How to reduce no-shows at your clinic, salon or spa

A missed appointment costs you twice: the time you set aside, and the client who could have had that slot. Most people who don't turn up aren't being rude. They forgot, their plans changed and cancelling felt awkward, or they weren't sure of the time. All three are fixable, and most of the fix is habit, not software.

Remind people the day before, not the day of

A reminder is the single most useful thing you can do. Send it the morning of the day before, so a client who can't come still has the day to tell you and you still have the afternoon to fill the slot. Sending it the same morning feels helpful but leaves no time for either. If you send reminders by hand, do it before you open, while the list is short.

Put everything in it the client needs: the day, the time, which branch and its address, anything to bring or do beforehand, and how to change the booking.

Make it easier to move a booking than to skip it

People skip appointments they find awkward to cancel. If the only way to move a booking is to call during office hours, many won't. Let clients reply to the reminder, message you, or use a link to pick a new time. A client who can move a booking easily moves it instead of not showing up, and you get the slot back.

Confirm every booking in writing

Some no-shows are just a wrong day or hour written down, especially for bookings taken over the phone or at the counter. Send a short confirmation as soon as a booking is made, with the same details as the reminder. It gives the client something to check, and it catches a wrong day before it becomes an empty chair.

Keep a short waiting list

When a client cancels the day before, you can only fill the slot if you know who wants it. Keep a list of clients who asked for an earlier time, with how to reach them. When a slot opens, message the first few at once and give it to whoever answers first.

Say what happens when someone doesn't show

Tell clients when they book how much notice you need to change or cancel, and what happens if they don't turn up. Keep it short and put it in the confirmation. One fair approach: let a first miss go with a friendly message, and ask for a deposit only from clients who have missed before, or for long appointments where an empty chair costs you most.

Count them

You can't tell whether any of this works unless you count. Each week, note how many bookings didn't turn up and when they were for. Patterns appear quickly: a particular day, an early slot, or bookings made far in advance. Then you know where an extra reminder or a different policy will help most.

What to write in a reminder

Keep it short, friendly and complete. An email reminder, with the blanks filled from your own details:

Subject: Your visit tomorrow, Tuesday 12 November, 3:00 pm. Hi [client's first name], see you tomorrow at 3:00 pm at our Bajada branch, [street]. Please bring your HMO card. Need to move it? Open your booking here: [link].

The client's name, your business's name as they know it, the full date and time, which branch, and one way to change the booking. Nothing else; a long reminder gets skimmed and the time gets missed.

How Greetfolk helps

Every online booking on a Greetfolk site gets a confirmation email with a link to move or cancel it. On the paid plans, the client also gets one reminder email the day before, at a time you set, with the details and the same link. From the Team plan they can confirm or move the visit by replying in chat. Bookings come from your real schedule, so a moved booking frees its slot straight away, and Reports show how many visits were confirmed ahead and how many were missed, so the counting happens on its own. Compare the plans.