No-shows kill margin: an empty bay-hour during peak window can never be recovered. Here's how to prevent them and how to handle the ones that still happen.
Prevention: deposits + reminders
The single most effective no-show prevention is a non-refundable deposit at booking time. Customers who paid $200 to hold a slot don't no-show. They reschedule.
Setup: - 20-25% deposit at booking - Refundable if cancellation is 48+ hours in advance - Forfeit if cancellation is under 48 hours OR a no-show
This alone cuts no-shows by 70-80%.
Reminder sequence
Even with deposits, send reminders: - 7 days before: confirmation SMS - 24 hours before: reminder SMS with bay address + arrival instructions - 2 hours before: "We're ready for you" SMS
The 2-hour text catches the customers who forgot and reminds them to leave. About 5-8% of customers respond "I forgot, can we reschedule" at the 2-hour message — that's 5-8% of bay revenue you save with one SMS.
When a customer no-shows
After 20 minutes past the appointment time:
1. SMS first (not a phone call): "Hey [first name] — we're ready for you. Are you on the way?" Friendly, no judgment. 2. Wait 15 more minutes. Some customers genuinely lost their phone. 3. Mark the slot as no-show in the calendar. Forfeit the deposit per policy. 4. Don't call them angrily. The deposit forfeit IS the consequence. The customer doesn't need to be lectured. 5. Free up the bay for walk-ins or rescheduling.
The follow-up message
Within 24 hours of the no-show, send a measured follow-up: "Hi [first name] — we missed you yesterday at [appointment time]. Per our policy your deposit covers the slot, but I'd love to get you rebooked. Want to grab another date?"
Roughly 40-60% of no-shows rebook after this message. Don't be sarcastic — they often had a real reason.
When to make exceptions
Refund the deposit and rebook free if: - Customer or family medical emergency (don't ask for proof) - Severe weather you didn't cancel for - Documented system failure (your SMS reminder didn't actually send)
Don't refund for "I just forgot" or "something came up." That's what the policy is for.
When to politely fire a customer
If a customer no-shows 2+ times in a 6-month window, politely decline to book them again. "I appreciate your interest, but our schedule is tight and we can't hold spots that don't get used. I'd recommend [competitor] for your next service."
Repeat no-show customers cost more than they're worth in any pricing tier.
Configuration in SalesThumb
Settings → Booking → Cancellation policy. Set: - Deposit % at booking - Refundable hours before appointment (default: 48) - Auto-forfeit window (default: 24) - Reminder schedule (default: 7d, 24h, 2h)