Short answer: Send a confirmation when the job is booked, a reminder the day before with the arrival window, and an on-my-way text when the tech heads to the address. Each one needs your business name, the time window, and an easy way to reschedule by replying.
Which texts to send, and when
- When the job is booked: a confirmation with the date and window.
- The day before: a reminder, with a way to reschedule.
- When the tech leaves: an on-my-way text.
- If you’re running late: a new time, before the window ends.
- After the job: a thank-you, with your review link. See asking for Google reviews.
Reminder texts you can copy
Booking confirmed
Hi Sara, you're booked with [Business] on Thursday, Oct 29, arriving 8-10 am, for the water heater. Reply here if anything changes.
Day before
Hi Sara, reminder from [Business]: we're coming tomorrow, 8-10 am. Please make sure we can get to the water heater. Need a different day? Reply here.
On my way
Hi Sara, it's Mike from [Business]. I'm on my way and should be there in about 25 minutes.
Running late
Hi Sara, Mike from [Business] here. The job before yours ran long. I'll be there by 10:40. Sorry about the wait.
What every reminder needs
- Your business name, first. The customer may have booked three companies for quotes.
- An arrival window, not an exact time you can’t promise.
- The tech’s name on the on-my-way text, so the customer knows who’s at the door.
- Anything they need to do: clear access to the panel, the attic or the water heater; put pets away.
- A way to reschedule by replying, instead of leaving you at a locked door.
Keep them about the job
Reminders about a job the customer booked are informational, not marketing, so they don’t need written marketing consent. Send them only to the number the customer gave you for that booking, and honor STOP. Keep them free of offers, no “add a tune-up for $49”: once a text sells something, the stricter consent rules for marketing apply (47 CFR 64.1200; see the texting rules).
Send them at reasonable hours. The day-before reminder can go out in the afternoon, not at 9 p.m.
Let your software send them
Most field service software can send booking confirmations and reminders automatically, and many send on-my-way texts from the tech’s app. Check your settings before buying anything new, and rewrite the default wording so it sounds like you.
Questions
When should I send an appointment reminder text?
The day before, in the afternoon, with the arrival window. Add an on-my-way text when the tech leaves for the job.
Do I need consent for appointment reminders?
Not written marketing consent, as long as they’re about the job they booked and go to the number they gave you for it. Honor STOP, and keep offers out: once a text sells something, marketing consent rules apply. General information, not legal advice.