Articles on: Troubleshooting

I Didn't Receive My Appointment Reminder

I Didn't Receive My Appointment Reminder

Troubleshoot missing appointment reminder notifications and ensure you receive them in the future.



Overview


Appointment reminders are sent automatically 24 hours and 1 hour before your scheduled appointment. If you didn't receive your reminder, this guide will help you troubleshoot the issue and ensure you receive future reminders.


When Reminders Are Sent


Reminder Schedule


24-Hour Reminder:

  • Sent exactly 24 hours before appointment time
  • Example: Appointment on Jan 15 at 2:00 PM → Reminder on Jan 14 at 2:00 PM


1-Hour Reminder:

  • Sent exactly 1 hour before appointment time
  • Example: Appointment at 2:00 PM → Reminder at 1:00 PM


Channels Used:

  • In-app notification (if logged in)
  • Email notification
  • SMS notification (if enabled)


Which Reminders You Should Have Received


Check your appointment time:

  • If appointment is more than 24 hours away → You won't receive reminders yet
  • If appointment is in 12-24 hours → You should have received 24-hour reminder
  • If appointment is in less than 1 hour → You should have received both reminders


Example Timeline:

  • Appointment: Friday, Jan 15 at 2:00 PM
  • 24h reminder: Thursday, Jan 14 at 2:00 PM
  • 1h reminder: Friday, Jan 15 at 1:00 PM


Common Reasons for Missing Reminders


Issue 1: Reminders Not Enabled in Settings


Problem: You disabled appointment reminders in your notification preferences.


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Check that "Appointment Reminders" is enabled
  3. Verify at least one channel is enabled:
  • ☑️ In-app notifications
  • ☑️ Email notifications
  • ☑️ SMS notifications (if you want text reminders)
  1. Save preferences


Verification: Toggle should be ON (green/blue) for appointment reminders.


Issue 2: Email Reminders in Spam/Junk


Problem: Email reminder was delivered but filtered to spam folder.


Solution:

  1. Check your spam/junk folder for emails from noreply@apprentice.com or notifications@apprentice.com
  2. Search for "appointment reminder" or your artist's name
  3. If found, mark as "Not Spam"
  4. Add Apprentice to your safe senders list
  5. Move email to inbox


Email Provider Tips:

  • Gmail: Check Promotions and Updates tabs in addition to spam
  • Outlook: Add to safe senders in Outlook settings
  • Yahoo: Create filter to always deliver Apprentice emails to inbox
  • Apple Mail: Add to VIP list or contacts


Issue 3: SMS Reminders Not Enabled


Problem: You don't have SMS notifications enabled, so text reminders weren't sent.


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Toggle "Enable SMS Notifications" to ON
  3. Select "Appointment Reminders" under SMS notification types
  4. Verify your phone number is correct and verified
  5. Save preferences


Verification: Check Settings → Profile to confirm phone number is verified.


See Opting In/Out of SMS Notifications for detailed steps.


Issue 4: Incorrect Contact Information


Problem: Email or phone number on file is incorrect, so reminders went to wrong address.


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Profile
  2. Verify email address is correct
  3. Verify phone number is correct (include country code)
  4. Update if needed
  5. Request new verification (for phone or email changes)


Verification: Send yourself a test message or request password reset email to confirm email works.


Issue 5: Quiet Hours Blocking Reminders


Problem: Reminders arrived during your quiet hours and were delayed or suppressed.


Solution:

  1. Go to Settings → Notifications
  2. Check if "Quiet Hours" is enabled
  3. Review quiet hours start/end times
  4. Reminders during quiet hours:
  • Email: Batched and sent after quiet hours end
  • SMS: Only critical notifications sent (appointment reminders may be suppressed)
  • In-app: Still visible, but no sound/alerts
  1. Adjust quiet hours to exclude times when you need reminders


Example: If quiet hours are 10 PM - 8 AM, a 7 AM reminder might be delayed until 8 AM.


Issue 6: Appointment Cancelled or Rescheduled


Problem: Appointment was cancelled or rescheduled, so original reminders weren't sent.


Solution:

  1. Check your email for cancellation or reschedule notifications
  2. Log in to Apprentice and view appointment status
  3. If rescheduled, new reminders will be sent for new date/time
  4. Contact artist if unsure about appointment status


Verification: Cancelled appointments show "Cancelled" status in your dashboard.


Issue 7: Reminder Sent But Missed


Problem: Reminder was sent, but you missed it or deleted it.


Solution:

  1. Check notification history:
  • Click notification bell icon in Apprentice header
  • Look for reminder notifications
  • Check timestamp to see when it was sent


  1. Check email trash/archive:
  • Search deleted or archived emails
  • Look for "appointment reminder" in trash


  1. Check text message history:
  • Search SMS history for messages from Apprentice/ClickSend
  • Look around 24 hours and 1 hour before appointment


Verification: If you find the reminder, it was sent successfully—you just missed it.


Issue 8: System or Technical Issue


Problem: Reminder wasn't sent due to a technical error (rare).


Possible Causes:

  • System outage or maintenance
  • Email delivery failure
  • SMS delivery failure
  • Database sync issue


Solution:

  1. Check Apprentice status page for known issues (if available)
  2. Contact your artist to confirm appointment is still scheduled
  3. Request manual reminder if close to appointment time
  4. Contact support if issue persists across multiple appointments


Verification: Check if other users are reporting similar issues on social media or forums.


Issue 9: Notification Delivery Delay


Problem: Reminder sent but delayed by email or SMS provider.


