Controlling client communication preferences must be done in two places:
Admin Client Communication Settings: enables sending reminder emails and texts on a practice level
Each Client's Profile: enables receiving reminder emails and texts on an individual level
Step 1: Admin Client Communication Settings
Navigate to Client Communication under Admin in your Shepherd menu
You'll be navigated to the Settings tab by default
Under Send Appointment Notifications, activate the toggles for Send Email and Send SMS (below both notifications are activated in the 'on' position)
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.
Step 2: Client Profile
Once you've made sure that your clinic's settings allow you to send emails and texts to your clients, you'll need to make sure each client 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
Use Shepherd's standard template for scheduled appointment SMS and email notifications or customize your own!
Please 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.
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
Navigate to Client Communication under Admin in your Shepherd menu
Select the Appointment Notifications tab, then Email Notifications
View the standard templates and any custom templates you've already created
Click on a template to edit it and add custom text
Or select Add New to create a new template
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
Navigate to Client Communication under Admin in your Shepherd menu
Select the Appointment Notifications tab, then SMS Notifications
View the standard templates and any custom templates you've already created
Click on a template to edit it and add custom text
Or select Add New to create a new template
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: