When should you be using email reminders vs. text message reminders? Is one more effective than the other? Various studies show businesses increase their profit by using automatic reminders to decrease missed appointments. However, you have the option of choosing what kind of automatic reminder to use. You will need to determine the best communication technique for your customers. This blog should offer you a little guidance to help make the best decision.
Text Message Reminders
Text message reminders are also known as SMS reminders. These automatic reminders can be informative or engaging, depending on how you choose to use them. In most recent studies, results have shown SMS automatic reminders significantly decrease no-shows. Specifically SMS that asks you to engage, such as text back, decrease no-shows by 87%! Text message reminders are shown to be an extremely convenient platform for communication. Mobile has become the most impactful communication platform due to its massive growth over the past five years.
Email Reminders
Email reminders are another very viable use for automatic appointment reminders. That being said, email reminders are shown to be less convenient. Not everyone has their email accounts connected to their phone. This means accessing their email may not always be an option. More effort is required on your customer’s part to respond to an email over a text message. On the upside, email users that are 60 years and older are more comfortable using email as their primary form of communication. If your majority of patients or customers fall into this age bracket then email reminders might be the better option. Email should also be used when sending information that may need to be referenced. Since text messages are much harder to search through, any kind of information needed in the future should be sent via email.
If you are still debating on which medium to use, then give us a call! We are happy to speak with you about our program and help you decide which platform will suit your needs best. We can also mix the platforms together. No on says you have to use one or the other – at least not with us! You can also take advantage of our FREE TRIAL. Sign up here.
