HANDLING APPOINTMENTS AND REMINDERS WITH

CLIENT
Did you know that an average person forgets about some things per day?
Often, one of these things is booked appointments, be it with their
doctor, beautician, lawyer, or other. There are many reasons why clients
fail to show up at their appointments. It could be due to simply
forgetting, writing down the wrong time, getting stuck in traffic, picking
up their kids from school and so on and so forth.
Regardless of the reason, to prevent these occurrences, you need to
gently remind your clients that they have an upcoming appointment
booked with you.

HOW DO APPOINTMENT REMINDERS WORK?

There are three ways to send appointment reminders to your clients.
1. Email mode – some clients will prefer to receive an appointment
reminder through email. Many people find written communication
less intrusive than a phone call, and many of us use email regularly
enough. One advantage in using email for appointment reminders
is that it is easy to use a service to automate the sending of
appointment confirmation emails, reducing the amount of time that
employees and staff need to use in sending the messages.
There is, however, always the danger that appointment
confirmation emails will end up in the spam folders of your client
or will be overlooked in the large amount of email that many
people receive in their inbox in a daily basis.
example:
SUBJECT: Reminder-Your-Appointment on (DATE-TIME)
DEAR (CUSTOMER-NAME)
This is a friendly reminder confirming your appointment in
(COMPANY’S NAME) on (DATE-TIME). Please try to arrive 15
minutes early and bring your important documents.
If you have any questions or you need to reschedule, please send us an
email. Otherwise, we look forward to seeing you on (DATE-TIME).
Have a wonderful day!
Warm regards,
(COMPANY’S NAME)
2. Voice calls - Phone calls, either done by people, or as automated
calls run through a system, are one of the oldest and most
traditional forms of appointment reminders. These reminders can
be time consuming if you do them with staff members.
However, if you have front desk staff who spend a great deal of
time idle, it can be a good way to use their time efficiently while
providing a personalized touch for clients who prefer phone calls.
Another option is to use a service that automates your phone call
reminders and uses a computerized or recorded voice to call your
clients and give them a reminder.
3. Text messages - One increasingly popular way to reach clients
with appointment reminders is through text messaging. Most
people, including your clients, carry their cell phones with them at
all times, virtually guaranteeing that a reminder text message will
reach them when you send it.

Text messages, when set up through a service, are also very easy to
automate, using little staff time and are an efficient way to send the
 short reminder to your clients about their upcoming appointment.
When asked about their preferences for appointment reminder,
many clients pick text messaging.

It is important to remember that text message appointment

reminders should not be your only option, as text messaging for
lower income or older clients can be difficult. It is best to keep
some traditional offerings (such as phone calls) available.
example text reminder of upcoming appointment:
Hi, (NAME)! This is a friendly reminder from (NAME OF COMPANY)
that you have an appointment coming up on (DATE/TIME). Please reply
“yes” to confirm or “no” if you are unable to make your appointment.
example text reminder of booking confirmation:
Hello! We received your booking for an appointment on (DATE/TIME)
with (COMPANY’S NAME). We’re so excited to see you! Please reply
to this message to confirm or reschedule.
example text reminder for no-show or missed appointment:
Hello, (NAME). We missed you at your appointment that was scheduled
for (DATE/TIME). We would love to get a new appointment in the
books for you right away. Please reply here or call us at (COMPANY
PHONE) to get scheduled.

APPOINTMENT REMINDER TEXTS

1. Mass text messages are immediate - Mass text messages

reminders are the most common (and easy-to-send) appointment
text messages. If you want to remind all of your customers about an
upcoming universal event (e.g., appointment, conference, webinar,
in-person), this is how to do it.
 Twilio Notify lets you use global SMS to send text notifications
anywhere in the world at scale. You can reach one customer or a
million with just a single API call. Plus, you can let your users opt
into specific channels. For example, one user might want to receive
reminders through SMS, while another may prefer it through email.
2. Visual – phone text message cannot be ignored, so this might be
helpful to remind your clients on their appointments.

3. Two-way - Two-way texting, also known as 2-way SMS or

inbound messaging, allows users to send, receive, and respond to
messages. It allows businesses and organizations to communicate
back and forth with recipients in more personalized ways.

Both customers and businesses can send and receive messages

over a two-way texting app. For example, a company can reach out
first about a customer service issue, inquiries about orders, and
appointment scheduling.

