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πŸ’¬ Introduction to sending SMS

The two types of SMS you can send and how it works

Monique Clark avatar
Written by Monique Clark
Updated over a month ago

Contacting your patients has never been easier. Our super-duper user-friendly interface means sending important text messages to any group of your patients can be done in minutes.

There are two main types of SMS you can send:

One-off blasts πŸš€

These are SMS messages that you send in one big hit - such as an important announcement, special offer or bulk recall.

You select who receives it (filter by things such as last or next appointment date range, last practitioner seen, appointment type booked and more), and when they receive it - schedule it to send in the future, or send it now.

Automated Recurring πŸ•’

These are SMS messages that send themselves when certain things happen in Cliniko. For example, recalls that are automatically sent 7 days after a patient's last appointment (when no future appointment has been booked), or an SMS that sends a survey link to patients 1 day after their last appointment.

There are countless SMS you can send using this feature. For more ideas click here.

FAQs

How much do SMS cost?


SMS credits are 10c (AUD) each and can be purchased in packs from the Send SMS page of your account. Each credit can send an SMS up to 160 characters. Longer SMS will take up 2+ credits depending on the length.

You cannot use your Cliniko SMS credits with Peptalkr. We are two independent systems.

Why use Peptalkr over Cliniko for SMS blasts?


Cliniko SMS are very limited in how you can target patients. Here's a breakdown of the difference between the filter options:

Cliniko SMS

Peptalkr SMS

Last Business Visited (if you have multiple clinics)

Date range within which they attended an appointment

Last Practitioner Seen

Whether or not they have an upcoming appointment (Recalls)

Last Appointment Date Range

Which business they visited

Their sex

The appointment category they attended

The appointment type they attended

The practitioner they saw

The total count of appointments they have attended

The medical alerts present in their patient file

Why use Peptalkr SMS over Cliniko SMS for automated messages?


Cliniko SMS can only send automated reminders - nothing else.

Peptalkr can send a multitude of SMS types: recalls, confirmations, feedback requests, DNA appointment noticed and more.

What phone number will the SMS messages come from?


They won't come from a number. We send SMS from an Alphanumeric Sender ID - meaning, they appear to come from a name rather than a phone number. For example:

My Clinic

By default they are sent from Peptalkr

In order to set your own custom sender ID, ensure you read this article.

Can people reply to the messages?


Peptalkr SMS are non-reply SMS. We don't want to create more admin work for you, nor do we want to confuse your patients by sending SMS from a different phone number than Cliniko's reminders. As such, your SMS need to include instructions (such as a link to your intake form, or booking page) or a method of reply (such as your phone number or email address) so patients can take the action you require them to.

Can I personalise the SMS to the patient?


You most certainly can! Click here to learn more about Personalisation in SMS.

Can I send SMS to non-patients?


At this stage, no. You can only select patients/clients from your Cliniko account.


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