In short
- Export the appointments you want to remind (name, phone, date, time) to Excel or Google Sheets.
- Upload the file to DroidSender as a campaign.
- Write one reminder using the columns, like {name} and {time}.
- Schedule it, for example the evening before at 18:00.
- Read the confirmations and change requests in one inbox and answer from your computer.
What you need
- An Android phone with a SIM card that can send texts, connected to DroidSender.
- A list of appointments with the client's phone number (exported from your booking system, calendar or a spreadsheet).
Missed appointments cost money. A short text the day before is one of the simplest ways to reduce them, and it works best when it comes from a number your clients already know. If they reply, the reply should come back to you, not to some no-reply number.
This guide shows how to send appointment reminders by SMS from your own phone number, using the appointment list you already have.
Who this is for
Hair salons and barbers, clinics, dentists and physiotherapists, garages, plumbers and other tradespeople, tutors, gyms and personal trainers. Anyone whose clients book a time. If you're a plumber, gas engineer or other tradesperson, there's a guide with examples for you: appointment reminder SMS for tradespeople.
Step 1: Get tomorrow's appointments into a spreadsheet
Most booking systems and calendars can export a list. You need one row per appointment, with at least the phone number. Add the name, date and time to personalise the text.
| phone | name | date | time |
|---|---|---|---|
| +44 7700 900321 | Anna | Tue 14 | 10:30 |
| 07700 900654 | David | Tue 14 | 15:00 |
No export? A simple Google Sheet you fill in during the day works too.
Step 2: Upload it and write the reminder
In DroidSender, create a campaign, upload the file and write the message using the column names. Check the preview for a couple of rows.
Step 3: Schedule it
Pick the time it should go out, for example 18:00 the day before. The phone sends the reminders at a human pace from your number. Keep it charged and connected; the dashboard shows its battery and status.
Step 4: Handle the replies from your computer
Confirmations, "can we move it to Thursday?" and cancellations arrive in the Conversations inbox, one thread per client, right below your reminder. Answer from the computer and the reply goes out from your number.
Reminder templates you can copy
Each template below fits in one SMS with a typical name, date and time (counted with standard GSM-7 characters). Keep reminders short: one SMS holds 160 characters, but most accented letters (like á, ã or ç), an emoji or "smart" punctuation switch the whole message to Unicode, which holds only 70.
Tip: a long dash (–) or curly quotes (’ “) copied from a document turn a 112-character reminder into 2 SMS. Use a normal hyphen (-) and straight quotes (' ") instead.
Salon or barber
Hi {name}, see you {date} at {time} at Studio Nine. Need to change? Just reply to this message.
~92 characters · 1 SMS
Clinic or dentist
Hello {name}, a reminder of your appointment on {date} at {time}. Please reply YES to confirm or call us to reschedule.
~116 characters · 1 SMS
Plumber or tradesperson
Hi {name}, we're booked to come round on {date} around {time}. Reply here if anything changes. - Riverside Plumbing
~112 characters · 1 SMS
Garage
Hi {name}, your car is booked in on {date} at {time}. Reply if you need another slot.
~82 characters · 1 SMS
Tutor or coach
Hi {name}, quick reminder: our session is on {date} at {time}. See you then!
~73 characters · 1 SMS
Making it automatic
If you'd rather not upload a file every day, your booking system can send the reminder through the DroidSender API when an appointment is created or the day before. A developer can set it up with the quickstart, or with a no-code tool that can make an HTTP request.
Good practice
- Only text clients who gave you their number for their bookings.
- Say who you are in the message, and keep it to the appointment.
- Send at a reasonable hour, in your clients' time zone.
Questions people ask
- How do you write a reminder text for an appointment?
- Keep it short and specific - who you are, the date and time, and what to do if they need to change it. For example, "Hi Anna, see you Tue 14 at 10:30 at Studio Nine. Need to change? Just reply to this message." Use the client's name and keep it to one SMS (160 characters if you avoid emojis and most accents).
- Can I send appointment reminders via text from my own number?
- Yes. With DroidSender your Android phone sends the reminders through its SIM card, so clients see your usual number and can reply to it.
- When should I send an appointment reminder text?
- Many businesses send one the day before, in the late afternoon, and some add a second one a few hours before. Pick what suits your clients and schedule the campaign for that time.
- Can clients reply to confirm or cancel?
- Yes. They reply to your normal number, and the reply shows up in the Conversations inbox on your computer, in the same thread as the reminder. You answer from there.
- Do I have to send each reminder manually?
- No. You upload one list and write one message. DroidSender fills in each client's name, date and time from the spreadsheet.
- Can it send reminders automatically from my booking system?
- If your booking system can export a list, you can upload it each day. If it can call a webhook or an API, a developer can connect it to the DroidSender API so reminders go out on their own.
- How much does it cost?
- DroidSender adds no per-message fee; the texts use your mobile plan. The Free plan includes 100 SMS a month. Paid plans start at $7.99 a month (billed yearly) for 2,000 SMS.