What are appointment reminders?
Appointment reminders are automated messages, usually texts, calls or emails, sent before an appointment to confirm it and give the customer an easy way to confirm, reschedule or cancel. They reduce no-shows by keeping the visit in mind and making a change easier than simply not turning up.
How do appointment reminders work?
- The appointment is booked and written to your calendar or practice system.
- A confirmation goes out straight away with the date, time, address and how to make changes.
- Reminders follow on a schedule you set, for example a few days before and again the day before.
- The customer replies to confirm, reschedule or cancel.
- Changes update the calendar, and an opened slot can be offered to someone on your waitlist.
Confirmations vs reminders, one-way vs two-way
A confirmation is sent at booking to say the appointment exists. A reminder is sent closer to the date to make sure it still happens. One-way reminders only inform; two-way reminders let the customer reply, which turns a likely no-show into a reschedule you can refill. Only send reminder texts to customers who gave you their number for that purpose, and follow the messaging rules that apply to your business.
What do appointment reminders cost?
Reminder features are often bundled into scheduling and practice-management software, sometimes with per-message charges for texts; stand-alone texting tools usually bill by message volume. When reminders come with an AI receptionist plan, see how much an AI receptionist costs and Keres AI pricing. To see what no-shows cost you now, use the no-show calculator.
How does Keres AI handle it?
Reminders are handled by Theo, Keres AI’s follow-up worker, quoted separately from Remi. Theo confirms each appointment as soon as it is booked, reminds by text and voice on the schedule you set, handles a reschedule in the same thread, and offers a cancelled slot to your waitlist. The appointments themselves come from Remi, which books into Google Calendar, HubSpot or ServiceTitan.
See the product behind this concept
Want to see Appointment Reminders working in practice?
See how Keres puts it to work for your vertical and workflow.
Appointment Booking Automation
Appointment booking automation is software that schedules, confirms and reschedules appointments without staff going bac…
No-Show Rate
No-show rate is the percentage of scheduled appointments where the patient or client doesn't appear and hasn't cancelled…
AI Receptionist
An AI receptionist is software that answers your business phone automatically, 24/7. The software greets callers in a na…
Patient Intake
Patient intake is the process of collecting essential information from a new patient before their first appointment — in…
Questions
Appointment Reminders — FAQ
When should appointment reminders be sent?
It depends on how far ahead people book. A common pattern is a confirmation at booking, a reminder a few days ahead for appointments booked weeks out, and another the day before. Test and adjust for your customers.
Do appointment reminders reduce no-shows?
They help, especially two-way reminders that make rescheduling easy, because a customer who can change the time is less likely to simply not turn up. Estimate what no-shows cost you with the no-show calculator.
Should appointment reminders be texts, calls or emails?
Texts suit short-notice reminders, email suits longer details such as forms or directions, and a voice call reaches customers who don’t read texts. Many businesses combine them.
What is the difference between an appointment confirmation and a reminder?
A confirmation is sent when the appointment is booked. A reminder is sent closer to the date to make sure it still happens and to offer an easy way to change it.
See Appointment Reminders working live
Book a free 30-minute call and hear Remi, Keres AI’s AI receptionist, answer, qualify and book a call.
See how Theo sends remindersLast updated · Reviewed by the Keres AI team