SMS vs Email for Salon Reminders: Which Gets Better Results?
SMS open rates are above 90%. Email open rates are around 20%. But the picture is more nuanced than it looks.
The statistic is striking: SMS messages have an open rate above 90%, compared to roughly 20% for email. But that does not mean email is useless for salon communications — it means SMS and email serve different purposes.
SMS: High Urgency, Low Detail
SMS is read within minutes. It is the right channel for:
- Day-of appointment reminders
- Queue position updates ("You are next — please make your way to the salon")
- Last-minute cancellation notifications
- Flash promotions with a short redemption window
SMS messages should be short — under 160 characters where possible. Include the key information (time, location, stylist) and a link. Nothing more.
Email: Low Urgency, High Detail
Email is the right channel for:
- Booking confirmation with full details and "add to calendar" links
- Monthly newsletters and promotions
- Loyalty program summaries ("Your current balance is 2,450 points")
- Post-visit review requests
Email clients can scroll, click, and reference back later. A booking confirmation email with the full appointment details, location, and a cancellation link is genuinely useful — more useful than trying to cram all of that into a single SMS.
The Ideal Setup
Use both, but in different ways. Send an SMS for the immediate, time-sensitive touch points. Send an email for the detailed record-keeping.
Trimsy does both automatically for every booking: an SMS confirmation is sent immediately, and an email confirmation with full details follows within minutes. The 3-day and day-of reminders go out via both channels.
One Important Note
Always give clients a way to opt out of SMS. Include "Reply STOP to unsubscribe" in your first SMS to any new client. This is a legal requirement in Australia under the Spam Act.