How SMS reminders cut no-shows by 60%

Industry data puts the average no-show rate for appointment-based businesses at around 15-20%. At BookAndGo, we see our active tenants running closer to 3%. The difference isn't magic — it's a properly configured reminder chain.

The reminder chain that works

A reminder chain is a sequence of notifications that fires automatically before each appointment. BookAndGo gives you full control over the chain — which channels, which timings, which messages. Here's the sequence that produces the best results for most service businesses:

• Immediate: Email confirmation with the appointment details and a calendar attachment.
• 24 hours before: SMS reminder with a one-tap reschedule link.
• 2 hours before: SMS nudge with the business address and phone number.
• Post-appointment: Email thank-you with a review request link.

Why SMS beats email for reminders

Open rates tell the story. Emails average 20-30% opens. SMS messages hit 98%, and most are read within three minutes. For something time-sensitive like 'don't forget your appointment in 2 hours', SMS is the only channel that actually lands.

Setting up the chain

From your dashboard, open Settings → Notifications. You'll see a list of message types (Booking Confirmation, 24h Reminder, 1h Reminder, etc.) and toggles for email and SMS per type. Turn on the ones you want, customise the wording, and save.

Tone matters

A reminder that reads 'APPT TMRW 10AM' feels like spam. A reminder that reads 'Hi Sarah, just a reminder about your massage with Peregian Massage tomorrow at 10am. Reply RESCHEDULE if you need to move it.' feels like a helpful nudge from a human. Same information, vastly different response rate.