8 Appointment Reminder Template Samples

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Here’s a startling fact: studies have shown that no-shows may be as high as 55% or more in some settings.

The problem is that no-shows can leave a substantial financial impact on your business if not treated.

The good news?

Most are largely preventable with a simple appointment reminder (and a good appointment reminder template).

How Appointment Reminders Help Client Engagement

At the end of the day, people get busy and forget about their appointments. Indeed, studies have actually attempted to study the reasons why clients miss appointments and they found exactly that: people forget (or they weren’t even aware of the appointment in the first place!). Personal reasons and transportation issues were the next common causes of missing appointments.

So, appointment reminders provide that gentle reminder. A 2017 study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology found that text reminders reduced no-show rates by as much as 74.5%.

Not only do reminders remind clients of their appointment, but they can also help clients prepare for appointment day with instructions to arrive earlier, etc.

How Do You Remind Someone of an Appointment? What is the Best Appointment Reminder?

Appointment reminders have come a long way in recent years. While some still remind clients by calling them (or even with old-school appointment cards!), there are actually much better ways to remind clients.

The best way is through online booking and scheduling software, such as using a medi spa software, that has appointment reminders as part of its suite of features. Not only can you send both email and text reminders, but it’s completely automated – zero manual effort required.

The Benefits of Using Automatic Appointment Reminders

There are many benefits to using automatic appointment reminders. Here are just a few:

  • Reduce No-Shows. First and foremost, studies show that appointment reminders reduce no-shows by nearly 75%. Yocale has found this figure to be as high as 86%.
  • Save Time and Resources. Another benefit of automatic appointment reminders is that you’ll save hours every week by completely automating the process, resulting in a much more efficient business.
  • Attach Forms. A huge benefit of automatic appointment reminders is that some will give you the option to (automatically) attach the appropriate forms depending upon the particular service. This allows clients to sign forms in advance of appointments; not only will you reduce the administrative work involved in printing, but you’ll also save time on appointment day.
  • Send Notes. You can attach notes to your appointment reminders to ensure that everything runs smoothly on appointment day.
  • Allow Clients to Easily Modify/Cancel the Appointment. It may sound counterintuitive, but to avoid no-shows, it’s best to make the process of modifying or canceling an appointment as easy as possible. Appointment reminders are the answer.
  • Easily Charge Cancellation Fees. With online booking and scheduling software, you can capture credit card information upfront when clients book online. This makes it much easier to charge cancelation fees in the event of a no-show.
  • Track Cancellations. Online booking and scheduling software will automatically track how many cancellations clients have; this allows you to easily charge cancellation fees or even block clients from being able to book online entirely.

How Do You Write a Reminder Announcement?

At a minimum, appointment reminders should contain the date and time of the appointment and the name of your business. You can also include information about how to cancel or any other pertinent information, such as a reminder to arrive 15 minutes early.

Ideally, though, appointment reminders will also include the following:

  • Directions
  • Appointment type, provider, duration and price
  • Cancelation policy
  • The ability to modify or cancel the appointment
  • Forms to complete
  • The ability to add the appointment to their calendar
  • Any specialized notes

*The appointment reminder template samples below will give you some further ideas.

Popular Times to Send Appointment Reminders to Clients

The best times to send appointment reminders to clients include:

  • Immediately after the appointment is made (i.e. a booking confirmation)
  • 24 hours before an appointment (or whatever is enough time for clients to cancel per your cancelation policy)

Do’s and Don’ts: Appointment Reminder Etiquette

Regardless of whether you send manual or automatic appointment reminders, there are still some general rules you should follow in terms of best practices and general etiquette:

