Appointment Reminders vs Marketing Messages

First, an important distinction. UK data protection law treats appointment reminders differently from marketing messages.

When a customer books an MOT, a vet appointment, or a boiler service, they reasonably expect you to contact them about that booking. Reminding them of their upcoming appointment is a natural part of the service they've requested. This is fundamentally different from sending promotional offers or marketing campaigns.

This distinction matters because it affects the legal basis for sending messages.

Legitimate Interest: The Legal Basis for Reminders

Under UK GDPR, you need a lawful basis to process personal data, including sending SMS messages. For appointment reminders, the most appropriate basis is typically "legitimate interest."

Legitimate interest applies when you have a genuine business reason to contact someone, the processing is necessary for that purpose, and it doesn't override the individual's privacy rights. Appointment reminders tick all these boxes. Your business has a clear interest in reducing no-shows. Your customer benefits from being reminded. The contact is expected and proportionate.

This means you don't need explicit opt-in consent for every reminder, unlike marketing messages, which require clear affirmative consent under PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations).

How Remindlo Handles Consent

When you add a customer to Remindlo, you'll see a "Consent to receive messages" checkbox. This serves as your record that the customer has agreed to receive reminders, typically collected during their first visit or booking.

This isn't about ticking legal boxes for the sake of it. It's about maintaining a clear record that your customer knows they'll receive reminders and is happy with that. If a customer ever questions why they received a message, you have documentation showing they were informed.

Giving Customers Control: The Opt-Out Process

Every customer has the right to stop receiving messages. Remindlo makes this straightforward in two ways.

You can include opt-out instructions directly in your message template. Something like "Reply or call 07700 900456 with STOP to unsubscribe" gives customers a clear, immediate way to opt out. When a customer contacts you to opt out, you simply uncheck their consent in Remindlo, and they won't receive further reminders.

Alternatively, you can remove a customer from the system entirely. This completely deletes their data, fulfilling their "right to erasure" under UK GDPR.

Your Responsibilities as a Business

While Remindlo provides the tools for compliant messaging, the responsibility for compliance sits with you as the data controller. This means ensuring customers know they'll receive reminders when they book, keeping your Remindlo records accurate and up to date, acting promptly on opt-out requests, and using messages only for their intended purpose (reminders, not marketing).

Summary

Sending appointment reminders through Remindlo is straightforward from a compliance perspective. You're contacting customers who expect to hear from you, about appointments they've booked, with a clear way to opt out if they choose.

The key points to remember: appointment reminders fall under legitimate interest, not marketing consent rules. Always collect and record consent at first booking. Include opt-out instructions in your messages. Act promptly when customers want to unsubscribe or have their data deleted.

If you have questions about compliance for your specific situation, we recommend consulting with a legal professional familiar with UK data protection law.

Ready to stop losing customers to forgotten appointments? See how Remindlo works for multiple industries and start bringing customers back for their scheduled appointments.