4. Versatile – this can be flexible and not hard to use.

WHY SEND APPOINMENT REMINDER TEXT?

One of the key reasons why it is important to send text reminders for
appointments is that people actually read them. In fact, with text 98%
open rate, your clients are far more likely to see and respond to text
reminders than phone calls or emails. This, in turn, reduces no-shows
and cancellations, which is a huge plus for your business or practice.
Appointment text reminders are also important to have in your arsenal
because of their automated nature. Meaning, setting up automated
reminder texts is a low-cost action that pays off you and your business
and law firms. And beyond their cost-effectiveness, they are generally
well-received by their clients.
WHY DO WE NEED TO SEND APPOINTMENT REMINDERS TO
OUR CLIENT?
Sending your clients appointment reminders will save you a lot of
trouble in the long run and bring about some very positive changes.
1. Reduced no-shows – sending appointment reminders will help
your clients remember they have an upcoming appointment with
your business. This way, you decrease the risk of appointments
with your business being one of the four things your client forgets
on average.

2. Less cancelations – often clients forget about their appointments

or have other obligations to attend to, only to remember at the last
minute. By then, it’s too late and they have no other choice but to
call and cancel. Reminding them on time about a pending
appointment will help them better organize their schedule so they
don’t have to cancel.

3. Improved relationships with clients – sending appointment

reminders fuels professional communication with your clients,
helps them feel closer to your business, and encourage them to
reach out whenever they need anything. As a result, you’ll earn
their loyalty.

4. Client convenience – providing your clients with appointment

reminders allows them to confirm the appointment or change it to a
different time or another service if they prefer. Having this
flexibility will make all the difference.
 Bottom line, no shows and last-minute cancellations result in a
significant loss of clients that could’ve been prevented simply by
sending reminders. Not only will save money by reducing these,
but the flexibility and communication you encourage through
reminders will keep the clients coming. All these elements will
improve your bottom line.

6 BEST PRACTICES FOR APPOINTMENTS REMINDERS

1. Send automated reminders for upcoming appointments -

Calling or sending manual text messages or email appointment
reminders can be a waste of time. But appointment reminders are
essential to avoid missed or late appointments.

With automated reminders, you no longer need to worry about no-

shows or last-minute cancellations. Automated reminders for
upcoming appointments are sent as timely email or text reminders.
You can send these a few days or hours before the scheduled date
or time to ensure that your clients don’t miss their time slot. They
save your administrative staff time and energy and allow your
business to run smoothly without schedule disruptions.

2. Use both text messages and email reminders - To make sure

your clients never miss an appointment, it’s best to send
appointment reminders by email and text messages. Different
clients may have different preferences for communication with
your business. Some clients prefer text appointment reminders,
whereas some prefer communication via email reminders.

While email appointment reminders can be effective, reminder text

messages may be a quicker way to reach your clients. Nowadays,
most people carry their phones everywhere and are more likely to
read reminder messages than emails.
 However, businesses should send both text and email reminders. It
increases the chances of your clients reading the notification and
remembering the appointment. If they don’t miss a reminder, they
won’t miss the appointment. It can also help you get enough notice
if a client decides to cancel or reschedule.

3. Send different reminder types for different appointment types

- Automated reminders can be sent as emails, texts, and voice calls.
However, you can send different reminder types for different types
of appointments.

Automated reminder software allows you to choose from different

templates and customize your reminders. For example, you can
send a reminder a day before the appointment telling the client
what they need to bring. You can also send a reminder for a
follow-up appointment, along with the date and time.

You can also control the frequency of reminders and whether you
want to send email, text, or voice reminders. This ensures that all
your clients get specific and personalized notifications for their
upcoming appointments.

4. Request appointment confirmation - When a client books an

appointment with you, make sure to send them a confirmation text
or email. Requesting appointment confirmation can help you
reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations. You can get quick
client responses, better manage your bookings, and plan your
business schedule accordingly.

Your appointment confirmation text or email can include the

details of the appointment, such as the date and time. You may
include details of what the client needs to bring with them. Be sure
to include the cancellation policy. Also provide the client with
options to cancel or reschedule the appointment and contact you.
 5. Integrate appointment reminders into online booking -
Integrating appointment reminders into your online booking
system can help you schedule appointments more efficiently. They
come with a booking calendar that allows clients to schedule their
appointments. The integrated system updates booking dates and
availability in real time.

