Should I Send Text or Voice Reminders to My Clients?
Sending appointment reminders to your clients is a necessity in today’s busy world. 62% of no-shows occur simply because your client forgot. To combat forgetfulness, send timely reminders with all of the information they need to show up on-time and prepared for their appointment. But, how should you send the reminder? Let’s take a look at the difference in effectiveness of text reminders versus voice call reminders.
Why Text Message Reminders are More Effective
US adults check their phones 52 times a day, on average. That’s a lot of screen time you can take advantage of. But they aren’t just using their phone during their personal time. In fact, 84% of working adults use their personal phone during working hours. While it may be frowned on to answer your phone in a quiet office, it is very easy to quickly glance at an incoming text message while sitting at your desk. Because of that, many businesses are turning to SMS text reminders to get the best confirmation rate on their appointment reminders.
Furthermore, 90% of text messages are read within 3 seconds of being delivered. The instant attention that text messages receive keep your services top of mind for your clients.
Response Rates of Text Reminders VS Voice Reminders
We analyzed millions of appointment reminders to determine the best way to send reminders to your clients. The data shows text reminders have a 53.5% higher response rate than voice calls. In the graphs, you can see the response rates for each industry to see how you compare. From this data, it is clear that text reminders are the most effective means to send an appointment reminder.
How to Send SMS Appointment Reminders
With Apptoto, you can easily send automated appointment reminders straight from your current calendar. There is no need to learn a new calendaring process. See how it works in six simple steps.
First, you need to decide what information is useful and necessary for your clients. Then, create reminder templates that include personalized information about their appointment. Finally, schedule the reminders based on our best practices which include time of day, length of message and more.
If you need help creating a successful appointment reminder strategy, download our Complete Guide to Appointment Reminders. In it you’ll find, best practices, common mistakes and an easy checklist to pick a strategy that works for your business.