  • Do Personalize the Message. Use your client’s name to add a personalized touch to your appointment reminders.
  • Do Keep Messages Short and to the Point. Although you may get away with including an additional one or two reminders in your emails (like arrive 15 minutes early), it’s best to keep messages short and sweet to avoid overwhelming your readers.
  • Do Be Mindful of WHEN You Send Messages. You can send emails/texts whenever you’d like, but be mindful of the time if you are calling clients. Stick to typical business hours and avoid contacting clients on weekends if possible.
  • Do Consider Including Your Cancelation Policy (But Keep it Brief). You don’t need to include your entire cancelation policy in the body of the email, but it’s a good idea to include a sentence about how long clients have to modify/cancel appointments before they’ll be charged (typically this is 24 hours).
  • Don’t Overuse Capital Letters. While you can occasionally use capital letters, be mindful of overusing them as people often read all capitals as if you are shouting at them.
  • Don’t Send Too Many Messages. It’s best to only send one to two email reminders (including your initial confirmation) to avoid being too overbearing.

8 Engaging Appointment Reminder Template Samples

1. Appointment Confirmation Email

Subject Line: [Business name] just booked an appointment for you on [Date/Time]

Your appointment confirmation email should look similar to your appointment reminder and should contain all of the information below:

  • Date and time of the appointment
  • Business name and phone number
  • Directions, including the ability to click on the map to get directions
  • Appointment type, provider, duration and price
  • Cancelation policy
  • The ability to modify or cancel the appointment directly from the appointment reminder
  • Forms to complete
  • The ability to add the appointment to their calendar (Outlook, etc.)
  • Specialized notes

2. Very Thorough Appointment Reminder Email

Subject Line: Reminder of your appointment at [Business Name] on [Date/Time]

Appointment reminders should be short and sweet and yet contain all of the necessary information.

You’ll notice it contains everything clients need to prepare for their appointment, including the date and time as well as forms and even the ability to add the appointment to their calendar.

3. Formal Appointment Reminder Email

Subject Line: Appointment Reminder: [Business Name] on [Date/Time]

Hi, [Client Name]. This is a friendly reminder of your appointment at [Business Name] on [Date/Time] located at [Location]. If you are unable to attend your appointment, please cancel at least [Hours] in advance by calling [Telephone Number].

4. Short Appointment Reminder Email

Subject Line: Appointment Reminder: [Business Name] on [Date/Time]

Hi, [Client Name]. This is a friendly reminder of your appointment at [Business Name] on [Date/Time] located at [Location].

5. Casual Appointment Reminder Email

Subject: We’ll see you on [Date/Time]!

Hey there, [Name]! Just a quick reminder that you have an upcoming appointment at [Business Name] on [Date/Time]. See you soon!

6. Warm Appointment Reminder Email

Subject Line: We look forward to seeing you on [Date/Time]!

Hi, [Client Name]. We hope you’re doing well. We wanted to remind you of your upcoming appointment at [Business Name] on [Date/Time]. Your appointment is important to us, so please feel free to contact [Telephone Number] with any questions or concerns.

7. Fun Appointment Reminder Email

Subject Line: We’re excited to see you, [Name]!

Hi, [Client Name]. Everyone at [Business Name] is excited to see you on [Date/Time] for your [Appointment Type] appointment. See you then!

Wrapping it Up

No-shows are costly, but the good news is that a large percentage of them are entirely preventable with the use of email and text appointment reminders.

Key Takeaways:

  • A 2017 study published by the Journal of the American College of Radiology found that text reminders reduced no-show rates by as much as 74.5%.
  • The best way to send appointment reminders is through online booking and scheduling software as it completely automates the process.
  • Online booking software also allows you to attach forms, send notes, give clients the option to modify/cancel their appointment, easily charge cancelation fees and more via your appointment reminders.
  • Appointment reminders should include the date/time and business name at a minimum, but great reminders will also include things like forms, directions, appointment information, your cancelation policy and more.
  • Ideally you should send two appointment reminders: immediately after booking (i.e. a booking confirmation) and 24 hours in advance of appointments.
  • Be mindful of the do’s and don’ts when sending appointment reminders.
Recommended Further Reading:

Interested in learning more about online booking and scheduling software? Book a demo with a Yocale product specialist today.

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