Newsletter
SMS Scheduling: Book Appointments with Autoresponder
Your appointment scheduling workflow is at its most powerful when it runs without you.
Here's how to use Autoresponder to direct customers to a scheduling link the moment they reach out.
1. Why You Want to Be First
The business that responds first is the one that wins the business.
Consumers don’t unlearn convenience. They will choose the business that gets back to them first.
It's hard to predict when exactly a new customer will realize they need your service—especially if it's after hours or on the weekend. But you don't want to lose out on their business just because a competitor responded first.
Text messaging gives your team the power to be available at all times, especially when you utilize tools like Autoresponder.
2. Why Autoresponder Helps
Autoresponder automatically sends a reply to all inbound texts.
Instant text responses hook prospects and prevent them from moving onto a competitor. The moment they reach out, the autoresponse you created can reply to them with a link for prospects to schedule an appointment.
77% of consumers want to initiate texts to businesses about scheduling appointments. The business that gives them the power to do that is most likely the one they'll go with.
3. Create Your Autoresponder
Autoresponder is available in the Settings menu of Text Request.
To create an autoresponse:
Go to the Autoresponder section under Settings
Select + NEW AUTORESPONDER
Enter a name for your autoresponse (recipients will not see this name)
Type your message
Your autoresponse should read something like:
“Thanks for contacting Acme. Book a time at [URL] and someone will respond ASAP.”
Including your scheduling link is key. Just remember to have a team member respond after the customer uses it to book an appointment. The whole point of an autoresponse is to not substitute getting help from an actual person, but to let customers know that it’s on the way.
For more detailed instructions on creating autoresponses, read our help doc here.
