In this article, we will show you what to bear in mind when customizing SMS templates and provide you some templates to choose from.
Why SMS?
SMS is designed to exchange relevant information as quick and short as possible. No chatting, no blaablaa, no stories.
It is meant to be short. It is meant to be important. And, therefore, it receives more immediate and higher attention than more random messages via WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal etc and also much higher opening rates than emails.
In short: You reach your guest's attention more likely and much faster by sending a reservation confirmation or cancellation via SMS compared to emailing or chat apps.
SMS - What matters?
Keep it short, stay focused
SMS means Short Message Service. On the one hand, it's meant to boil your text down to pure information, be it "I love you" our "Reserved for you: Bloody Leek, 21.11.23, 19:30, 4 P. " Reduce to the max and get your message seen, read and understood.
Keep it short, save money
On the other hand, you have to keep the message short to not waste money. SMS are processed in segments. And SMS are charged by segments. An SMS with more than 160 characters consists of multiple segments and therefore costs at least twice as much as a short SMS.
Please note:
- Do not use place holders for content with (potentially) great length. Using a place holder for the first AND last name may insert a short Jay Hat or a long and costly Anna-Magdalena Schmidhuber-Sonderegger. Individual links to cancel a reservation can easily reach a length of multiple segments and therefore multiply costs.
- Do not use filler or unnecessary words.
SMS - Templates
Minimal templates
The minimal template is a basic simple date/time confirmation. This ensures that 1 notification = 1 segment = CHF 0.09.
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Confirmation SMS - Neutral
Your booking: {{RestaurantName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
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Confirmation SMS - Formal
We confirm your booking for {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
Your {{RestaurantName}} -
Reminder SMS - Neutral
Reminder: Reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
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Reminder SMS - Formal
Short reminder: We reserved for you {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
Your {{RestaurantName}}. -
Cancellation SMS - Neutral
Cancellation: Reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
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Cancellation SMS - Formal
Your booking for {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P. has been cancelled. We apologize.
Your {{RestaurantName}}. -
Dismissed SMS - Neutral
So sorry. We cannot welcome you at {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}} at {{RestaurantName}}.
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Dismissed SMS - Formal
Unfortunately we cannot welcome you on {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}. We apologies.
Your {{RestaurantName}}. -
Provisional SMS - Neutral
Provisional Reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P. -
Provisional SMS - Formal
Your booking for {{RestaurantName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P. ist provisional. -
Credit card is auto-dismissed SMS - Neutral
So sorry. We cannot welcome you at {{ReservationStartDate}} {{ReservationStartTime}} at {{RestaurantName}} due to failed payment. -
Credit card is auto-dismisses SMS - Formal
Unfortunately we cannot welcome you on {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}} due to failed payment.
Yours {{RestaurantName}}. -
Credit card is requested SMS - Neutral
To complete your reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours.
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Credit card is requested SMS - Formal
Please provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours to complete your reservation.
Yours {{RestaurantName}}. -
Sell items is auto-dismissed SMS - Neutral
So sorry. We cannot welcome you at {{ReservationStartDate}} {{ReservationStartTime}} at {{RestaurantName}} due to failed payment.Sell items is auto-dismissed SMS - Formal
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Unfortunately we cannot welcome you on {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}} due to failed payment.
Yours {RestaurantName}}. -
items are requested SMS - Neutral
To complete your reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours.
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items are requested SMS - Formal
Please provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours to complete your reservation.
Yours {{RestaurantName}}.
Detailed templates
Detailed templates may include customer tags too like first name or such. This could spend more than 1 segment but some guest may like it more.
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Confirmation SMS - Neutral
Booking confirmation for {{CustomerFirstName}}: {{RestaurantName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
Please call us for changes. -
Confirmation SMS - Formal
We confirm your booking at {{RestaurantName}} forMr./Mrs. {{CustomerLastName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
Please call us for changes. -
Reminder SMS - Neutral
Booking reminder for {{CustomerFirstName}}: {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P. at {{RestaurantName}}.
Please call for changes. -
Reminder SMS - Formal
Please remind your booking forMr./Mrs. {{CustomerLastName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
Your {{RestaurantName}} -
Cancellation SMS - Neutral
Hi {{CustomerFirstName}}. So sorry, we have to canel your reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, for {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P.
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Cancellation SMS - Formal
Your booking for Mr./Mrs. {{CustomerLastName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P. has been cancelled. We apologize.
Your {{RestaurantName}}. -
Dismissed SMS - Neutral
Hi {{CustomerFirstName}}. So sorry. We cannot welcome you at {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}.
Your {{RestaurantName}}. -
Dismissed SMS - Formal
Dear Mr./Mrs. {{CustomerLastName}}. Unfortunately we cannot welcome you on {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}. We apologies.
Your {{RestaurantName}}. -
Provisional SMS - Neutral
Hi {{CustomerFirstName}}. Your booking at {{RestaurantName}}, {ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P. is provisional. -
Provisional SMS - Formal
Dear Mr./Mrs {{CustomerLastName}}. Your booking for {{RestaurantName}}, {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}}, {{ReservationPeopleCount}} P. is provisional and only valid after confirmation. -
Credit card is auto-dismissed SMS - Neutral
Hi {{CustomerFirstName}}. We cannot welcome you at {{ReservationStartDate}} {{ReservationStartTime}} at {{RestaurantName}} due to failed payment. So sorry. -
Credit card is auto-dismisses SMS - Formal
Dear Mr./Mrs {{CustomerLastName}}. Unfortunately we cannot welcome you on {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}} due to failed payment.
Yours {{RestaurantName}}. -
Credit card is requested SMS - Neutral
Hi {{CustomerFirstName}}. To complete your reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours.
-
Credit card is requested SMS - Formal
Dear Mr./Mrs {{CustomerLastName}}. Please provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours to complete your reservation.
Yours {{RestaurantName}}. -
Sell items is auto-dismissed SMS - Neutral
Hi {{CustomerFirstName}}. We cannot welcome you at {{ReservationStartDate}} {{ReservationStartTime}} at {{RestaurantName}} due to failed payment. So sorry.Sell items is auto-dismissed SMS - Formal
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Dear Mr./Mrs {{CustomerLastName}}. Unfortunately we cannot welcome you on {{ReservationStartDate}}, {{ReservationStartTime}} due to failed payment.
Yours {RestaurantName}}. -
items are requested SMS - Neutral
Hi {{CustomerFirstName}}. To complete your reservation at {{RestaurantName}}, provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours.
So sorry. -
items are requested SMS - Formal
Dear Mr./Mrs {{CustomerLastName}}. Please provide your credit card details within {{ReservationCreditCardLinkExpirationTime}} hours to complete your reservation.
Yours {{RestaurantName}}.