Appointment Reminder Texts - Sample Templates & Tips

As highlighted in Reducing No-Show Rates - Strategies and Tools, appointment reminder texts are the single most effective method for boosting attendance. This holds true regardless of your industry—whether you run a medical practice, hair salon, or home repairs business.

However, simply sending a text isn’t enough; there are right and wrong ways to execute this strategy. In this guide, we’ll explain the essential information your appointment reminder text templates should include, provide real-world samples, and highlight related best practices to maximize attendance and minimize no-shows.

When to Send (and How Often) to Send Appointment Reminder Texts

Strategic timing is key to maximizing the effectiveness of appointment reminder texts. Consider implementing a multi-stage approach:

• One week out - Sending an initial reminder a week in advance provides recipients ample time to rearrange their schedules and plan transportation. This also benefits your business, as it allows for earlier notice of cancellations or rescheduling requests.
• 2-3 days in advance - This timeframe hits the “sweet spot,” providing sufficient advance warning without the reminder fading from recipients’ memories.
• “Evening before” for morning appointments and “morning of” for afternoon appointments - This final reminder serves as a last-minute alert for your more disorganized clients. It also provides a convenient opportunity to include pertinent information, such as your address, directly at the top of their inbox.

Tips for Optimizing Your Reminder Strategy

• Leverage SMS drip campaigns - Advanced text marketing systems like Voxie enable SMS drip campaigns. Encourage recipients to confirm their appointment a few days in advance; those who don’t respond can receive additional reminders compared to those who confirm.
• Perfect your timing based on data - The guidelines above are broad recommendations. Continuously analyze your data to refine your timing and frequency for optimal results.
• Consider increasing frequency based on no-show rates - If your no-show rate remains high, consider adding another reminder to your drip campaign or experimenting with different sending times.
• Remind about cancellation fees - If you charge customers a fee for no-shows, send a reminder text right before the cancellation deadline to give them one last chance to cancel penalty-free.
• Address tardiness issues - If tardiness (rather than complete no-shows) is a problem, consider sending a text one hour before the appointment to allow recipients to alert you of their status if they are running late.

Real-World Sample Appointment Reminder Text

Essential Information to Include in Your Text

• Recipient’s Name (if applicable)
• Appointment Date & Time
• Business Name & Location
• Confirmation or Rescheduling Option – Provide a way to confirm, reschedule, or cancel (e.g., “Reply YES to confirm”)
• Important Instructions – Mention anything they need to bring or prepare

Sample Appointment Reminder Text

Additional Points for When You Craft Your Reminder Texts

Previous No-Shows Should Automatically Receive Additional Reminders

Let’s face facts—some clients are naturally less organized than others and would benefit from extra reminders. To accommodate these clients and minimize repeat no-shows, consider implementing a system that automatically assigns additional reminders to individuals with a history of missed appointments. Advanced text marketing tools like Voxie enable the automatic grouping of clients based on past text interactions or information provided through third-party software integrations, making it easy to identify and target previous no-shows with a more robust reminder schedule.

Test Different Appointment Reminder Text Templates and Response Commands

While the overall appointment attendance rate is the ultimate measure of success, you can also gauge the effectiveness of your text reminders through other metrics. Prompt recipients to confirm their attendance and closely monitor response rates. Conduct A/B testing with different language variations within your reminder templates to identify a clear winner in terms of engagement and confirmation rates.

Common response methods to test include:

• Texting “Yes” to confirm or “No” to cancel
• Clicking a link to confirm their attendance
• Using numeric responses to indicate their status
• Encouraging open-ended responses with messages like “Respond to this text or call us back at…”

By actively testing and analyzing different templates and response commands, you can continuously optimize your appointment reminder strategy for maximum effectiveness.

Sample Appointment Reminder Texts

Choose an SMS Platform that Integrates With Your CRM

To maximize the effectiveness of your appointment reminder texts and overall SMS marketing efforts, it’s crucial to choose a platform that seamlessly integrates with your CRM system. Voxie—a marketing platform focused exclusively on SMS—provides users with a comprehensive suite of features designed to maximize their text marketing ROI, including:

• Robust reporting dashboards
• Multi-drip campaigns
• Conversational Intelligence powered by AI for two-way texting automation
• Audience sub-grouping capabilities
• Quick Blast AI Message Assistant

Moreover, Voxie’s team handles tech integrations, enabling real-time data sharing between your CRM and text platform. This integration enhances the personalization of reminder texts and allows for the inclusion of helpful, recipient-specific information, ultimately improving attendance rates.

Bonus Appointment Reminder Text Templates to Inspire Your Own

Sample appointment reminder text template for a service center

Hi [Customer Name], just a reminder that your car service appointment is scheduled for [Date] at [Time]. We look forward to seeing you at [Service Center Location]. Please remove any items you might need from your vehicle before dropping it off at our service center. If you need to reschedule [Instructions] or call us at [Phone Number].

Sample appointment reminder text template for a cleaning service

Hi [Customer Name], we’re scheduled to clean your space on [Date] at [Time]. Our team will arrive at [Location] as planned.

Need to make any changes? Reply [Reschedule Option] or call [Phone Number].

Sample appointment reminder text template for a pet-sitting service

Hi [Customer Name], your pet-sitting service for [Pet’s Name] is scheduled for [Date] at [Time]. Our sitter will arrive at [Location] as planned. If you need to cancel, please [Instructions] before [Date] to avoid any cancellation fees.

We can’t wait to care for [Pet’s Name]! 🐾💕

Sample appointment reminder text template for a dentist office

Hi [Patient Name], your appointment at [Dental Office Name] is scheduled for [Date] at [Time]. Please arrive [Minutes] early and bring your ID and insurance card (if applicable).

Need to reschedule? Reply [Reschedule Option] or call [Phone Number].

Sample appointment reminder text template for a massage parlor

Hi [Customer Name], your massage at [Massage Parlor Name] is scheduled for [Date] at [Time].

Need to make changes? Reply [Reschedule Option] or call [Phone Number]. Looking forward to helping you unwind! 💆‍♂️✨

Sample reservation reminder text template for a restaurant

Hi [Customer Name], we’re looking forward to hosting you on [Date] at [Time]. Your table will be ready at [Restaurant Location]. Need to update your reservation? Click [Insert Link] or call [Phone Number].

Sample appointment reminder text template for assisted living facility tours

Hi [Visitor Name], your tour of [Facility Name] is scheduled for [Date] at [Time]. Please park in our Visitor parking lot and check in at the reception desk when you arrive. To confirm your appointment, [complete with method of confirmation].