In this article, we’ll look at how to edit the content of your SMS notifications and how to set their sending time. Correctly set-up messages help clients show up on time and keep the whole service flow clear and pleasant.
1. Opening It Up and the Main View
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- From the Apps page, go to Automatic Notifications and select SMS Notifications..
- Select the SMS notification and click on it that you want to edit (e.g. "Confirmation" or "Reminder" or another one).
- A view opens showing the existing SMS content, along with a preview of the notification on the right-hand side of the message.
2. Editing the Message Content
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The SMS content consists of:
- Gray text, which is static: it appears in every SMS regardless of who the client is or when the booking takes place.
- Blue text, which is a variable, or dynamic field: it’s replaced with actual information (such as the client’s name, the booking time, and so on).
Editing the Text
- If needed, edit the wording or delete the gray static part so the client gets a greeting or notification style that matches your salon’s branding.
- To manage the blue dynamic fields, click the "Add Dynamic Client Info" button and choose a suitable variable field from the list (for example, the booking time, staff name, salon phone number, and so on).
- You can add or remove as many blue dynamic fields as you like — just keep in mind that the clearer the SMS, the better and easier it is for the client to understand.
- Keep in mind that the recommended length for one SMS is 160 characters. If the character count goes over that limit, sending it uses several SMS credits. Blue dynamic fields can add extra characters (for example, a first name could be Mia, or something much longer like Triinu-Elisabeth). 1 SMS credit = 160 characters.
- Clients can’t reply to an SMS notification. If a client wants to cancel their salon appointment, for example, they’ll need to do so by email or by calling.
Keep the message as short and relevant as possible. It’s especially useful to add something like the salon’s phone number, or other information important to the client, at the end of the SMS.
3. Using the Preview
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To the right of the text is a preview, where you can see what the specific message would look like:
- The preview automatically fills in the blue text portion with sample data (the screenshot shows a preview using the client Laura Mölder as an example).
- If you’d like, you can choose a different client or booking for the test, to see how the SMS content displays for different clients.
- You can also see, below the preview, how many SMS credits it costs to send a message of that length.
4. SMS Settings Options
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Scrolling down a bit further, you’ll also find the SMS notification settings, where you can set things like:
- Turning the SMS notification on: do you want to activate this SMS notification? If the setting is "off," no SMS messages are sent. If it’s turned on, messages go out to clients according to your settings.
- Sending schedule: for example, how many hours or days before the booking starts the Reminder message is sent.
- Finally, click Save to confirm all your changes.
5. SMS Credit Calculation
- A certain amount of SMS credit is used for every SMS sent.
The amount of credit depends on:- The length of the message (longer messages may be split into several SMS messages).
- The characters used (e.g. emojis can increase the message length).
- Below the SMS preview is a This SMS needs: 1 credit button, which you can click for a more detailed overview of how SMS credit is calculated.
- There’s a separate article on buying and managing SMS credit, which is also worth reading to learn about the pricing of paid SMS notifications. You’ll find the article here.
SMS notification content and settings in SalonLife are flexible and easy to customize.
- Edit the text, add dynamic fields, and tailor the messages to your salon’s needs.
- Always keep an eye on message length and keep track of your SMS credit usage.
- If you need more detailed information about buying SMS credit or a more detailed cost breakdown, be sure to check out the separate guide materials as well.
Once everything’s ready, don’t forget to save, so the changes reach your clients exactly the way you want them to!