SMS Reminders requires BASIC+
Upgrade to Basic plan or higher
How SMS Reminders Work
Overview
SMS reminders automatically send text messages to customers before their scheduled appointments. This dramatically reduces no-shows and keeps customers informed.
What customers receive:
"Hi Sarah! This is a reminder from Sparkle Windows that you have a window cleaning appointment tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan 15) between 9am-11am. Reply CONFIRM to confirm or call us at (555) 123-4567 with questions."
Two-Way Messaging
With our Pro and Business tiers, customers can reply to reminders:
- Reply CONFIRM to confirm their appointment
- Reply with a message and it appears in your Sergio inbox
Setup & Configuration
Enabling SMS Reminders
- Navigate to Settings > Communications
- Find the SMS Reminders section
- Toggle Enable SMS Reminders to on
- Choose your default reminder timing:
- 24 hours before appointment (recommended)
- 2 hours before appointment
- Both 24 hours and 2 hours
- Click Save Changes
Customizing Message Templates
- Go to Settings > Communications > SMS Templates
- Edit the default reminder template:
Hi {customer_first_name}!
Reminder: {service_type} scheduled for {date} at {time}.
- {company_name}
- Available variables appear below the editor
- Preview your message to see how it looks
- Click Save Template
Customer Opt-In Management
SMS reminders respect customer preferences:
- New customers opt-in by default when providing mobile number
- Customers can opt out by replying STOP to any message
- View opt-in status on each customer profile
- Manually toggle SMS preferences in customer settings
- Opted-out customers still receive email reminders
SMS Infrastructure
How Messages Are Sent
Sergio uses enterprise-grade SMS infrastructure powered by Twilio:
- Dedicated number: Each company gets a dedicated phone number
- Carrier-grade delivery: 99.9% delivery rate
- Compliance: TCPA and CTIA compliant messaging
- International: Works with US and Canadian numbers
SMS Pricing & Limits
SMS usage is included in your plan with generous limits:
- Basic+: 100 SMS/month included
- Professional: 500 SMS/month included
- Business: 2,000 SMS/month included
- Enterprise: Unlimited SMS included
- Overage: $0.02 per additional SMS
View your current usage in Settings > Billing > Usage
Best Practices
Optimal Reminder Timing
- 24 hours before: Best for residential customers - gives time to prepare
- 2 hours before: Good for same-day confirmation
- Both: Ideal for high-value or first-time customers
Message Content Tips
- Keep it short: Under 160 characters avoids message splitting
- Include key info: Date, time, service type
- Add a CTA: Reply to confirm or contact number
- Be professional: Include your business name
- Test first: Send yourself a test before going live
Monitoring & Analytics
Track your SMS performance:
- Navigate to Reports > Communications
- View SMS metrics:
- Messages sent this period
- Delivery success rate
- Customer reply rate
- Confirmation rate
- Export data for deeper analysis
Customer Experience
What Customers See
Customers receive professional, branded text messages:
- Reminder arrives at scheduled time (typically day before)
- Message includes key appointment details
From: (555) 123-4567
Hi Sarah! Reminder: Window cleaning tomorrow (Tue, Jan 15) 9am-11am. Reply CONFIRM to confirm or STOP to opt out. - Sparkle Windows
Reply STOP to unsubscribe
Customer Response Handling
When customers reply to reminders:
- CONFIRM/YES: Appointment marked as confirmed
- STOP: Customer opted out of future SMS
- Any other reply: Forwarded to your inbox for review
Response handling is now available on all tiers with two-way SMS enabled.