A booking that doesn't show up is more than an empty chair. It's time you held for someone, another client who couldn't get a slot, and a day that earns less than you planned. The good news: most no-shows aren't bad intent. They come from forgetting, or from how awkward it is to change a booking. Both can be fixed.
1. Send a reminder at the right time
The simplest step has the biggest effect. One reminder the day before and one a few hours ahead covers most clients. Keep it short: day, time, service and a link to change or cancel.
2. Make cancelling easy
It sounds backwards, but the easier it is to cancel, the more often clients will tell you instead of simply not turning up. A "reschedule" button inside the reminder gives you time to refill the slot.
3. Keep a waitlist
Every cancellation is a chance for someone who couldn't find a slot. With a waitlist, the empty slot can be offered straight away to clients who are waiting, instead of staying empty.
4. Write a clear cancellation policy
State clearly, on your booking page and in the confirmation, how late someone can cancel without a charge. Most clients respect a rule when they know it in advance.
5. Ask for a deposit only where it's needed
Charging everyone a deposit can push good clients away. It's most useful for long services, such as colour or bridal styling, or for clients who have missed bookings before.
6. Measure and adjust
Note which days, hours and services have the most missed bookings. If no-shows cluster on, say, Monday mornings, that may be where an extra reminder belongs.
Where AI helps
An AI-powered system can do all of this automatically: choose the reminder time for each client, estimate which bookings are at risk and fill cancellations from the waitlist. That's what we're building at Sebu. Read more in AI features or on the for business page.