You can integrate your calendar with appointment reminders. You

can also choose from a variety of templates and set different
reminder types for different appointments.

6. Send reminders an hour before appointments to decrease late

arrivals - It’s a standard practice to send appointment reminders
days before the appointment. But you can improve the client
experience further by sending a friendly reminder an hour before
the appointment. This practice can decrease late appointments and
help you stay on schedule. It will also let your clients know how
valuable they are to you.

5 kinds of reminder/appointment message and shows you how to set

them up.
1. Appointment Confirmation and Changes - Let your customers
know what's happening with their appointments with confirmation
and booking change messages.
2. Appointment Reminder - Reduce no-shows by automatically
reminding clients of their appointment.
3. Rebooking Reminder - Reminding your clients to rebook is an
important part of a client retention strategy. Sending them a
reminder will ensure you don’t miss a chance to get a client
walking back through the doors of your business.
4. Penciled-in Appointment Messages - Let your clients know you
have received their booking request without confirming their
appointment.
5. One-off Messaging - Stay organized and in control with the ability
to send one-time SMS messages to clients from within Timely.
We’ll deliver any replies right to your account, so all your
communications are in one place.
 HANDLING DICTATION AND TRANSCRIPTION

DICTATION
It is the process of speaking to another person who writes down
what you say or speaking into a recording device. With dictation, you
can playback the recording or read from the written notes.

DICTATION METHODS
 Traditional Dictation Method
Traditional dictation methods involve using a tape recorder or
handheld device to record spoken words. The audio is then played
back and transcribed by a human typist. While this method has
been used for decades, it has several disadvantages. One of the
main drawbacks is the time it takes to transcribe the audio,
resulting in higher costs. Additionally, there is always the
possibility of losing or damaging the tape recorder, which could
result in lost data.

Though these devices are often straightforward and require

minimal training to operate, making them a popular choice for
those who are less tech-savvy.

 Digital Dictation Method

Digital dictation methods, on the other hand, use software or an
app to record and transcribe spoken words. With apple dictation,
for example, users can record their voice and have it transcribed in
real-time. This eliminates the need for a human typist and allows
 for faster turnaround times. Additionally, apple dictation, uses
advanced speech recognition technology, which means it can
transcribe even complex medical or legal terminology with a high
degree of accuracy.

Digital dictation methods are also highly versatile and can be used
on a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and
computers. This makes digital dictation ideal for remote work and
allows users to easily share and collaborate on recordings.

Similarly, one of the biggest advantages of digital dictation

methods is the ability to easily edit and share the transcribed text.
With traditional methods, the audio would need to be played back
and transcribed manually, which could take hours or even days.
With apple dictation, users can easily and quickly make edits to the
text and share it with colleagues or clients.

BEST DICTATION TOOLS AND SOFTWARE OPTIONS

1. Notta Voice-to-Text Dictation - Notta is
an excellent dictation software for law
enforcement and legal professionals looking
for accurate and efficient dictation software.

2. Google Docs Voice Typing - A

free and straightforward dictation
tool integrated with Google Docs.
 3. MacSpeech Scribe - A voice
recognition software designed
specifically for Mac users, offering
high accuracy and flexibility.

4. Apple Dictation - A free dictation

software that accurately transcribes
voice input for all Apple devices.

5. Windows 10 Speech
Recognition - This is a built-
in dictation software in
Windows 10. It allows users to
control their computers
through voice commands.
TRANSCRIPTION
Is when recorded speech is typed up, either by a person with a
keyboard or through voice-recognition software.

TRANSCRIPTION METHODS
Edited Transcription - Edited transcription is where the complete,
accurate script is formalized and edited for readability, conciseness,
and clarity. Edited transcription addresses issues like grammatical
mistakes, slang, and incomplete sentences. When transcribing from
written materials, edited transcription also corrects spelling and
punctuation and can make the spoken words sound more formal.

Yet edited transcription doesn’t apply to everything. Let’s say you’re

transcribing an autobiography recorded by the author. In the example
below, we highlight how using edited transcription would change the
author’s voice.

Unedited: “My mama told us—me and my brother and sis, ‘Y’all
shouldn’t complain about having to eat your veggies at suppertime.’”

Edited: “My mother told me and my siblings not to complain about

having to eat vegetables at dinner.”

