The Importance of Sending Appointment Confirmation Emails in 2023

Do you always confirm appointments with customers when they book?

In this article, we’ll explain why sending appointment confirmations is a must. Plus, we’ll explore why email confirmations are still the best strategy and how to craft one that packs a punch.
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Why sending appointment confirmation emails matters

There are a number of ways to keep your customers happy. Sure, it all starts with a great product and excellent service. But chances are you invest in other initiatives to maximize customer satisfaction too. For example, maybe you use a virtual call centre or regularly survey your customers to gather feedback.

Often, it’s easy to overlook simple things like sending appointment confirmation emails. But this is crucial to customer satisfaction for many reasons.

 

1. Meeting customer expectations

First and foremost, sending appointment confirmation emails is vital because your customers will expect them. Think back to the last time you bought something online. You likely expected to receive a confirmation email to let you know the order was successfully received. When it comes to making an appointment, it’s no different.

The world is changing, and the way people organize their time is changing with it. Established service providers now have a well-developed model for appointment confirmations that has become the modern standard. If you’re not sending confirmation emails, remember that your competitors are. 

Professional appointment scheduling software has built-in functionality for automating confirmations and can help you avoid other appointment scheduling mistakes. However, it’s possible to set up your own system without those tools. What matters is that you deliver what your customers expect.

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2. Giving your customers peace of mind

One of the most critical factors driving this customer expectation is the need for peace of mind. Look at it from the point of view of your customer. They book an appointment online and want to be sure the booking works. They won’t know for certain if they don’t receive confirmation.

They’ll be asking themselves some anxious questions. Do I have an appointment booked? Should I call to make sure? Should I turn up and hope for the best?

This anxiety may double if the customer makes an upfront payment to secure their appointment. In today’s digital world, many of us are concerned about cybercrime and online safety. Although your customer will receive a payment confirmation from their payment provider when the transaction goes through, that’s not enough. It’s vital they also receive one from you to give them peace of mind.

 

3. Minimizing no-shows

There are additional benefits of sending confirmation emails that are good for business. One of these is that maintaining solid communication with your client through the booking process reduces the chances of them not turning up.

This isn’t just because some customers may assume the booking failed. While that’s possible, it’s more likely that they simply forgot about their appointment or made another appointment that clashed. We’re all busy these days, and many of us rely on prompts and reminders from calendar and scheduling apps to help us keep track.

It’s wise to make the most of the opportunity to work with these new tools rather than against them. Sending appointment confirmation emails is a way of easily integrating your offering into your customers’ lives. In the end, it’s far more likely that they’ll honor their appointment with you.

                    _{Free to use image sourced from Unsplash}

 

4. Giving practical information

Let’s not forget about the other upsides of sending confirmation emails — for instance, it presents you with an opportunity to provide useful information to the patient.

One thing that may have crossed your mind is that confirmations could be sent using other formats. So why email in particular? Why not set up an automated SMS message? 

Well, you certainly can do that, and it fulfills some of the needs we’ve discussed so far. A customer who receives an SMS confirmation will know their booking has been successful.

However, a significant advantage of email over SMS and similar short-form messaging is that you can pack in more information. As well as including the basics such as the time, date, and location of the appointment, you can include practical details. For example, you can explain how to reschedule the appointment and whether there will be any penalties for doing so.

 

5. Using the marketing opportunity

Confirmation emails represent an excellent marketing opportunity. They are much more likely to be opened than general marketing emails. Granted, you don’t want to go over the top. Avoid packing the email with blaring images to upsell your latest products or services. 

The primary function of confirmation emails is to reassure the customer that their booking has been accepted, so it’s essential to focus on that.

Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to take advantage of the fact you have your customer’s attention. Be subtle — a well-placed “loyal customer” offer won’t ruffle any feathers and could secure further business.

                            _{Free to use image sourced from Unsplash}

 

6. Polishing your brand

Any email contact with your customer is a chance to demonstrate your customer-focused branding credentials. Receiving a professional-looking email with your logo and an on-brand tone of voice inspires confidence.

Make the most of the opportunity to be as engaging as possible. Furnish the email with helpful content and the customer will be left with a good impression of your business. It’s a terrific way to keep your clients on-side. If you get it right, this can positively impact how likely you are to generate those all-important word-of-mouth recommendations.
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Best practices in sending appointment confirmation emails

How do you create the ideal appointment confirmation email? There are several ways to do this, but they all share a few crucial characteristics. So let’s look at the most essential factors to consider when drafting your email.

Choose the right subject line

Getting the subject line right is a crucial first step. It should be concise and easily identifiable in a patient’s inbox. Include the words “booking confirmation” and a booking number for future reference.

One thing to bear in mind is that, in most cases, it’s best to avoid using emojis in subject lines. You might be tempted to include a few, particularly if you think it would fit with your brand’s tone of voice. However, A/B testing of open rates for emails with emojis has shown that emails with emojis in the heading are perceived less positively.

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Keep it short and clear

When it comes to the email’s content, stick to the point. While you can push extra marketing messages, keep it subtle. Most of the content should be focused on the booking details. 

Clearly state these crucial pieces of information:

• Time and date: These are the most important details — make sure they stand out!
• Location: It’s worth adding a map to the email for clarity. Make sure it links to an app like Google Maps rather than just being a static image.
• Payment receipt: If your customer has put down a deposit or paid upfront, include the amount here for their records.
• Rescheduling/cancellation procedure: Include an explanation of what happens if the customer needs to cancel or reschedule so there are no disagreements if the situation arises. Some appointment scheduling software will allow you to include a link directly to appointment rescheduling or cancelling.
• Contact information: Your customer must be able to get in touch with you if needed. Customers vary in contact preference, so give them several options like your cloud phone system customer support number and a contact email address. Remember that it’s a good idea to avoid sending confirmations from “no-reply” email addresses as customers can find this frustrating.
• A quick thank you: Don’t forget to thank the customer for booking!

 

Personalization

Tailoring the message to the customer is one of the most powerful practices in email marketing. That’s just as true for appointment confirmation emails as it is for other types of business emails — and a little goes a long way.

Make sure to include an appropriate personalized greeting at the top of the content. This immediately engages the customer and makes your message feel more friendly.

 

Testing

Finally, when you’ve created your email masterpiece, test it out on various devices. After all, it would be a shame to invest in appointment scheduling software only to find that the confirmation emails you’re sending out don’t display well on your customers’ screens.

Test them on the whole gamut of devices, from PC monitors to cell phone and tablet screens, to ensure everything displays as it should.
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The take-home message

When customers make a booking with you, it’s an opportunity to show them they’re appreciated. Sending an appointment confirmation email is crucial to ensure they’re happy with the service you’re providing.

While you can confirm bookings via a number of platforms such as SMS messaging, email is still king when it comes to customer engagement. So if you’re not already sending email confirmations, why not start today?