By
Cédric van Ravesteijn
May 21, 2025
How SMS reminders ensure that you never get stood up for meetings
No-shows cost you time, energy, and income. Learn how SMS reminders through Cal.com's workflow engine keep clients and teammates on track - so your meetings actually happen.
The problem: no shows are costing you
No shows are more than just a minor inconvenience. They disrupt your schedule, waste time, and in many cases, impact your revenue. Whether you are a consultant, coach, recruiter, or part of a sales team, missed appointments mean missed opportunities.
And often, it is not intentional. People simply forget. A calendar invite buried in an inbox is easy to overlook, especially when your client or contact is juggling multiple priorities.
Why SMS reminders work better than email
Email reminders help, but they are not always enough. Open rates for email can be low, and it is easy for a reminder to get lost in the shuffle. SMS, on the other hand, gets through.
Research suggests that text messages have a 98 percent open rate and are usually read within minutes. That makes SMS the most direct and reliable way to remind someone about an upcoming meeting.
When paired with email, SMS creates a layered reminder strategy that significantly cuts down on no shows. It gives people one more nudge at just the right time.
How Cal.com makes SMS reminders easy
With Cal.com, sending SMS reminders is simple and automatic. You do not need to set up third party apps or manage a separate workflow. Everything happens inside your Cal.com dashboard.
The reminder flow works like this:
A client books a meeting through your Cal.com page
Cal.com captures their phone number during the booking process
You set up a workflow that triggers an SMS reminder before the meeting - for example, 24 hours or 1 hour in advance
The client receives a clear, friendly message with the meeting details and link
You stay in control of the timing, content, and tone of the reminder. It is all configurable inside the Workflows tool.
Use credits, stay in sync
SMS reminders run on Cal.com credits. You can manage and top up your credits through your account. This gives you flexibility and cost control depending on how often you send messages.
You can learn more about how credits work here.
Real impact: fewer no shows, better attendance
Customers who enable SMS reminders often see an immediate drop in no show rates. The message arrives right where your client is most active — their phone, and then prompts them to prepare, reschedule, or show up.
This is especially valuable for high intent meetings like consultations, interviews, and sales demos, where every missed appointment affects momentum. By adding a simple SMS reminder, you increase show-up rates without doing any extra work.
Works for every kind of meeting
Cal.com SMS reminders are great for all types of teams and industries:
Freelancers and consultants reminding clients about booked sessions
Recruiting teams confirming interviews
Sales reps ensuring demos are not missed
Health and wellness coaches keeping sessions on track
Educators and tutors managing 1:1 lesson bookings
Wherever time is valuable and consistency matters, SMS reminders provide a lightweight but powerful layer of support.
Ready to stop getting stood up?
No shows happen, but they do not have to. With Cal.com SMS reminders, you can keep people accountable and reduce last minute drop offs.
The best part? Once you set it up, it just works. No manual follow ups. No chasing.
Head to your Cal.com dashboard, set up your first SMS workflow, and make sure your next meeting starts on time.
