Why they don't turn up
The causes almost always come down to three. The first is forgetting, and it mostly affects appointments booked well in advance. The second is a genuine clash. The third, the most underrated, is friction: cancelling means an awkward phone call during opening hours, and disappearing costs less.
The three causes need different answers. Against forgetting, a reminder the day before works. Against a genuine clash nothing works, but you can recover the slot if the person manages to cancel in time. Against friction only one thing works: making cancelling as easy as booking.
This is the point almost everyone gets wrong. Making cancellation hard looks like protecting the diary and actually damages it: the slot stays taken until the end and never gets filled, whereas a cancellation the day before could have been offered to somebody else.
What genuinely reduces no-shows
The chart is qualitative and shows how much each measure bears on the absence rate.
Three causes, three answers
The table links each cause to the measure that addresses it.
| Cause | Measure | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Forgetting | Reminder the day before | Very high |
| Genuine clash | Easy cancellation in time | Recovers the slot |
| Friction in cancelling | Cancellation link | High |
| Half-hearted booking | Immediate, clear confirmation | Medium |
How to reduce them
Turn on the reminder
The day before, at the hour you choose.
Give a link to cancel
No phone calls and no account.
Measure what's left
How many no-shows remain after the first two steps.
Then consider penalties
Only if the residue justifies it.
To put into practice
- Send a reminder the day before, not an hour before.
- Make cancelling as easy as booking.
- Only consider penalties after doing the first two.
The timing of the reminder matters. An hour before is too late: the person is already on her way or has already lost the afternoon. The day before, late in the afternoon, leaves time to reorganise and, if needed, to cancel while the slot is still recoverable.
Penalties work, but they carry a relationship cost not every salon can afford. Before introducing them it's worth measuring what's left of the problem once reminder and easy cancellation are in place: in many salons the residue doesn't justify the risk.
Automatic reminder, cancellation without phone calls
Saloria sends the confirmation at booking and the reminder the day before, at the local time the salon chooses. The client can move or cancel from a link, with no account and no phone call, within the limit the salon sets: the slot frees up while it's still recoverable.
Frequently asked questions
When should the reminder go out?
The day before, not an hour before: people need time to reorganise or cancel while the slot is still recoverable.
Does easy cancellation increase cancellations?
It increases announced cancellations and reduces silent absences. A slot freed the day before can still be filled.
Do penalties work?
They reduce no-shows but also filter out clients. Better to introduce them after measuring what's left with a reminder and easy cancellation.