Implementing Appointment Reminder Emails + Templates

Whether it's a regular service maintenance call or a quote, your clients expect one thing above all else; they expect you to show up!

But it's a two-way street, isn't it? When you schedule these appointments, you expect your customers to remember you're coming. You expect them to be home. But people are human; they're busy with work, school, kids, and friends - sometimes, they forget they ever made the appointment and can't hide the look of surprise when you turn up at their door. So, to ensure you never have to hear another excuse made on the fly and through the flyscreen, here are some appointment reminder templates you can send in advance of your appointment. Plus, some guidelines on how and when to send them.

‍

‍

Why Should You Consider Implementing Appointment Reminders?

Appointment reminder templates have been shown to effectively reduce no-show rates and, by extension, increase business efficiency. Because despite how annoying that leaking pipe is or how long they've wanted to replace the old air conditioning unit, some customers struggle to remember that they've made an appointment with you. 

The holes these absent-minded people leave in your schedule can significantly impact your business's bottom line. That's why an efficient, automated appointment reminder template is one of the easiest and most cost-effective methods of ensuring your schedule is filled with expectant customers.

‍

What Should You Include In Your Appointment Reminder Message?

Your appointment reminder templates need to be friendly and professional. They should also be short and straightforward to ensure your customers read them through. 

Appointment reminders should include:

• Your name and business name
• A description of the service
• The date and time of the service
• The location of the service
• Any information you would like to include about your payment policy 
• Information on how to confirm, cancel, or reschedule.

More often than not, people who fail to remember appointments with tradies knew in advance that they would be unable to attend. They just forgot to reschedule. So, when you offer a simple reminder with an easy way to rebook the appointment, you'll retain their business and still have time to schedule another booking for their available time slot.

‍

When Should You Send Your Appointment Reminder?

Is a week in advance too early? Is the night before too late? Truth is, there is no magic hour to send your appointment reminders. However, we have found that the most popular times for tradies to send appointment reminders are:

• Immediately after booking an appointment
• Three days before the appointment
• 24 hours before the appointment
• An hour before the appointment

But let's be clear - we certainly don't recommend sending out four reminders! Select two of the above options to offer your customers two chances to get your appointment into their diary and two options to cancel before you turn up at the door.

Whether you select email, text message, or phone call to remind them is up to you.

Related: Field Service Customer Service - A Guide for Tradespeople

‍

‍

Appointment Reminder Templates For Emails

Copy and paste these templates into your appointment reminder software - they're on the house!

Here are some appointment reminder templates that you can use for emails.

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Email #1: After Booking An Appointment

Hi [customer name],

This is a friendly reminder that you have an upcoming appointment with [business name] to [description of service].

Date:

Location:

Time:

Please click the link to confirm your appointment. [link]

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at [business email or phone number].

Thanks!

[Business name]

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Email #2: 3 Days/24 Hours Before An Appointment

Hi [customer name],

We're sending this email to confirm your appointment with [business name] to [description of service] on [weekday]/tomorrow at [time].

Please click the link to confirm your appointment. [link]

If you have questions about your appointment, need to reschedule, or you would like to cancel, don't hesitate to get in touch with our office at [email address] or [phone number].

Thank you!

[business name]

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Email #3: An Hour Before An Appointment

Hi [customer name],

This is a friendly reminder to let you know that [tradesperson name] will be arriving at [address] to [description of service].

Please ensure that your [gate is unlocked/dog is secured/workspace is clear etc.] before we arrive.

If you have questions about your appointment, need to reschedule, or you would like to cancel, don't hesitate to get in touch with our office at [email address] or [phone number].

[Tradesperson name] will see you soon!

[business name]

‍

‍

Appointment Reminder Templates For Text Messages

Sending appointment reminders by text messages is great for clients who don't regularly check email.

Appointment reminder text messages are often shorter than emails and won't include as much information. However, they should still have the basics:

• Your business name
• The date and time of the appointment
• A method of confirming the appointment.

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Text #1: After Booking An Appointment

Hi [customer name],

This is an automated message from [business name] about your upcoming appointment at [time] on [date]. Please reply "YES" to confirm.

Call us on [phone number] if you have any questions.

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Text #2: 3 Days/24 Hours Before An Appointment

Hi [customer name],

This is a friendly reminder that you have an appointment at [time] on [weekday]/tomorrow with [business name] to [description of service].

Please reply "YES" to confirm. Call [phone number] with any questions. Thanks!

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Text #3: An Hour Before An Appointment

Hi [customer name],

This is [tradesperson name] from [business name]. I'm just letting you know that I'll be arriving in about an hour. Please ensure that your [gate is unlocked/dog is secured/workspace is clear etc.] before I arrive.

See you soon!

‍

‍

Appointment Reminder Templates For Phone Calls

It's not as easy to automate appointment reminders by phone call as it is by text or email. An automated phone call often gives a very impersonal impression, so very fee businesses select to do it.

When making your appointment reminders by phone call, you have to be prepared for two scenarios:

1.       Speaking to the customer directly.

2.      Getting through to their answering machine.

Here are two scripts you can use.

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Phone Call #1: Leaving A Voicemail

Hi [customer name],

This is [tradesperson] calling from [business name] to remind you of your upcoming [description of service] on [date] at [time].

Please confirm your appointment by giving us a call back on [phone number] or emailing [email address].

Thank you!

‍

Appointment Reminder Template For Phone Call #2: Speaking Directly To The Customer

Hi [customer name],

This is [tradesperson] calling from [business name]. I wanted to confirm your appointment on [date]. Does that still work for you?

As a reminder, please ensure that your [gate is unlocked/dog is secured/workspace is clear etc.] before we arrive.

Do you have any questions for me?

Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your day.

‍

‍

Appointment Reminder Etiquette

The more professional your reminder message, the better the customer experience will be. Whether you email, text, or telephone them, here are some simple appointment reminder rules to follow.

‍

1. Keep Your Message Short 

Appointment reminders should always be straightforward. They should include enough information to be clear about the appointment and your expectations, but you should avoid overcomplicating the message. If there is further reading you want to provide to your customers, include a link to your website where the customers can find the information.

‍

2. Don't Overwhelm Your Customer With Too Many Messages

Any more than two reminders can start to feel like nagging. Trial a few appointment reminder schedules to see what works for your business.

‍

3. Be Mindful Of The Time

It really doesn't matter what time you send an email. However, text messages and phone calls are a different story. Make your appointment reminder phone calls or send your text message appointment reminders between business hours. That said, you might get away with a text message on the weekend, a phone call on a Sunday morning will likely not be well received.

‍

4. Be Polite And Professional

All communication between your business and your clients should be professional and polite. Therefore, take steps to ensure that your appointment reminders are free of spelling and grammatical errors. 

It also pays to review the automated process now and then to ensure that your appointment reminders are being sent to the right people and that the right names are attached to the message (i.e., not addressing them by their surname only).

‍

5. Automate 

Automating takes the guesswork out of reminders. Just set, and forget! It can make a huge difference to how efficiently your business is able to operate. Using AroFlo, you can create appointment reminders via text message or email that will be sent at different stages of the customer's journey. 

And here's hoping you never again have a last-minute gap in your schedule.

‍