SMS Setup

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.

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.