This is an automatic reminder about an upcoming visit that will be sent to the client at specified time prior to the visit. You can use it to limit late arrivals and no shows.

In the online booking widget client can select convenient reminder time on their own or switch it off completely.

Configuration and editing

1. In the main menu go to the Settings — System settings — Notifications section and open the Types of notifications 

2. In the Client notifications type select Upcoming visit type and click Edit (pencil button).

3. Check the Enabled option in the Status section.

4. Either select one of three standard templates or create your own.

5. Set the time for SMS and Email to be sent.

6. Select the Channels for notifications.

7. Click Save.

You can also set an individual time for the reminder to be sent for each booking. To do that go to the Notifications tab in the appointment. To disable this notification uncheck the notification channel. Click Save in the bottom right corner once you’re done with the changes.

Important

By default, SMS will be sent 1 hour prior to the booking and Email - 12 hours prior to the booking. Default settings will be applied if the appointment was created in the Appointment Calendar before the notification settings were changed. All changes will be applied to future bookings only. If you need to, you can manually change the time for notifications to be sent in the Notifications tab in the appointment.

Templates

1. Your visit to %POSITION_TITLE% %MASTER_NAME% is in %HOURMINUTES% (%DATE%). Details: %LINK%

2. Your visit to %POSITION_TITLE% %MASTER_NAME% is in %HOURMINUTES%. Details: %LINK%

3. Reminder of the visit. Details: %LINK%

4. Your own templates

Each template contains variables (links to appointment parameters). Instead of these parameters data about appointments will be displayed:

• %POSITION_TITLE%  — position of an employee that you can indicate in the Online booking — Settings section:
• Choose how you want your employees to be called in online booking,
• "Employee", genitive case,
• "Employee", dative case,
• "Employee", plural form.
• %MASTER_NAME% — employee’s name.
• %HOURMINUTES% — hours left until the upcoming appointment.
• %DATE% — date of the upcoming appointment.
• %CLIENT_NAME% — name of the client.
• %LINK% — link to the detailed information about the upcoming appointment (rescheduling will be possible when following this link).

An example of the upcoming visit notification (standard template):

Your visit to hairstylist Jane is in 1 hour (March 25 6 PM). Details: [link to the page with detailed description].

Sending notification

Notification will be formed and sent automatically. Before it’s formed the system will check the date and time of the booking, notification type settings and time left. The notification will be formed and sent if all settings are correct.

The main requirement is that the visit must be created prior to the time when notification needs to be formed. Also the channel for notification needs to be checked in the Notifications tab in the booking window.

For instance, the booking is made for January 1, 10 AM, the notification needs to be sent 1 hour prior to the visit. For the notification to be formed the booking has to be made no later than 08:59 AM on the same date. If the booking was created after 08:59 AM the notification will not be formed because when the system checked the settings the booking didn’t exist yet.

Possible reasons the notification isn’t checked in the appointment:

• Client booked online and switched this notification off.
• Notification was switched off in the Settings — System settings — Notifications section at the time when the booking was created.
• Notification was switched off in the booking manually.