Pre-arrival reminders

Send a reminder email 24 or 48 hours before a course or hire starts to reduce no-shows.

A pre-arrival reminder lands in the customer’s inbox shortly before their booking begins. It reduces no-shows, gives them time to prepare, and is a low-effort way to feel attentive without manual work.

Build the reminder

1. Open Communications → Workflows

   Find the Course start trigger. It fires based on the session’s start time — perfect for reminders.

2. Choose a session group

   Use All sessions to start. Switch to a specific session group when you want different reminders for different course types.

3. Create a new template

   Click Add communication → Create new template and name it (e.g. 24-hour reminder).

4. Write the subject line

   Use merge fields and a hint of urgency. Examples: Reminder: starts tomorrow! or See you soon — .

5. Build the body

   Cover the essentials: details, what to bring, where to meet, arrival time, contact.

6. Set the timing — this is the important step

   Switch from Immediate to Custom timer. Set a value and unit (e.g. 24 Hours), then set the direction to Before trigger. Not after.

7. Send to the client email

   Pick Client email as the recipient.

8. Test and save

   Use Send test email with a real-looking booking before going live.

Selecting After instead of Before sends the reminder once the session has already started — far too late. Always double-check the direction.

Good timing windows

Value	Best for
24 hours before	Most reminders — late enough to feel imminent, early enough to prepare
48 hours before	Activities that need more preparation or travel
1 week before	Multi-day courses or important high-ticket bookings
A few hours before	An optional second reminder on the same day

Suggested content

1. Friendly reminder line.
2. Booking details (date, time, location, participants) via merge fields.
3. What to bring — equipment, clothing, documents.
4. Meeting point and arrival time.
5. Parking and access info if relevant.
6. A contact number for last-minute issues.

For the full merge field list, see booking confirmation emails — the same fields work in reminders.

Multiple reminders

For higher-value bookings, send two reminders:

1. 48 hours before — Your course is coming up — what to prepare.
2. 24 hours before — See you tomorrow — final logistics.

Don’t send three reminders unless you really need to — most customers find a single, well-timed reminder more useful than a stream.

Related guides

Confirmation emails

The email that goes out immediately after booking.

Follow-up emails

Send a thank-you and feedback request after the session ends.