SMS Appointment Reminders: How to Set Up Text Reminders in Setmore

Ever had a customer just not show up? No call, no text, just an empty slot where an appointment used to be. It happens to every business, and it’s one of the most annoying (and costly) parts of running one.

With Setmore Pro, a simple automated SMS goes out before each appointment at a lead time you choose. “I forgot” stops being an excuse. Flip the switch once in Settings > Notifications > Customer Notifications, set your lead time, customize the message, and Setmore takes care of the rest.

It’s something worth doing: people read texts. Industry data puts SMS open rates around 95-98%, compared to emails at 20-20%. That means that a text reminder is getting seen roughly 3-4x more than an email ever will. 

It’s one of the most used Pro features for exactly this reason, a quick setup that quietly saves you from chasing down no-shows.

But, what are SMS appointment reminders?

SMS or text appointment reminders are automated messages Setmore sends to your customer phone number. You choose the lead time, that could be minutes, hours or days ahead of their appointment. Each message includes a date, time, service and team member assigned to that particular booking. 

SMS reminders are a Setmore Pro feature. Compare plans if you’re still on Free.

Note: SMS reminders for class bookings are currently available only to Pro customers in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Delivery isn’t guaranteed in every country, check our SMS fair usage policy to see if your country is supported.

How to turn on SMS reminders

1. Log into Setmore from a web browser and go to Settings > Notifications > Customer Notifications.
2. Scroll to Appointment Reminders and switch Text on.
3. Set your Reminder Lead Time — how far ahead of the appointment the text goes out.
4. Use the Test SMS link next to the toggle to send a test message to your own number and confirm delivery before relying on it live.

Note: if you’re logged in as a team member and don’t see this menu, you likely need admin access, ask your account owner to enable it.

How to customize your text reminder message

1. Go to Settings > Notifications > Customization.
2. Under SMS Notification, click the text field to edit your message template. Changes preview live.
3. Insert dynamic variables (like staff name, date, time, service) by dragging them into the template.
4. Click outside the field to save.

Keep in mind: message templates have a character limit, so keep custom additions concise.

What to include in your message template

• “Do not reply”: Setmore SMS reminders aren’t two-way, so this sets expectations upfront.
• A reply-to number: if you want customers to be able to text you directly with questions, list an alternate number they can actually reach.
• Prep instructions: anything a customer needs to bring or do before the appointment.

How to check if a reminder was sent

Click any appointment in your calendar to open Appointment Details, then click the tooltip icon next to the header. This shows whether the reminder was sent successfully or, if not, why (most commonly: an incorrect number or a landline entered instead of a mobile number).

If a reminder is still pending, scroll down and click Send now to trigger it manually.

FAQs

Do I need Setmore Pro for text reminders? Yes. SMS appointment reminders are a Pro feature and aren’t available on the Free plan.

Can I send more than one reminder per appointment? No — Setmore currently sends a single SMS reminder per booking, at the lead time you set.

Can customers reply to a text reminder? Not by default. SMS reminders are one-way. You can add a separate reply-to number in your message template if you want customers to be able to text you.

Can I use text reminders for marketing or promotions? No. Setmore’s SMS policy restricts messages to appointment-related content only — using reminders for marketing can get messages flagged as spam and may violate the fair usage policy.

Why didn’t my customer receive their reminder? The most common causes are an incorrectly entered phone number or a landline number entered instead of a mobile number. Check the reminder status in Appointment Details to confirm.

by Julia

Scottish, loves animals

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