How to Reduce No-Shows: 7 Fixes for Customers Who Don't Turn Up
Customers who book and don't show up (no-shows) cost you real revenue. 7 effective methods, from automatic reminders to a cancellation policy.
A no-show is a customer who books an appointment and doesn't turn up without letting you know. If 1 in 10 appointments goes to waste, you lose roughly 10% of your monthly revenue.
1. Send automatic reminders
This is the most effective method. Reminders sent 24 hours and 2 hours before the appointment prevent most no-shows caused by forgetfulness.
2. Make cancelling easy
It may sound paradoxical, but if customers can cancel with a single tap, they cancel instead of simply not showing up — and you can open that slot to another customer.
3. Set a clear cancellation policy
Set a clear rule like "free cancellation up to 24 hours before the appointment" and show it on your booking page.
4. Track no-show history
Keep a record of how many times each customer didn't show up. Vaktimce shows this number automatically on the customer card.
5. Apply different rules to repeat offenders
For customers with 3 or more no-shows, you can require manual approval or a deposit.
6. Get customers to add the appointment to their calendar
The "Add to Calendar" button on the confirmation screen makes the appointment appear in the customer's own phone calendar too.
7. Shorten the time between booking and service
Appointments booked far in advance are forgotten more often. Setting a maximum advance booking limit helps.
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