SMS

Written By Harriet Punshon

Pointa SMS is an optional feature used for appointment reminders, booking change/cancellation notices, manual customer messages, confirmation replies and birthday messages.

If SMS is not enabled on the account, Pointa will show a message in Settings > Notifications & Reminders saying SMS is not available. If you wish to add this to your subscription then please get in touch.

Customer Mobile Numbers and SMS Preferences

SMS relies on the customer having a valid mobile number saved on their customer record.

Customer SMS settings can be managed from the customer record:

Customers > Open customer > Options

Relevant settings include:

  • SMS Reminders

  • Preferred contact method

For reminders and operational messages, make sure the customer’s mobile number is correct and that SMS reminders are enabled where appropriate.

Avoid using the same mobile number across multiple customer records where possible. If a mobile number is shared, SMS history may not always appear where staff expect it.

SMS Reminder Settings

SMS reminder settings are managed from:

Settings > Notifications & Reminders

The main setting is:

Send reminders and notifications

If this is turned off, Pointa will not send customer reminder or notification messages by email or SMS.

If SMS is enabled for the account, you can also choose the default reminder method:

  • Email

  • SMS

If a customer has both an email address and a mobile number, this default method controls which method Pointa prefers for reminders. Customer-level reminder preferences still matter.

You can also set when reminders are sent:

Send at [x] days before

For example, setting this to 1 means Pointa will send the reminder one day before the appointment.

SMS Templates

SMS templates are managed from:

Settings > Notifications & Reminders > SMS

Templates may include:

  • Reminder template

  • Pencil booking confirmed template

  • Cancelled booking template

  • Birthday template

Templates can use placeholders such as:

  • $BUSINESS_NAME

  • $BOOKING_DATE_TIME

  • $CUSTOMER_NAME

Example reminder template:

Hi $CUSTOMER_NAME, this is a reminder of your appointment at $BUSINESS_NAME on $BOOKING_DATE_TIME.

Keep SMS templates short and clear. Long messages may be split into multiple SMS parts. It is also good practice to include the business name so the customer knows who the message is from.

Confirmation Replies

Pointa can allow customers to reply to an SMS reminder to confirm their booking.

This is controlled by:

Settings > Notifications & Reminders > SMS > Allow confirmation replies

When enabled, Pointa appends confirmation wording to reminder messages asking the customer to reply with Yes. For this to be most effective, we recommend setting the default reminder method to SMS.

When the customer replies, Pointa can record the booking as customer-confirmed. Other replies still appear in the SMS conversation so staff can read and respond if needed.

Sending a Manual SMS

Manual SMS messages can be sent from a few places.

The most common methods are:

  • From the SMS/chat icon in the top navigation

  • From a customer record using Send SMS

  • From a booking, where the Send SMS button appears if the customer has a mobile number and SMS is enabled

Best practice is to send SMS from the customer record or booking where possible, rather than typing a mobile number manually. This keeps the message linked to the customer history.

If you start a new SMS conversation by entering a mobile number directly, Pointa will still try to match the number to an existing customer. If no customer is found, the SMS conversation will be stored against the mobile number only.

Reading and Replying to SMS

SMS conversations open in a chat-style window.

The left side shows recent conversations and search results. You can search by customer name or mobile number.

The right side shows the selected conversation.

Unread incoming SMS messages are highlighted in the SMS area. Opening the conversation marks it as read.

New incoming SMS messages can appear live while Pointa is open, so staff can respond without needing to refresh the page.

SMS From Bookings

When viewing a booking, Pointa may show a Send SMS option if SMS is enabled and the booking/customer has a mobile number.

This is useful for short operational messages, such as:

  • Asking the customer to call the salon

  • Letting the customer know you are running late

  • Confirming an appointment detail

  • Following up on a booking question

For booking reminders, use the automated reminder settings rather than sending every reminder manually.

Birthday SMS

Pointa can send birthday SMS messages where birthday messaging is enabled and the customer’s date of birth is saved.

This is managed from:

Settings > Notifications & Reminders > SMS

Use a short, friendly birthday template. If birthday messages are promotional in nature, make sure the customer’s marketing preferences are appropriate.

Failed SMS

If Pointa cannot send an SMS, staff may see a notification that the SMS failed.

Common causes include:

  • Missing mobile number

  • Invalid mobile number

  • SMS not enabled for the account

  • Temporary sending issue

Check the customer’s mobile number first. If the number looks correct and SMS continues to fail, contact Pointa Support.

Best Practice

Use SMS mainly for time-sensitive communication, such as appointment reminders and important booking updates.

Keep templates short, include the business name, and test messages using a staff/customer record before relying on them broadly.

For day-to-day use, staff should send SMS from the customer record or booking rather than typing numbers manually. This keeps customer communication history cleaner and easier to follow.

Harriet Punshon
Previous

SMS Overview
Next

Cancellation Policy