Intelligent Transcription - Accuracy is a crucial factor in intelligent

transcriptions. Compared to edited transcription, intelligent transcription
focuses on light editing of the audio or video file.
By ‘light editing’, this means that fillers expressed by the speaker, such
as ‘ums’, ‘om’s, ‘err’, along with pauses in between discussions,
repetitions, and expressions of acknowledgement and deep thought such
as ‘okay’, ‘got it’, ‘hmm’, and ‘I wonder’ are omitted from the
transcribed document.
Additional irrelevant details eliminated include stutters and stammers,
slangs, non-standard language (gonna, ain’t, ‘cause), and any form or
detail depicting disruptions in speech, such as coughing and throat
clearing.
The main point is to eliminate phrases that are irrelevant to the
conversation or discussion’s main subject.
Truth be told, omitting fillers and unnecessary fragments of the
recording being transcribed is only scratching the surface.
The crucial factor in intelligent transcription is the ability to determine
the gist of the message and preserve it in the transcribed document, even
after the emotional component of the original file is excluded.
As such, the final products of intelligent transcriptions are expected to
have substance, while accurately representing the tone and essence of
the original content.
Intelligent or smart transcription is most commonly used in medical
fields and business communications.
 Verbatim Transcription - Verbatim transcription captures both
the verbal and non-verbal components of the discussion being
transcribed. This means that fillers, slangs, stammers, and all the
details omitted in intelligent transcription is retained. Given that
the bulk of information needed to be put in writing in verbatim
transcription is heavier, this makes the task more complicated and
difficult than it seems.
Aside from the essence of the message, every factor recorded in the
audio or video, from the shifts in breathing, emotion and tone, to the
interruptions in speech and background noise are factored in in the final
written output.
The employment of verbatim transcription means to literally transcribe
the contents of an audio or video recording. It serves as a reliable and
vital tool for research, especially for new projects or campaigns that a
brand wishes to implement.
It is also an important factor in court hearings, police investigations, and
job interviews. Each variation of transcription services has its own
purposes.
For businesses, transcribed audios and videos are helpful in market
research, publishing documents, as well as in regulating and reviewing
important discussions related to the enhancement of the services being
offered.
By keeping records of how and what a target audience has to say about a
product or promotion, business owners will have a better idea of how
they can pitch their products and advertising strategies better to their
customers.
In the same manner, transcription promotes better coordination among
CEOs, managers, and members of a company’s different departments
because of how it provides accurate references to meetings and
discussions.
The inclusion of transcription, either as a tool or as a service offered to a
brand’s clientele entails a desire to boost flexibility, efficiency and cost-
effectiveness. Thus, when employed carefully and strategically, it could
also aid in a business’ growth and expansion in the long run.

COMPLICATIONS IN TRANSCRIPTIONS
 1. Background noise - Background noise includes strong wind, other
people screaming or talking, sirens or various traffic sounds. These
are some of the elements that can compete with the voices of the
main speakers that can make it harder for the transcription work to
proceed faster. In most cases, the transcriptionist marks the audio
parts with audible or inaudible if it is no longer possible to
understand what is being said.
2. Different language - Speakers using other languages also make
transcription difficult. In a report or interview for example, one
language can be used by one person while another could be
speaking in a different language and a translator is needed. If this
is the case, different persons may be needed to transcribe the
recording.
3. Slang and accent - Slang or strong accent is another element that
complicates the transcribing process. Even if only one language is
used, the accent of the speaker or the slang the speaker uses can
pose a challenge to the transcriptionist. It would be ideal if the
speaker or speakers have a neutral vocabulary and accent.
4. Speed of conversation - Volume and speed of the conversation
also affect the process of transcription. Since the transcriptionist
has to type the transcription, the faster the speaker speaks, the
slower the transcription becomes, since the transcriptionist has to
rewind the recording several times to pick up all the audio. Even if
the transcriber is a quick typist, it will take time to understand
what’s being said and translate it into text. The volume of the
speaker’s voice is also important. If it is very low and quiet, it
could be hard to understand or pick up what is being said.
10 NECESSARY SKILLS OF A TRANSCRIPTIONIST

 Attentive listening

A pair of good ears is stringent to transcription work. Even in

transcribing general topics, you are required to have an accurate
understanding of dialogues despite some audio challenges like
background noise, crosstalk, and soft voices. In severe cases, an audio
transcriptionist should be able to make intelligent “sounds like” guesses
for barely decipherable parts of the audio. A good remedy to this is the
use of Transcription Wing’s nifty feature called Listen Link where an
unintelligible part of your transcript is embedded with a link to its
corresponding audio segment.

