SMS Reminders for Events and Resources

All three booking types (table, event, resource) use the same SMS infrastructure in Vendion. This means you configure templates and timing in one place and they work for all types. This article explains what's specific to event and resource bookings.

Three SMS types for event and resource bookings:

Confirmation (immediately after booking)

Sent automatically the moment the guest clicks "Book".

Example templates:

Event:

Hi {name}! Your booking at {restaurant} is confirmed.
Event: Wine Tasting Piedmont
Date: {date} at {time}
Seats: {party_size}
Modify/cancel: {manage_link}

Resource:

Hi {name}! Your booking of Private Room The Wine Cellar
at {restaurant} {date} at {time} ({party_size} pers)
is confirmed. Modify/cancel: {manage_link}

Supported variables:

Reminder (hours before)

The system runs a nightly check (01:00 Stockholm time) looking for all upcoming confirmed bookings where a reminder needs to go out based on your setting. Reminders send automatically – no manual action required.

Set reminder timing:

1. Go to Admin → Bookings → Settings → SMS
2. The Reminder hours before field (default: 3)
3. Toggle "Send reminder" on
4. Save

Recommendations:

• Event: 24 h (day before) – guests easily forget events
• Private room: 4 h (same day) – they planned and are likely coming
• Karaoke/bowling: 2 h – spontaneous activities, remind right before
• Meeting room: 24 h – corporate meetings are planned ahead

Reminder templates:

Event:

Reminder: Tomorrow is the day!
Event: {event_name} at {restaurant}
Time: {date} at {time}
Seats: {party_size}
Manage: {manage_link}

Resource:

Reminder: You have booked {resource_name} at {restaurant}
today at {time}–{end_time} ({party_size} pers).
Welcome! Manage: {manage_link}

Cancellation (when guest or admin cancels)

Your booking of {resource_name} at {restaurant}
{date} at {time} has been cancelled.
Feel free to book again: {manage_link}

Sent automatically when:

• Guest cancels via the manage link
• Admin clicks "Cancel" in the detail panel

Customize templates per type: In Vendion 3.0, all three booking types share the same template. If you want different phrasing for events vs resources, you currently need a generic wording that works for both. Vendion 3.1 is planned to support separate templates per booking type.

Practical trick until separate templates exist:

Hi {name}! Your booking at {restaurant} is confirmed:
{date} at {time} · {party_size} pers
Modify/cancel: {manage_link}

This template reads cleanly regardless of whether it's a table, event or resource – the information is clear without naming the type.

SMS delivery and cost:

• Provider: ClickSend
• Price: 0.89 SEK per SMS
• Coverage: global (works for international guests)
• Characters: max 160 per SMS (longer messages split and charge per part)

Verify SMS was sent: In admin's detail panel you see:

• Timestamp when confirmation SMS was sent
• Timestamp when reminder was sent

If an SMS failed (SMS provider error, invalid number), it's logged and you can click Resend SMS manually.

FAQ:

Can I disable SMS for a specific booking? No, the toggle is at restaurant level. But you can contact the guest separately if a particular situation requires it.

What happens if the guest changes phone number after booking? Update the number in the detail panel → click Save → click "Resend SMS". Vendion sends to the updated number.

Does SMS work for international guests? Yes – ClickSend supports E.164 format globally. The guest must enter the number with country code (e.g. +44 for UK).

Can I send a custom SMS to the guest via Vendion? Not through the booking flow today. But from the CRM module (Marketing) you can segment event guests and send campaigns.

Troubleshooting:

• "SMS is not sent on booking" → check the "Confirmation SMS" toggle is on in SMS settings
• "Reminder did not arrive" → check that reminder-hours-before is set; if it's 0, no reminder is sent
• "Variable shows {name} instead of the guest's name" → check template spelling (no spaces in {...})
• "Too many SMS get used" → longer messages split; stay under 160 characters to avoid double billing

Related: Enable and customize SMS messages, Event bookings – guest flow and slot handling, Public resource booking