from smart appointment tools to a secure communication platform, with one ExpertBox subscription!
SimplyMeet.me
SimplyMeet.me is the perfect self-booking tool that lets clients stay on top of their appointments. It’s client friendly and comes with handy notifications, such as text messages and personalized emails so your clients are always in the loop.
Price: from $11.99/month
Free version: yes, with limited features
SimplyBook.me
SimplyBook.me is a web application with robust options for showcasing your services that will let you provide your clients with a booking tool and efficient scheduling. SimplyBook.me includes automated notifications as well.
Price: from $8.25/year
Free version: yes, with limited features
Acuity Scheduling
Acuity Scheduling is a tool that helps you automate everything from payments to reminders and has plenty of customization options. Within Acuity, you will be able to set up confirmation, reminders and follow-up emails and add text reminders to be sent to your clients worldwide.
Price: from $15/month
Free version: free 14 day trial
Visibook
Visibook is a simple tool that helps you schedule clients and send automatic appointment reminders in multiple forms. You can choose between SMS texts, email templates, and mobile push notifications, ensuring that your clients will receive a reminder regardless of having an Internet connection.
Price: from $6.99/month
Free version: yes, with limited features
Wrapping up
Appointment reminders can make your work easier in so many ways. They can help you boost your client experience, help you strengthen client loyalty, and better organize the communication process. If you still haven’t used automated notifications, you should probably do so. There are lots of tools you can choose from to match your business needs.
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FAQ
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There are multiple software options you can use to implement automated appointment reminders. Feel free to check out these options and pick the one that fits your business best:
- ExpertBox
- SimplyBook.me
- SimplyMeet.Me
- Acuity Scheduling
- Visibook
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To set up an automated reminder system that doesn’t cause unnecessary distractions while providing all the important information, use the following automated reminder sequence:
- confirmation email
- general meeting reminder
- same-day preparation reminder
- last-minute reminder
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The best way to remind your clients about upcoming appointments is to use various types of automated appointment reminders, combining text messages and email notifications for a better effect. Check out our guide to creating appointment reminders and feel free to use it for creating appointment reminder messages.
