How to reduce appointment no-shows with automatic reminders
Useful whether or not you ever hire anyone. Including when automation isn't the answer.
The problem
Customers book, then forget. An empty slot costs you money you can't get back, and texting every customer a reminder by hand eats into the working day.
Why it happens
People book days or weeks ahead, then life gets in the way. Without a nudge at the right time, some simply forget.
Your options
Personal and effective, but time-consuming as you get busier.
Many booking tools include reminders. Worth checking before anything else.
Reminders go out automatically, customers confirm or cancel in one tap, and cancelled slots can go to a waiting list.
When automation makes sense
- ✓You take regular appointments
- ✓No-shows happen more than now and again
- ✓You already spend time sending reminders by hand
When it probably doesn't
- ✓Your booking system already sends reminders and they work
- ✓You take very few bookings
A practical example
A small salon lost appointments every week to people who forgot. Reminders the day before, with one-tap confirm or cancel, and a waiting list for gaps, keep the diary full.
See it →How Betechnical could help
If automation makes sense for you, this is exactly the kind of job I build, at a fixed price with a ceiling it can never go above. More about bookings and reminders →
Common questions
When is the best time to send a reminder?
Commonly the day before, and sometimes a second one on the morning. It depends on your customers, and you can choose.
Should reminders be texts or emails?
Texts are often read more quickly, but may carry a small cost. Emails are free. Many businesses use both.
Not sure if yours can be automated?
Describe it to Bea, and you'll get an honest answer and a ballpark price in about a minute. If it isn't worth automating, I'll say so.