Configuring Appointment Notifications
There are three key areas that appointment notification settings are managed from:
Admin -> Client Communication ->Settings: enables sending of appointment notifications as email and/or SMS
Admin -> Client Communication -> Appointment Notifications: controls the sending cadence, text, and appointment type association of the notification
Each Client's Profile: enable or disable a client receiving appointment notifications and reminders by email and/or SMS
Learn more about each key area below.
Admin Client Communication Settings
Navigate to Client Communication under Admin
You'll be navigated to the Settings tab by default
Under Send Appointment Notifications, activate the toggles for Send Email and Send SMS
If you're not able to activate SMS notifications, double-check with your Account Manager that you're SMS number has been registered and activated.
Admin Appointment Notification Settings & Customization
Use Shepherd's standard templates for scheduled appointment SMS and email notifications or customize your own! Navigate to Admin -> Client Communications -> Appointment Notifications to manage specific appointment notifications.
Appointment Notifications by Email
Default Automatic Email Cadence
As soon as the appointment is scheduled
As soon as the appointment is rescheduled (if applicable)
The day before the appointment
2 hours before the appointment
Automatic Email Format
Note: The appearance of these notifications will vary based on the client's device and personal settings
Bold/italicized words shown in the format examples below will appear as plain text in the messages. We've bolded and italicized the words to indicate which fields are the variables.
Update Existing Email Templates
While viewing the Appointment Notifications tab, select the Email Notifications tab. Here you can edit and view any standard or custom Email Notification templates. Select an existing template row, or the edit pencil icon to update a template.
Create a New Email Template
While viewing the Appointment Notifications tab, select the Email Notifications tab. Here you can create a new custom Email Notification templates. Select Add New to begin defining a new custom email notification.
You'll be required to define a notification title, assign appointment types that trigger this notification, and a notification message. Don't forget to save your work when done!
Appointment Notifications by SMS
Automatic Text Cadence
48 hours before the appointment
This is the confirmation text, read the alert below for more info
1 day before the appointment
2 hours before the appointment
Automatic Text Format
48 hours before - confirmation notification
1 day before - appointment reminder notification
2 hours before - appointment reminder notification
Update Existing SMS Notifications
While viewing the Appointment Notifications tab, select the SMS Notifications tab. Here you can edit and view any standard or custom SMS Notification templates. Select an existing template row, or the edit pencil icon to update a template.
Create a New SMS Template
While viewing the Appointment Notifications tab, select the SMS Notifications tab. Here you can create a new custom SMS Notification templates. Select Add New to begin defining a new custom SMS notification.
You'll be required to define a notification title, assign appointment types that trigger this notification, and a notification message. Don't forget to save your work when done!
Client Profile
Once you've made sure that your clinic's settings allow you to send emails and texts to your clients, you'll want to confirm each client is enrolled can receive them.
Turning an Existing Client's Email and Text Notifications On or Off
Open the client's profile
Note Email and SMS notifications that are enabled in the client information box
Select Edit
Under Edit Client, you can make necessary changes to which email and SMS notifications are enabled for that client
Client and Message Center Settings
Resubscribe to Email and/or SMS Notifications
If a client has unsubscribed from receiving email or SMS notifications and would like to be re-subscribed, you will see a "Resubscribe" button on the client profile (click the Edit button on the client profile).
Note: If a client has opted to "stop" receiving text messages, they will not receive them unless they reply "start" again via text, regardless of the notification options enabled in Shepherd.
Turning Off Message Center
If the Messaging Center is turned off, clients with an appointment set to "upcoming" status will still receive a text 24 hours and 2 hours prior to the appointment (if the client has SMS notifications turned on).
Turning off the Messaging Center will only stop the confirmation texts.
Here's how our SMS notification reads when the Messaging Center is turned off:
If the appointment status is changed to confirmed prior to the 24-hour text going out, the client will only receive the 2-hour text below:
Disabling Appointment Type Specific Appointment Notifications
Shepherd also supports disabling appointment notifications by specific appointment type. This can be helpful if you do not want to trigger appointment notifications for specific appointment types, but still want to trigger any associated automatic form sending. You may be utilizing a third-party vendor to handle your appointment notifications such as reminders, but want to utilize Shepherd for the sending of client forms.
To update your appointment notification status by appointment type, simply navigate to the appointment type details itself, which can be found by following: Admin -> Scheduling -> Appointment Types. Next, open the details of the appointment type using the edit pencil, or while viewing the details of a new appointment type, and toggle on or off the Appointment Notifications toggle.
