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← Glossary

No-show

A no-show is a booking that never arrives: a slot you held, staffed and could have sold twice. Unlike a cancellation it gives you no chance to refill, which is why the two need different handling - cancellations need a notice window, no-shows need prevention. Three things reduce them: a reminder close enough to act on, a card held or deposit taken at booking, and a one-tap way to move the appointment.

In practice

A no-show is a slot you held, staffed and could have sold twice. Unlike a cancellation it gives you no chance to refill, which is why the two need different handling: cancellations need a notice window, no-shows need prevention.

Three things reduce them, in order of effect. A reminder close enough to the appointment to act on. A card held or a deposit taken at booking, which changes behaviour more than any message. And a one-tap way to move the appointment, because most no-shows are people who meant to come and were too embarrassed to ring.

Measuring matters as much as preventing: a no-show rate by day, by service and by whether a deposit was taken tells you exactly where to tighten up, and usually it is one slot on one day rather than the whole book.

Also called: missed appointment, no show rate.

Questions people ask about no-show

What actually reduces no-shows?

In order of effect: a card held or a deposit taken at booking, which changes behaviour more than any message; a reminder timed close enough to the appointment to act on; and a one-tap way to rebook, because most no-shows are people who meant to come and were too embarrassed to ring.

How do I measure a no-show rate?

By day, by service and by whether a deposit was taken. The aggregate number tells you almost nothing; the breakdown usually shows the problem is one slot on one day, or one service, rather than the whole book. That is a fixable finding rather than a general worry.

Is a no-show the same as a late cancellation?

No, and treating them as one thing is why policies fail. A late cancellation gives you some chance to refill and belongs to a notice window. A no-show gives you none, and belongs to prevention: a reminder, a card and an easy way to move the appointment.

Where to go next

More in bookings

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