Reduce Appointment No-Shows with SMS Text Message Reminders

As a medical practitioner, hair salon owner, therapist or other service provider, appointment bookings are your livelihood and appointment no-shows can cost thousands in business revenue every week.  

Although there are strategies available to stress the importance of a missed appointment, such as implementing a no-show policy by charging customers for missed appointments, restricting appointment scheduling and potentially refusing service after a customer misses a certain number of appointments – these are not viable options for most organisations operating within the healthcare or beauty industries.  

When it comes to reducing appointment no-shows, boosting patient engagement and improving organisational efficiencies, your business can implement an SMS text message solution.  

The power of SMS is underrated in today’s maze of communications options, with 83% of consumers wanting to receive appointment reminders via text, but only 20% of businesses sending them this way. Sending SMS text message reminders ensures your audience are informed of upcoming appointments and provides them with the opportunity to confirm, cancel and reschedule.  

Is your organisation looking for a way to nurture relationships with customers and reduce excess work on staff? Continue reading to learn how your business can utilise SMS text message reminders to reduce appointment no-shows and boost business revenue. 

Tips for Sending the Perfect SMS Text Message Appointment Reminder

• Gain consent – some customers may prefer to be sent text message reminders while some may only prefer to be notified by phone or email. As SMS text message reminders are a permission-based communications tool, you need to remain compliant and ensure customers opt-in as well as have an option to opt-out. 
• Keep it short and sweet - make sure your text message gets straight to the point. Your audience is expecting a short, simple reminder that contains all the details of the upcoming appointment including time, date, place and specific details on what the appointment is for.  
• Timing is key – sending an SMS text message reminder should be scheduled at a convenient time for your customer. It’s generally recommended to send only one or two SMS text message appointment reminders – one 7 days before the appointment and one 24 hours before. Also be mindful of your customer and refrain from sending messages after hours. 
• Stay professional – when an SMS text message is being received from a business, customers expect a professional message. Refrain from using ‘text speak’, words such as ‘LOL’, ‘BRB’ and ‘GTG’ may hinder your SMS text message strategy rather than help. 
• Personalise the reminder – use custom fields to personalise the SMS text message reminder. Adding fields such as the customer’s name, time and date of the appointment assist you with reducing appointment no-shows. When you have hundreds or thousands of customers visiting your organisation every week, it’s not sustainable to be inserting these fields manually.  
• Let customers respond – by using a dedicated virtual SMS number, customers can respond to the SMS text message reminder to confirm, cancel or even reschedule their appointments – without ever needing to call. This automates the appointment reminder process and frees up administrative tasks to keep your staff on track. 

SMS Appointment Reminder Samples

Healthcare: general practitioners, specialists, dentists, physiologists and more 

Hi Michael, your appointment with Dr. Grey is scheduled for tomorrow at 12:45pm. Please reply Y to confirm or N to cancel. 

Education: schools, sporting clubs, childcare centres  

Hi Becky, this is a friendly reminder that your child, Mike, has a parent-teacher interview scheduled for 14/07/2023 at 4.30pm. 

Legal: lawyers, barristers, legal professionals 

Hi Julia, you have an appointment with Drew Collins & Associates at 1pm tomorrow. Please call us directly to reschedule. 

Retail: ecommerce stores, department stores, franchise stores, retail chains 

Jack, don’t miss out! Our fashion parade starts today at 10:00am. Come check out the latest styles and grab your 20% discount. Ts & Cs apply. 

Hair and beauty: salons, cosmetic specialists, skincare clinics, therapists 

Hi Margaret, your appointment at Soap and Sparkle is coming up at 09:00am on 21/09/2023. Give us a call on 5432 1098 if you can’t make it. 

Banks and financial institutions 

Hi Thomas, you have a scheduled payment of $350 due to be processed on 08/12/2023. Unexpected SMS? Call 1300 000 000.  

Service providers: telecommunications, utilities, automotive 

Hi Phillip, your phone bill for $59.00 is due tomorrow. Pay now: bit.ly/ph-bill. Late fees apply. 

Reduce Appointment No-Shows Today with Notifyre

Although you can’t eliminate appointment no-shows altogether, you can reduce appointment no-shows with SMS text message reminders to encourage customers to show up or reschedule if they know they are unable to attend. SMS makes business communications easier, and Notifyre can help provide the best-in-class online SMS solution for your organisation. Get started today or learn more about our SMS features. You can also read more about how to use SMS to promote services to businesses in the health and beauty industry.