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Appointment reminders

Text people before their appointment so fewer forget, and optionally confirm each booking or cancellation by text.

Appointment reminders texts people before their appointment, so fewer forget to turn up. You can also have a confirmation text sent when a booking is made or cancelled.

What it does

Reminders

  • One reminder per booking, sent at the time you choose: 2 hours before, 4 hours before, The day before or Two days before.
  • Only to bookings with a UK mobile number. Landlines and overseas numbers are skipped.
  • Only between 8am and 9pm UK time. A reminder due at night goes out after 8am, as long as the appointment is still ahead.
  • If someone books inside the reminder window (this morning for this afternoon, say), they don't get a reminder: they've only just booked.

Confirmation texts (off unless you choose them)

Set Confirmation texts to Text a confirmation when a booking is made or cancelled and people get a text when they book and when a booking is cancelled.

  • Once per booking, and no more than 4 confirmations a day to one number.
  • A booking made at night is confirmed after 8am, unless the appointment has already gone by. If it's booked and cancelled overnight, neither text is sent.
  • Confirmations only go to a number we know belongs to the person who booked: the number they called from, or the number they were texting from.
  • A number typed into the website chat could be anyone's. Its owner first gets one text asking them to reply YES. Nothing more is sent to that number until they do, and they have 24 hours. This needs the Text messages plugin on, so the YES can reach us. Without it, confirmations for numbers typed into the chat aren't sent.
  • Cancellation confirmations only go to a number that's already proven.

Your messages

You can rewrite each message. These fill themselves in: {first}, {name}, {business}, {day}, {time}, {phone} and {ref}.

  • Message (the reminder). The default: "Hi {first}, a reminder of your appointment at {business} on {day} at {time}. If you need to change it, call {phone}."
  • Booking confirmation and Cancellation confirmation, with similar defaults.

Each text is cut to 480 characters.

What you need

  • Bookings taken by your receptionist.
  • Texts from your number set up in Settings > Phone line.

Setting it up

  1. Switch the plugin on from the Plugins page (see Plugins overview).
  2. Choose When to send and check the Message.
  3. If you want confirmations, set Confirmation texts and check the two confirmation messages.
  4. Press Save and test.

Each reminder and confirmation appears in the plugin's Recent activity, with only the last three digits of the number.

STOP and sender name

  • Anyone who has replied STOP to a text from your number gets no reminders or confirmations. Replying START turns them back on.
  • The default messages don't say "Reply STOP". Add it to your messages if you'd like people to see it.
  • With Twilio, texts come from your business name (up to 11 letters) unless the Text messages plugin is on and set to send from your number. People can't reply to a business name, so they can't reply STOP or YES to it. On other phone providers, texts always come from your number.

Read Texts and opt-outs for the full picture.

What it costs

Free. Your phone provider charges for each text on your own account with them.

Privacy

Each text goes from your phone provider to the person's mobile, with their first name, the appointment day and time, your number and the booking reference. Nothing else leaves CallsCovered.

Limits

  • UK mobiles only.
  • At most 30 reminders go out every few minutes, so a very busy day's reminders may spread out a little.
  • A reminder isn't sent for a booking that's already been cancelled.

Still stuck? Write to hello@callscovered.ai with your business name and what you were trying to do, and a person will reply.