Are your patients or customers missing their appointments? Are you having a hard time sending a reminder to your consumers? Have you tried sending out appointment SMS messages?
People tend to trust SMS more than other forms of communication because of how protective they are of their phone numbers. Each time a person receives a text message, they know they have opted to hear from the sender. Here are three tips to help you create effective appointment SMS messages:
1. Timing is Everything
Getting the timing right is everything when you want to remind people of their appointments. You could give them a reminder 24 hours prior to their appointment, or depending on your industry, choose the appropriate time. For example, a 10 a.m. reminder works best for same-day dinner bookings. On the other hand, for healthcare appointments, a 6 PM reminder the night before might seem more appropriate.
2. Ask For a Response
Call-to-Actions entice customers to take action and get started. They aid in removing friction as the user progresses down the sales funnel. You can also offer them options to confirm, reschedule, or cancel appointments conveniently via messages. Something as simple as asking your customers to respond with a ‘Reply Y or N’ helps them make up their minds for the appointment.
3. Save Time With Automation
Once you get technology involved in your appointment reminder SMS messages, you can sit back and relax. With automated reminders, it’s become sort of a set-and-forget task. Integrate your appointment reminders with a messaging platform and set up automated replies timed to go out the day before the appointment or at whatever time suits your schedule. Furthermore, you can also set up a preset of replies in accordance with your call-to-action or standard customer replies.
Making the most of automation or SMS marketing strategies isn’t as difficult as it sounds. If you need help sending out effective appointment reminder SMS messages, drop by SMS Solutions Australia. With the help of our world class SMS software, we can assist you in reducing the no-shows at your clinic or restaurant.