For many companies, managing appointments in the best possible way is crucial. Having a day, week, or month full of appointments is the goal of all professionals, but it is not enough. Appointments can often slip from the mind or be forgotten by customers. It is therefore essential to have an effective and efficient appointment reminder channel available , in order to help customers remember their commitments and, if necessary, manage travel needs.
Using SMS as appointment reminders is definitely one of the best solutions, from many points of view. Let’s see together why, starting from the results of a research that Scabby conducted in collaboration with Polish, interviewing 500 Italian consumers.
SMS as appointment reminders: a channel highly appreciated by customers
” When receiving an appointment confirmation or an appointment reminder, which communication channel do you prefer?” SMS was found to be the preferred communication channel . The survey included the possibility of choosing between six different channels, placing them in order of preference, and it was, in fact. Therefore, SMS that obtained the best average (3.2), followed by email (3.4), then WhatsApp (3.5), social media and paper mail (3.6) and, finally, lastly, the telephone (3.7).
The Benefits of SMS as Appointment Reminders
With an opening rate of 98% and the sms services SMS is a powerful and immediate means of communication. SMS is the native messaging service on all cell phones, and is accessible to everyone. Therefore, even offline (unlike WhatsApp, which is – as the name suggests – an application. Therefore, so it must be downloaded and only works if you are connected to the internet). SMS is a truly barrier-free technology and accessible to everyone (without age differences).
Here are a number of advantages of using the SMS channel to send reminders to customers.
1. Reduction of absences and tardiness to appointments
Many professionals and companies face the problem of appointment no-shows or late arrivals. These incidents can result in wasted time, resources, and missed opportunities. Sending appointment reminders via SMS, even in multiple phases (1 week in advance, 1 day in advance, 4 hours in advance, etc.) is a simple and effective way to reduce no-shows and late arrivals, allowing clients to be on time and well-prepared.
2. Greater operational efficiency
Therefore, sending appointment reminders via SMS also helps improve operational efficiency. With an automated system just contact us to define your needs together connected to your management software via you don’t need to commit valuable human resources to making phone calls or sending reminder emails. Simply schedule the message in advance and the system will take care of the rest, saving you time and resources.
3. Greater opportunities for reprogramming
Sometimes appointments need to be rescheduled or changed. With clients can respond immediately to confirm, cancel, or change their appointment. This provides greater flexibility and rescheduling opportunities, simplifying the appointment management process for both parties involved.
4. Better customer satisfaction
Punctuality and professionalism are important to keep customers satisfied. Appointment reminder SMS messages demonstrate a company’s commitment to accuracy and customer care. Sending a reminder in advance shows that the company is organized, attentive to detail.
5. Wealth of information
SMS allow you to communicate personalized and comprehensive information. The technical limit of 160 characters is easily overcome and solved by inserting a link to a canada email lead which could contain more. Therefore, information such as directions to reach the facility or further preliminary data (for example, the list of documents to bring to the appointment.