 Sharp memory

Together with attentive listening, having a sharp memory helps in

general transcriptions big time. Instead of frequently pausing the audio
to type, having a sharp memory helps a transcriptionist type longer
dialogue, catching every word without the need of frequent pauses and
replays.

 Fast typing speed and high accuracy

An average person types at 40-45 words per minute, but a good typing
speed of a transcriptionist is at 60-80 words per minute with very
minimal errors. On the other hand, a professional audio transcriber can
type as fast as an impressive 100 words per minute.

 Grammar, punctuations, and spelling proficiency

Although some transcription requests are verbatim-specific, some clients

still prefer non-verbatim or clean, easy-to-read transcripts. A
transcriptionist should have high grammar, punctuations, and spelling
proficiencies to provide tidied transcripts without compromising the
meaning and original thought of the dialogues. Although there are digital
tools that identify and correct mistakes like these in a breeze, it is still
important for them to have a good knowledge foundation to prevent
basic yet mortifying mistakes.

 Research skills
An outstanding research skill is a must-have for transcriptionists. Files
on diverse topics are assigned to them every day. Having a great
research skill is a big help for catching words or terminologies they’re
unfamiliar with, as well as for researching crucial information and
proper nouns like names, acronyms, companies, establishments, or
brands in general.

 Keen attention to detail

A good transcriptionist is a keen listener and punctilious to small details

that smart and pure verbatim transcriptions require to be transferred in
print. For instance, the speaker said “like” five times, the audio
transcriber should type exactly that - “...like - like - like - like - like…” -
in the transcript. Utterances such as hmm, uhm, and uh-huh also
perceives different notations imperative to market researchers. Laughter
and pauses are also detailed in transcripts. Small details like these
contribute to the meaning conveyed by the speakers in the audio, which
is why transcriptionists should be particular with these as requested by
the client.

 Focus and determination

To be a qualified transcriptionist, one must be focused and determined to

get the job done competently. A 1-hour file takes an average of 6 hours
to transcribe. It’s not a child’s play. A transcriptionist should be able to
neglect unnecessary distractions and concentrate in long periods of time
whilst transcribing to ensure complete accuracy and timeliness of work.

 Diligence and strong goal orientation

Transcriptionists should be diligent and self-motivated towards reaching

the team’s goal, which is providing top notch transcripts on time.
Therefore, they should be passionate and meticulous on following the
company’s standard of quality. Ultimately, diligence and strong goal
orientation along with focus and determination boosts the perks
and benefits you get as a transcriptionist when the company you work
for realizes your dedication.

 Adaptive

We offer general transcription services across a multitude of fields, so

it is a must that our transcriptionists are all fast-learners - comprehends
different topics in short periods of time for them to turn in sensible,
superior quality transcripts.

 Technology proficient

A person does not need to have advanced computer skills to become a

transcriptionist. Basic skills like knowing to how maximize the use of
Microsoft Word for proper transcription formats and also Google search
proficiency is enough, but the openness and willingness to learn how to
utilize the required transcription software is a must.

Here at TranscriptionWing, our pool is composed of carefully

handpicked general transcriptionists making sure that the quality of our
transcripts remains second to none. Be it in-depth interviews, focus
groups, podcasts, seminars, conference calls, or even video captioning -
our transcription team’s expertise will surely provide accurate transcripts
specific to your needs.

REFERENCES
https://www.upwork.com/resources/types-of-transcriptions
https://www.goodtherapy.org/for-professionals/software-
technology/online-scheduling/article/how-to-send-appointment-
reminders-that-work
https://www.apptoto.com/ebook#:~:text=Appointment
%20reminders%2C%20by%20definition%2C%20are,location
%20and%20type%20of%20service.
https://www.textedly.com/appointment-reminder-text/
https://www.demandforce.com/appointment-reminders-best-
practice/
https://www.notta.ai/en/blog/dictation-software-for-lawyers
https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/complex-transcriptions/
https://www.transcriptionwing.com/10-necessary-skills-of-a-
transcriptionist/