How to Reduce Client No-Shows

Client no-shows can be one of the most frustrating aspects of running a business. Whether you run a salon, doctor’s office, gym, clinic, or anything other client-based business, no-shows can throw a serious wrench into your operations. In addition to lost revenue, absent clients can also cost you:

• Employee productivity
• Customer retention
• Customer engagement
• Valuable time

Thankfully, there are several ways to reduce client no-shows so you can get back to business. Read on to learn how FlexBooker scheduling software can help along the way.

Send appointment reminders

Your clients juggle lots of different things in their lives, which means they’re bound to be forgetful from time to time. Help them (and yourself) out by sending appointment reminders. That doesn’t mean you need to spend hours on the phone each day trying to contact your clients. Instead, let FlexBooker do the work for you. With it, you can send automated:

• Appointment confirmations
• Appointment reminders
• Follow-up messages
• Emails and SMS text messages

The best part? All of this is customizable, which means you can adapt the messaging to your communication style and branding.

Make changes and cancellations easy

Last-minute schedule changes and cancellations are never ideal, but life typically has different plans in mind for clients. And if they don’t have time to make a call or figure out how to cancel their appointment online, chances are they’ll no-show. With FlexBooker scheduling software, there’s no guesswork involved. Clients can make changes or cancel their appointments online or through their appointment reminders. They can even request a new appointment in real-time without you ever lifting a finger to your scheduling books!

Get on their calendar

Clients are more likely to show up to their appointments if they’re held accountable to their calendars. Of course, with so many different clients, they’re bound to use different types of scheduling apps, right? Not a problem for us — or you. FlexBooker integrates with all kinds of calendars and devices, including:

• Google Calendar
• Outlook
• Office 365
• Microsoft Exchange
• Apple Calendar

And when clients put you on their calendar, they’ll automatically be placed on yours. As a bonus, customers will be able to add their appointment to their calendar directly from the appointment confirmation you send them — whether it’s online or through email or text. 

Create a no-show or cancellation policy

Another way to reduce client no-shows is to create a policy for missed appointments. While it’s never fun to enforce no-show rules — especially in certain circumstances — clients need to understand and respect the impact their absence has on your business. 

There are several different ways to go about this, including charging a fee for a late cancellation or no-show. However, if you feel that could hinder client relationships, you can still cover the risk of lost revenue by collecting a deposit or partial payment upfront. With FlexBooker, you can ask for a payment as soon as someone books (you get to control the amount) or authorize their credit card if you need to charge a no-show fee.  

Use FlexBooker scheduling software

Running a business takes a lot of time and effort, but managing schedules and reducing no-shows are much easier when you’re armed with FlexBooker. Our integrated tool streamlines your entire scheduling process so you can drive business while saving valuable time and money. 

Ready to reduce client no-shows? Explore all the ways FlexBooker can help your small business, then sign up for a free, 14-day trial to try it out yourself.