Boost Your Revenue By More Than 20% Simply By Using SMS Appointment Reminders

Almost everyone has a cell phone number--studies show that nearly 95% of Americans have a mobile device. With the vast majority of the population accessible via phone, you effectively send reminders to your customers via text, voice, and email. Your customers want these reminders, studies have repeatedly shown that appointment reminders improve customer satisfaction.

Appointment reminders are also instrumental in amplifying your business revenue. Appointment reminders save your clients from missed services and prevent the need for last minute rescheduling -- leading to happier clients and increased income.

Improve Client Retention and Make Their Life Easier

Building a loyal client base goes a long way to creating steady revenue, and satisfied clients are more likely to refer others to your business. With SMS appointment reminders, clients get notified of their upcoming service days prior on their phone. These unintrusive messages are a quick way to avoid missed appointments and keep clients aware of location, who they’re meeting with, and any other appointment details that are pertinent.

With these reminders, clients are less likely to double-book their schedule and need rescheduling. They can also confirm their upcoming appointments without picking up the phone. Whenever a client has to reschedule, there’s a chance they might decide services aren’t needed, or they don’t want to deal with the hassle. Using automated reminders, you can be sure clients make it to their original appointment slots.

These reminders can also be used to encourage repeat visits. After a scheduled service, you can set an automated reminder message to reach the client after a set time—say, six months later. This message can remind the client that they’re due for a return visit, making them more likely to book a follow-up with your business.

Cut Down on No-Shows With Appointment Reminders

All it takes is a few missed appointments to turn a packed week into a budget crisis. When clients no-show because they forgot their appointment or had a last minute cancellation, you’ll be stuck eating the loss or charging a cancellation fee. These fees don't make up for the lost appointment and they irritate clients, which can cause clients to never return. SMS reminders are the quickest way to reduce no shows and keep your revenue stream steady.

SMS appointment reminders reduce the chance that clients will forget about their scheduled service. And, because these automated reminders reach their phone directly, you won’t have to worry about your messaging getting lost in spam or a flood of emails. A reminder text can reach clients with maximum efficiency, and you’ll see fewer gaps in your schedule from no-shows.

Fill Empty Appointment Slots

Even with proactive SMS appointment reminders, life happens, and clients will have to reschedule occasionally. When they do, you’ll be left with an opening in your schedule that can be difficult to fill on short notice.

With appointment reminder software, you can manage a wait list function that offers new appointment openings to clients. Served on a first come, first serve basis, clients can respond to their SMS text message to claim the appointment. Then, others on the wait list will be notified that the slot has been filled.

This wait list can be customized for appointment types, areas, and service providers to ensure only relevant clients are contacted. By using this functionality, you can minimize lost revenue from canceled appointments and keep your team satisfied and engaged.

Attract Clients With Special Text Message Offers

During slow seasons, your business revenue can suffer. Sending limited time offers via SMS text is a great way to stimulate growth and keep your schedule full. For example, you could offer bundled services at a discount, distribute a coupon that’s good for one month, or offer free goods when clients book appointment time with your team.

You can also use text messaging to notify clients of new services or goods that you are offering. Text messages can be customized to advertise your specials and build hype around your small business. You'll see the payoff when customer engagement rises and you have more appointments filled.

Grow Your Business Through Word of Mouth

Text messages can be used for more than appointment reminders--you can also use them to send surveys to your customers after their schedule appointment. These text reminders make it easy for customers to fill out a brief survey and provide important feedback for small businesses. With this feedback, you can hone your business practices to increase customer satisfaction and client retention.

For dissatisfied clients, you can send a special offer as a way to make up for their experience. For happy clients, you can encourage them to tell their friends and leave a review on your social media channels. More positive reviews equals more opportunities to attract new customers and grow your revenue. With each new piece of positive feedback, your business will attract more attention.

Simplify Your Admin Responsibilities

Running a business requires a well-managed schedule. However, a fragmented workflow can lead to inefficiency and wasted time. With the right software, you can sync text reminders with your calendar. By simplifying your scheduling process, you can save time and money by freeing up administrative hours. Just make sure you choose a software with online calendar integration and an intuitive interface to make life easier for your admin team and save your business time and money.

How to Craft Text Message Appointment Reminders

When you send reminders via text messages, you want to be sure the words match your brand voice. With customizable appointment reminder messages, that's easy. Here's a few ideas to help you get started crafting appointment reminders and find the right voice when you want to send sms text reminders.

Concise

If you want your business's appointment reminders to convey an authoritative and confident tone, then concise messaging is the way to go. Clients will also appreciate the direct communication.

Original Message:

Ready for your visit? Your appointment with ACME Pet Grooming is at 10:00 AM on Friday, October 20. Our office number is 555-555-5555. Please arrive fifteen minutes early to check-in. We can't wait to see [Pet Name]! Please let us know if your pet has any allergies or sensitivities before your appointment.

This message gets all the details across, but it's long. If you're looking for professional, straight to the point tone, try something like this.

Updated message:

• Your visit with ACME Pet Grooming is at 10 AM on 10/20. Call 555-555-5555 to reschedule. Please arrive 15 minutes early, and alert us of any pet allergies.

Both messages contain the same information, but the second one is more concise and below 160 characters, so it only uses one text message. To keep your reminders concise, use abbreviations like “appt.” instead of “appointment," and use numerals to save space.

Warm

If your business relies on cultivating an enjoyable customer experience, a friendly tone might be the right choice. You can make clients feel like they belong, and they'll look forward to their upcoming appointment.

Original Message:

Your scheduled service with ACME Hair Salon with Kristen is at 9:30 AM on November 12. Call 555-555-555 for rescheduling or appointment confirmation.

This message gets all the important details, but it might feel sterile or uninviting to a client.

Updated Message:

Hi [Client Name]. You're almost ready for your visit with Kristen at 9:30am on November 12th. If you need to make a change to your appointment, call 555-555-5555. We can't wait to style you!

The second message captures more of an exuberant tone, and can get customers looking forward to their upcoming appointment.

Boost Revenue With Appointment Reminders From Reminderly

Reminderly makes sending appointment reminders simple. With a dedicated phone number, online calendar integration, and customizable sms messages, you can see boosted revenue in a few days.

To start sending automatic appointment reminders today, sign up for a free account today, no credit card required. You'll see how something as simple as friendly reminder text messages shows cost savings for your business.