The humble appointment reminder is the highest-ROI message your business sends - every one that lands can save an entire service fee. So the channel question matters more than it looks.
So why not SMS-only?
Because the channels do different jobs. Email carries detail: prep instructions, parking info, intake forms, your cancellation policy, reschedule links - things a client refers back to. SMS carries urgency: "You're in tomorrow at 2pm - reply C to confirm." Detail plus urgency beats either alone, and multi-channel sequences consistently outperform single-channel ones.
A cadence that works
- Booking moment (email): full confirmation - date, time, location, policy, intake form, calendar attachment.
- 1 week out (email): friendly heads-up plus anything they need to prepare.
- 2 days out (SMS + email): the reschedule fork in the road - early enough that you can refill a canceled slot.
- Day before / 2 hours out (SMS): the short, warm nudge that catches the forgetters.
Reminder etiquette
Get consent for texts at booking (a checkbox does it), always include your business name, keep SMS under 160 characters where you can, and honor opt-outs instantly. Reminders should feel like good service, not marketing - that's also exactly the tone that keeps people opted in.
Both channels, zero effort
Ivy sends email and SMS reminders automatically at 1 week, 2 days, 1 day, and 2 hours before every appointment.
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