#10 most asked· 3× cited on Reddit· Customer comms
Two texts that kill no-shows
An automatic SMS the day before and an hour before every booking. Customers confirm with one tap, or tell you early enough to refill the slot.
By Daniel Hall · Automation builder at Made 4 Tradies
When a job is booked, the system sends a 24-hour reminder with the date, the arrival window and a one-tap "reply Y to confirm or R to reschedule". A "Y" locks the slot in; an "R" flags it so you can rebook before the day is lost. An hour before arrival, a second text confirms the tech is on track with their name and window. It runs off your calendar with no app for the customer to install, and SMS sends for "a little less than $0.03 each" on the ClickSend setup one owner shared on Reddit.
See it in action
The flow, end to end
What your customer sees
The job it does
Two texts that protect a booked slot
A reminder 24 hours out and another an hour before means customers either turn up, or tell you early enough to refill the slot. Recurring ask across HVAC, plumbing and electrical owner-operators.
What it costs to send
<3¢
per SMS, “a little less than $0.03 each” on the ClickSend setup quoted by an owner in the cited Reddit thread. A couple of texts to save a wasted truck roll.
Why 'reply Y' works
Customers can confirm in one tap from the lock screen — no app, no login, no phone tag. Tradies on r/smallbusiness specifically asked for “reply to confirm” SMS, and an Rreply flags the slot for you to rebook before the day's lost.
How it works
Trigger → actions → outcome
- 1
Booking made
A job lands in your calendar or CRM with the customer's mobile, the date, and the arrival window. That booking is all the automation needs to start the reminder sequence.
- 2
24-hour reminder fires
The day before, the customer gets an SMS confirming the window with a one-tap 'reply Y to confirm or R to reschedule'. No app, no login, they answer straight from the lock screen.
- 3
Reply routes the slot
A 'Y' marks the booking confirmed. An 'R' flags it as needing a reschedule and pings you, so you can offer the slot to someone else before the day is wasted.
- 4
1-hour reminder on the day
An hour before the window opens, a second text confirms the tech's name and that they're on track. This is the nudge that catches the customer who forgot overnight.
- 5
You see the status
Confirmed, reschedule-requested, or no-reply all show against the job, so your morning run sheet only carries the slots that are actually going ahead.
What this means for your business
The numbers behind it
<3¢
Per reminder SMS
"A little less than $0.03 each" on the ClickSend setup one owner quoted on r/sweatystartup. Your rate depends on your SMS provider.
2
Reminders per booking
One 24 hours out, one an hour before. Both fire automatically off the booked slot, with nothing for you to remember to send.
1 tap
To confirm or reschedule
Reply Y or R, straight from the lock screen. Tradies on r/smallbusiness specifically asked for 'reply to confirm' SMS rather than another app.
Questions
Common questions
- What does the "Auto-SMS appointment reminders (24h + 1h)" automation do?
- "Hi, just confirming we're heading to you tomorrow between 9–11am — reply Y to confirm or R to reschedule."
- Why would a tradie business want this?
- Cuts no-shows. Recurring ask across HVAC, plumbing and electrical owner-operators.
- How many Reddit threads asked for this?
- 3 verified Reddit threads cite this automation, sourced from trade-owner subreddits.
The evidence
3 verified Reddit threads
Every quote is traceable to a real Reddit thread. Click any source to read the original tradies asking for this.
- r/sweatystartup
OP wires Google Calendar to ClickSend for automated reminders. 'SMS messages are a little less than $0.03 each.'
- r/smallbusiness
'SMS Confirmation - Reply to Confirm' — seeking appointment apps where clients text Y to confirm.
- r/Construction
Professional SMS templates for confirming construction appointments.
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