Possible Causes:

  • Email provider delay (can be 10-30 minutes)
  • SMS carrier delay (can be 2-10 minutes)
  • High email volume at provider
  • International SMS delays


Solution:

  • Wait 30 minutes and check again
  • Check spam folder (delayed emails often land in spam)
  • Refresh email inbox
  • Restart phone (for SMS)


Expected Delivery:

  • Email: Should arrive within 1-5 minutes
  • SMS: Should arrive within 1-2 minutes (domestic), 2-10 minutes (international)
  • In-app: Instant (if logged in)


Issue 10: Appointment Too Far in the Future


Problem: You're looking for a reminder, but appointment is still weeks away.


Solution:

  • Reminders are only sent 24 hours and 1 hour before appointment
  • If appointment is in 2 weeks, you won't receive reminders until day before
  • Set a personal calendar reminder if you want earlier notice


Verification: Check appointment date in your Apprentice dashboard.


What to Do If You Missed a Reminder


Check Appointment Status


  1. Log in to Apprentice
  2. Go to your dashboard or appointments page
  3. Verify appointment is still scheduled
  4. Note date and time
  5. Set personal calendar reminder as backup


Confirm with Artist


  1. Message your artist via Apprentice chat
  2. Confirm appointment is still on
  3. Verify date, time, and location
  4. Ask about any prep requirements


Set Personal Reminders


Use your device calendar:

  1. Add appointment to phone calendar
  2. Set custom reminders (e.g., 1 day before, 1 hour before)
  3. Enable calendar notifications


Use alarms:

  • Set phone alarm for appointment time
  • Set second alarm 1-2 hours before to prepare


Ensuring Future Reminders


Update Notification Preferences


Recommended settings for reliable reminders:

  1. ✅ Enable all channels: In-app, email, AND SMS
  2. ✅ Enable "Appointment Reminders" specifically
  3. ✅ Disable quiet hours for times when appointments occur
  4. ✅ Keep contact info updated


Multi-channel redundancy:

  • If email fails, SMS backup ensures you're notified
  • If SMS fails, email backup ensures you're notified
  • In-app always visible when logged in


Whitelist Apprentice Communications


Email whitelisting:

  1. Add noreply@apprentice.com and notifications@apprentice.com to contacts
  2. Create email filter: Emails from @apprentice.com → Always deliver to inbox
  3. Mark previous Apprentice emails as "Not Spam"


SMS whitelisting (if carrier has spam filter):

  1. Check carrier's spam SMS settings
  2. Whitelist Apprentice/ClickSend SMS
  3. Add short code to contacts if provided


Test Your Notifications


Request a test notification:

  1. Ask artist to send you a message via chat (tests in-app and email)
  2. Or request password reset email (tests email delivery)
  3. Contact support for test SMS (tests SMS delivery)


Verify:

  • Notification arrives within expected time
  • Arrives in primary inbox (not spam)
  • SMS arrives on phone


Regular Maintenance


Monthly checks:

  • ✅ Verify notification settings are still enabled
  • ✅ Confirm contact information is current
  • ✅ Check notification delivery for recent appointments


After changing devices/numbers:

  • ✅ Update phone number in profile
  • ✅ Verify new number
  • ✅ Re-enable SMS notifications if needed


Troubleshooting Specific Channels


Email Reminders Not Arriving


See Troubleshooting Notification Issues - Section: "Issue 2: Not Receiving Email Notifications"


Quick steps:

  1. Check spam folder
  2. Verify email address
  3. Test email delivery with password reset
  4. Whitelist Apprentice domain
  5. Try different email provider if issues persist


SMS Reminders Not Arriving


See Troubleshooting Notification Issues - Section: "Issue 3: Not Receiving SMS Notifications"


Quick steps:

  1. Verify SMS enabled in settings
  2. Check phone number is correct and verified
  3. Check carrier spam filter
  4. Test SMS delivery with support
  5. Ensure phone has cellular service


In-App Notifications Not Showing


See Troubleshooting Notification Issues - Section: "Issue 4: Not Receiving In-App Notifications"


Quick steps:

  1. Check browser permissions
  2. Refresh page
  3. Clear browser cache
  4. Try different browser


When to Contact Support


Contact Apprentice support if:

  • ✅ You consistently don't receive reminders for multiple appointments
  • ✅ You've verified all settings are correct
  • ✅ You've tried all troubleshooting steps
  • ✅ Other notification types work, but appointment reminders don't


Contact your artist if:

  • ❌ You need confirmation about a specific appointment
  • ❌ You want a manual reminder sent
  • ❌ You're unsure if appointment is still scheduled


See Contacting Support for support information.


FAQs


Q: Do I get reminders for rescheduled appointments?

A: Yes, reminders are automatically sent for the new date/time after rescheduling.


Q: Can I get reminders earlier than 24 hours?

A: Not automatically. Set a personal calendar reminder if you want earlier notice.


Q: What if I don't want appointment reminders?

A: Disable "Appointment Reminders" in Settings → Notifications. (Not recommended—reminders help prevent no-shows.)


Q: Do artists receive reminders too?

A: Yes, artists receive reminders for their upcoming appointments.


Q: Are reminders sent for consultations and non-tattoo appointments?

A: Yes, reminders are sent for all appointment types.


Q: Can I customize reminder timing?

A: Not currently. Reminders are standardized at 24h and 1h before appointments.


Q: What if my appointment is in less than 24 hours when booked?

A: You'll still receive the 1-hour reminder. The 24-hour reminder is skipped if appointment is within 24 hours.


Updated on: 16/01/2026

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