Reminder timing rules

Reminder timing rules

Fluent uses intelligent timing rules to send confirmation requests and reminders at appropriate times. This guide explains how these rules work.

The two timing approaches

Fluent supports two primary timing strategies:

1. Fixed-time reminders (e.g., 7:00 AM)

Send reminders at a specific time of day, regardless of appointment time.

Best for:

• Day-before confirmations
• Batching notifications into predictable windows
• Respecting working hours

Example: All confirmation requests for tomorrow’s appointments go out at 7:00 AM today.

2. Relative-time reminders (e.g., 2 hours before)

Send reminders a set number of hours before the appointment starts.

Best for:

• Same-day appointments
• Urgent coverage situations
• Ensuring last-minute awareness

Example: An appointment at 2:00 PM receives a reminder at 12:00 PM.

How Fluent decides which to use

The timing approach depends on how far away the appointment is:

Appointment timing	Default approach
2+ days away	Fixed time (e.g., 7 AM day-before)
Tomorrow	Fixed time (e.g., 7 AM that morning)
Same day	Relative time (e.g., 2 hours before)
Within 2 hours	Immediate notification

Configuration options

You can customize these rules in Settings → Notifications → Confirmation timing.

Day-before confirmation

Configure when the “day before” reminder sends:

• Send time: 7:00 AM (default) or custom
• Time zone: Organization time zone or interpreter’s time zone
• Skip weekends: Option to not send on Saturday/Sunday

Same-day reminders

Configure the hours-before window:

• Hours before: 2 hours (default), 1 hour, 4 hours, etc.
• Minimum notice: Don’t send if less than X minutes before

Multiple reminders

Set up a reminder sequence:

1. First reminder: When assigned
2. Second reminder: Day before at 7 AM
3. Final reminder: 2 hours before

What interpreters see

Before any notification is sent, interpreters don’t see the reminder in their queue. Once sent:

1. Mobile app: Push notification with confirm/decline buttons
2. Email: Message with appointment details and action links
3. SMS: Brief text with key info and response instructions

Preview before send

In the appointment detail view, you can see:

• When the next reminder is scheduled
• Which reminders have already been sent
• Interpreter’s response status

Edge cases

Early morning appointments

For appointments before the fixed reminder time (e.g., 6 AM appointment, 7 AM reminder time), Fluent automatically switches to the day-before reminder.

Example: 6 AM Monday appointment → Reminder at 7 AM Sunday

Overnight and late-night

Fluent respects “quiet hours” and won’t send notifications between 9 PM and 7 AM (configurable) unless the appointment is imminent.

Time zone handling

When interpreters are in different time zones:

• Fixed-time reminders use the interpreter’s local time
• Relative-time reminders are based on appointment time (location’s time zone)

Last-minute assignments

If an interpreter is assigned close to the appointment time:

• If within the “immediate” window: Notification sends immediately
• Confirmation request may be skipped in favor of direct contact

Monitoring reminder status

In the appointments list, you can filter by:

• Awaiting confirmation — Request sent, no response
• Reminder scheduled — Next reminder hasn’t sent yet
• No reminder needed — Already confirmed

Troubleshooting

”Why didn’t the reminder send?”

Check:

1. Is the interpreter’s contact info valid?
2. Is the notification channel enabled?
3. Did the interpreter already confirm?
4. Is it within quiet hours?

”Reminder sent but interpreter didn’t receive”

This could indicate:

• Email went to spam
• Push notifications disabled on device
• SMS delivery failure

See Delivery troubleshooting for more.

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Still have questions about timing? Contact support.