Text confirmations and your own reminder times

What it is

Text messages, in Settings, is where you set your own rules for texts. You can text clients when a booking is confirmed or moved, send one or two reminder texts at the hours you choose, and set quiet hours when no text goes out. Everything on it is off until you switch it on.

Why it helps

A short text with the service and the time reaches the client as soon as the booking is confirmed, and again with the new time if it moves, so fewer people turn up at the wrong time. Your own reminder times let you nudge clients a day ahead and again closer to the visit, and quiet hours mean nobody gets a text at night.

How to use it

1. 1Go to Settings and open Text messages, in the Grow group. Only roles that can manage settings can change it (owners and admins, unless you changed your roles). If you do not see Text messages, texts cannot be sent from your account yet.
2. 2Switch on 'Text clients when a booking is made or moved'. Clients get a short text with the service and the time when a booking is confirmed, and the new time when it moves. Clients who said yes to texts before you switched this on agreed to reminders only, so they are not texted about their bookings.
3. 3For your own reminder times, switch on 'Choose when reminder texts go out'. Set First reminder in hours before the booking (1 to 336) and Second reminder (0 for no second reminder). These go even when reminder emails are off, but 'Also send reminders by text (SMS)' under Messaging & retention must be on. A booking made after a reminder's time does not get that reminder.
4. 4Switch on Quiet hours and set From and To. They start at 21:00 to 08:00 and follow the client's clock. A reminder due in quiet hours waits until they end, or goes before they start if the booking is earlier. A confirmation or a move made in quiet hours is texted when they end, unless the booking starts first. Press Save text messages.
5. 5A text only goes out when all of this is true: the client ticked the text box on your booking page, has a phone number and never replied STOP; your account has an SMS provider (Bookatu's, or your own Twilio account connected under Inbox, then Channels); and your plan includes texts with allowance left, or SMS overage is on. Each text counts towards your monthly allowance. Plans and allowances are in SMS text reminders and the Solo SMS add-on.