Question 1

How does SMS Remindful work?

Accepted Answer

SMS Remindful connects to your Google Calendar or Microsoft Outlook and automatically sends SMS reminders to your clients before their appointments. You set up your reminder templates and schedules once, then the system handles everything automatically.

Question 2

How does the free trial work?

Accepted Answer

Start with a 7-day free trial that includes 20 SMS credits. No credit card required. Connect your Google Calendar or Outlook, set up your reminder templates, and see the value before committing to a paid plan.

Question 3

What calendars do you support?

Accepted Answer

SMS Remindful integrates with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. We automatically sync your appointments and extract client information to send reminders. More calendar integrations are coming soon.

Question 4

How long does setup take?

Accepted Answer

Most users are up and running in under 5 minutes. Simply connect your Google Calendar or Outlook, customize your reminder templates (or use our defaults), and configure your reminder timing. That's it!

Question 5

What information do I need in my calendar events?

Accepted Answer

At minimum, you need the appointment date/time and client phone number. You can add phone numbers in the event description, location field, or edit them directly in the SMS Remindful dashboard. Client names are extracted from the event title or attendee list.

Question 6

Can I customize the reminder messages?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can create custom SMS templates using variables like {{patientName}}, {{appointmentDate}}, {{appointmentTime}}, and {{clinicName}}. We also provide default templates you can use or modify.

Question 7

When are reminders sent?

Accepted Answer

You can configure reminders for 1 week before, 1 day before, and/or same-day (morning) before appointments. Enable or disable each timing based on your preference. Reminders are processed daily at 8 AM UTC.

Question 8

Does SMS Remindful support two-way SMS?

Accepted Answer

Two-way SMS (allowing clients to confirm or cancel via text reply) is on our roadmap for Q2 2025. Currently, messages are one-way reminders with opt-out capability.

Question 9

What industries can use SMS Remindful?

Accepted Answer

SMS Remindful works for any appointment-based business including dental practices, medical clinics, salons and spas, consultants, coaches, therapists, veterinary clinics, auto services, and any business that schedules appointments via Google Calendar or Outlook.

Question 10

Is this only for dental practices?

Accepted Answer

No! While we work great for dental practices, SMS Remindful is designed for any appointment-based business. Salons, consultants, coaches, therapists, medical clinics, veterinary offices, and more all use our service.

Question 11

Can I use this for multiple locations?

Accepted Answer

Currently, each SMS Remindful account supports one business/location. Multi-location support is planned for a future release. For now, you would need separate accounts for each location.

Question 12

Is SMS Remindful HIPAA compliant?

Accepted Answer

SMS Remindful sends appointment reminders containing only date, time, and your business name. We do not store or transmit protected health information (PHI). All messages include TCPA-compliant opt-out instructions. For practices requiring full HIPAA compliance, please consult with your compliance officer.

Question 13

How do you handle opt-outs?

Accepted Answer

All messages include "Reply STOP to opt out" text. When someone texts STOP, Twilio (our SMS provider) automatically handles the opt-out and prevents future messages to that number. This is TCPA-compliant.

Question 14

Is my data secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We use industry-standard security practices including encrypted data storage, secure OAuth for calendar connections, and never store credit card information (handled by Stripe). We only access the calendar data needed to send reminders.

Question 15

How much does SMS Remindful cost?

Accepted Answer

Plans start at $49/month for 300 SMS credits (Starter), $99/month for 800 SMS credits (Growth), or $149/month for 2,000 SMS credits (Pro). Annual plans get 2 months free. All plans include the same features - you only pay for volume.

Question 16

What happens if I exceed my SMS limit?

Accepted Answer

You'll receive a notification when approaching your monthly limit. You can upgrade your plan anytime from your dashboard to get more SMS credits. Unused credits do not roll over to the next month.

Question 17

Can I change plans anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You can upgrade or downgrade your plan at any time from your dashboard. When upgrading, you get immediate access to more SMS credits. When downgrading, the change takes effect at the end of your current billing period.

Question 18

Is there a contract?

Accepted Answer

No contracts, no commitments. All plans are month-to-month (or annual if you choose). You can cancel anytime and retain access until the end of your billing period.

Question 19

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

We offer a 7-day free trial so you can test the service before paying. If you're not satisfied with your paid subscription, contact us within the first 7 days for a full refund. After that, you can cancel anytime but refunds are not provided for partial billing periods.

Question 20

How does SMS Remindful compare to Weave or Solutionreach?

Accepted Answer

SMS Remindful is a focused, affordable alternative. While Weave costs $300-400/month and Solutionreach starts at $329/month with long-term contracts, SMS Remindful starts at just $49/month with no contracts. We focus on doing one thing really well: automated SMS appointment reminders.

Question 21

Why should I choose SMS Remindful over competitors?

Accepted Answer

Choose SMS Remindful if you want: (1) affordable pricing (5-7x cheaper than enterprise solutions), (2) no long-term contracts, (3) simple setup in under 5 minutes, (4) Google Calendar and Outlook integration, and (5) a focused tool that does one thing really well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Features & Functionality

Industries & Use Cases

Compliance & Security

Billing & Plans

Comparison

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