Appointment reminder texts
Cut missed appointments with a timely text the day before, sent automatically at the time you choose.
Read moreSMS for trades and home service businesses
Spend less time on the phone and more time on the job. Orbis SMS helps plumbers, electricians, cleaners, gardeners and engineers keep customers informed.
The challenge
Why trades & home services turn to SMS
Tradespeople lose hours every week to wasted journeys when nobody is home, and to phone calls that interrupt work on site. Customers want to know when to expect someone, but schedules change as jobs overrun or parts arrive late. Annual services such as boiler checks are easy for customers to forget and easy for a busy business to stop chasing. Then there are unpaid invoices: awkward to follow up in person, slow to chase by post, and a real problem for cash flow in a small business that has already paid for materials and labour.
How Orbis SMS helps
Messages that make a difference
- 1
Visit confirmations
Confirm each booked visit with the date and the morning or afternoon slot, and remind customers that someone needs to be home to give access. A clear written confirmation reduces disputes about what was agreed and helps cut the number of wasted journeys across the week.
- 2
Day-before reminders
Schedule reminders for the evening before a visit so customers can tell you if plans have changed. If they cannot be in, you find out while there is still time to move another job into that slot, instead of discovering the problem on the doorstep.
- 3
Running late and arrival notices
Send a quick one-off text from the portal when a job overruns or the engineer is on the way. Customers appreciate being kept informed, and a short message is easier for the office to manage than taking a string of calls asking where the van is.
- 4
Annual service reminders
Keep groups of customers by service month and remind them when a boiler service, gutter clean, chimney sweep or alarm check is due. Regular prompts bring back repeat work you have already earned and keep customers on top of maintenance they need.
- 5
Polite payment reminders
Send a courteous reminder when an invoice is due or overdue, quoting the invoice number and how to pay. A neutral text is often enough to prompt payment from customers who simply forgot, without a difficult conversation on site, and it keeps a clear record of when you asked.
Good practice
Compliance notes for trades & home services
Reminders that an annual service is due are often promotional, so make sure customers agreed to them or the soft opt-in applies, and include an opt-out. Payment reminders must not be threatening or misleading and should follow fair debt collection practice. Never send new or changed bank details by text, because invoice fraud often works that way, and tell customers you never will.
General information only, not legal advice. See our guide to UK SMS marketing rules and Acceptable Use Policy.
Use cases
Popular with trades & home services
Payment reminder texts
Polite, timely reminders that help invoices and balances get paid without awkward calls.
Read more
Customer service updates
Let customers know where their query, repair or application stands without waiting on hold.
Read moreQuestions
Frequently asked questions
Orbis SMS is a web portal, so you can log in from a phone, tablet or computer and send a one-off message or use a saved template. Templates for common messages such as running late save typing when you are between jobs.
It depends on the wording and context. A reminder offering to book a paid service is usually treated as marketing, so rely on consent or the soft opt-in and include an opt-out. This is general information, not legal advice, so check if you are unsure.
There is no monthly fee. You buy pay-as-you-go credit bundles and only use them when you send, which suits small businesses with irregular volumes. Short messages within a single SMS part help your credits go further.
More industries
See how others use Orbis SMS
Industry
Healthcare & clinics
Appointment reminders, clinic updates and short-notice slots for patients.
Industry
Dental practices
Recall prompts, appointment reminders and practice news for NHS and private dental teams.
Industry
Salons & beauty
Booking confirmations, reminders and rebook prompts for salons, barbers and therapists.