8 Appointment Reminder Templates to Use for Your Service Business

Appointment reminder best practices

Whether you’re sending an appointment reminder text or email or making a phone call, there are still some guidelines you need to follow to make sure they’re effective. Follow these tips to create a positive client experience: 

1. Keep messages short and sweet

Appointment reminder messages should be straightforward and to the point. Include enough information to communicate the purpose of the message without overwhelming your client with unnecessary details.

2. Avoid sending too many messages

While you can contact clients multiple times about the same appointment, try not to get on their nerves. A single message when an appointment is booked may be all you need.

Alternatively, you may choose to send an email with details about the service call immediately after booking and a quick text the day before.

Find what works for you, and be mindful of going overboard.

3. Pay attention to the time

To avoid annoying clients, try to send appointment reminder texts and emails during regular business hours. 

For example, a call or text too early or late in the day can be inappropriate. Similarly, calling clients on a weekend may be overstepping unless they’re expecting it.

4. Be polite and professional

It goes without saying, but any communication you have with clients should be polite and professional. Review your appointment reminder templates for typos and errors.

If you’re manually sending each appointment reminder, triple-check that you have the correct client name, spelling, and service call details before hitting send.

5. Automate when possible

Automating your appointment reminder texts and emails allows you to choose your messaging, frequency, and timing in advance.

This can make a big difference for service providers with hectic schedules and large client lists.

Automating your messages and using appointment reminder templates with Jobber saves you from:

• Manually typing and sending texts and emails
• Making errors like using the wrong client name or date and time
• Managing appointment confirmations yourself
• Trying to remember which client you sent a message to and when

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Appointment reminder email templates

Email is a popular method of communication for many service providers since it’s easy to automate and refer back to and most clients have access to it. 

When drafting an appointment reminder email, make sure it includes: 

• The date and time of the appointment
• The name of your business
• A description of the service being performed and the cost
• The location of the service call
• Information about how to confirm, cancel, or reschedule the appointment

When it comes to hitting send, there are three ideal times to deliver an appointment reminder email to a client:

• Immediately after a booking is made
• 24 hours before an appointment
• One hour before your arrival

You may choose to use a single email (like right after a client books a service), or a mix of all three, depending on how you want to communicate with your clients and what works for your service business.

Here are three email reminder templates for each time you can copy/paste that include all the necessary elements:

Appointment reminder text templates

Sending appointment reminder text messages is great for clients who are on the go and don’t check email regularly.

Appointment reminder messages sent via text are typically shorter than emails, but they should still include basic information such as: 

• Your business name
• The date and time of the appointment
• How to confirm

Appointment reminder templates for phone calls

Because appointment reminder phone calls are time-consuming and hard to automate, they’re the least popular method of reminding clients about an upcoming job. 

However, if you only have a handful of clients, or if a few of your clients don’t use email or text to communicate, phone calls may still be a good option for you. 

Unlike emails and texts, phone calls are usually only made 1-3 days prior to a service call. Since phone calls are more disruptive than text messages and emails, use them sparingly.

When making a call, you’ll also need to be prepared for one of two scenarios:

• Leaving a voicemail message
• Speaking to the client

In both cases, you’ll need to be in a quiet environment where you can speak clearly, calmly, and professionally. Being prepared is key.

Using an appointment reminder script template can help you to make sure that you communicate all the right information on the spot, such as:

• Who you are and your business name
• Why you’re calling
• When is the appointment, and what it’s for
• How to confirm the appointment

Here are two appointment reminder phone call scripts you can use depending on whether you talk to a client or leave a message.

Keep a full schedule with appointment reminders

Your clients have busy lives. It’s easy for service appointments to slip their minds, leaving you standing on the front step of an empty house waiting for them to let you in to do your job. 

Sending them a reminder to keep your appointment top of mind isn’t just a courtesy to them; it also helps to keep your schedule full, avoiding the time-consuming task of filling a last-minute cancellation or no-show. 

Plus, when you automate appointment reminders, they run on autopilot, keeping clients in the know and taking the responsibility off your plate. 

Originally published in October 2022. Last updated on July 3, 2024.