A reminder text the day before, and another an hour before, catches most no-shows before they happen: customers forget, not skip. A simple cancellation policy, told to them when they book, handles the rest: ask for notice, and say plainly what happens if they don't give it.
Why reminders work
Most missed appointments aren't customers changing their mind. They're customers who booked two weeks ago and genuinely forgot, especially for a job that doesn't feel urgent by the time it arrives. A text the day before, and another closer to the time, fixes most of that on its own, at almost no cost.
The best reminders:
Arrive by text, not email. Most people read a text within minutes. An email can sit unopened until after the appointment's been missed.
Say the day, the time and who it's with, so there's no confusion about which booking it is.
Give an easy way to reply if something's changed, rather than making the customer hunt for your number.
A reminder the day before catches a forgotten appointment while there's still time to reschedule. One an hour before catches the rest: the ones who meant to leave and lost track of time.
TapBook sends both automatically for every confirmed booking, by text and email, and lets a customer reply straight to the text if they need to change it. See how it works.
What a cancellation policy needs to say
A policy only works if the customer sees it before they book, not after they've missed it. Keep it to three things:
How much notice you need. 24 hours is common for a straightforward job; longer for anything that takes a chunk of your day.
What happens without it. Be specific: a fee, losing a deposit, or simply that you can't guarantee the next slot as quickly.
How to give notice. A phone number or a reply to your reminder text, so there's no excuse that they couldn't reach you.
A policy you can adapt
We ask for at least 24 hours' notice to change or cancel a booking. Less notice than that, or not showing up, may mean a $[amount] fee before we can book you in again.
For jobs that take a chunk of a day, such as an install or a big service:
This booking holds a slot in our day. We ask for 48 hours' notice to reschedule. Cancelling with less notice, or not being home, may incur a call-out fee of $[amount].
Adjust the numbers to what actually costs you time: a 20-minute job and a half-day install shouldn't have the same policy.
Where to put it
On your booking page, in the details or terms a customer sees before confirming.
In the confirmation text or email, so it's there in writing, not just something they were told.
In the reminder itself, as a short line: "Can't make it? Reply here and we'll find another time."
What to do about a no-show
However good your reminders, some appointments still get missed. A clear process helps more than a strict one:
Mark it and move on quickly. Don't leave the slot pending; free it up for the next booking.
Follow up once, to find out what happened and offer a new time. Most no-shows aren't malicious.
Apply your policy consistently, if you charge a fee. Customers accept a fee they were told about upfront far better than one that surprises them.
Reducing no-shows starts before the booking
The businesses with the fewest no-shows aren't the ones with the strictest fees. They're the ones where the booking process itself is clear: the customer picked a real time slot, got confirmed straight away, and got reminded twice before it arrived. A policy is the backstop, not the main plan.
TapBook confirms every booking straight away, then reminds the customer the day before and an hour before, by text and email, automatically. See how it works.
Questions
How many reminders should a booking get?
Two works well: one the day before to catch a forgotten booking with time to reschedule, and one an hour before to catch the rest.
What should a cancellation policy say?
How much notice you need, what happens without it, such as a fee, and how to give notice, such as replying to a text.
Do reminders need to be by text?
Text works best. Most people read a text within minutes, while an email can sit unopened until after the appointment's been missed.
You can't delete a Google review yourself. You can report it, and Google removes it only if it breaks Google's policies: fake, off-topic, abusive, a conflict of interest, and similar. Report it from your Business Profile under Read reviews, then Report, and track it in Google's Reviews Management Tool. A bad review that's genuine stays, so reply to it well.
What Google will remove
Google is plain about it: "You can report any review, but only those that violate Google policies are eligible for removal," and "Google doesn't get involved in conflict between businesses and customers" (Google).
Reviews that break Google's policy (Google) include:
Fake engagement. Reviews from people who were never customers, or bought reviews.
Conflict of interest. Reviews from a competitor, or a current or former employee.
Off-topic. General rants, politics or commentary that isn't about the customer's experience.
Harassment, hate speech and offensive content. Threats, abuse, slurs.
Personal information. A staff member's phone number or home address.
Obscenity and profanity.
Advertising. A review that's really an ad or links to another business.
What Google won't remove: a real customer who didn't like the price, the wait, or the job, and says so politely. That's allowed, even when you think they're wrong.
How to report a review
Open your Business Profile and choose Read reviews.
Find the review and choose Report.
Pick the reason that fits, such as spam or profanity, and choose Send report.
In Google Maps on a computer, it's the review's More menu, then Flag as inappropriate.
Google says reviewing a report "typically takes several days."
Check it, and appeal once
Google's Reviews Management Tool shows each review you've reported and where it's up to: decision pending, reviewed with no policy violation, or escalated. If Google decides a review doesn't break its policy and you disagree, you can send one appeal from the same tool, for up to 10 reviews.
Keep your evidence ready: your job records showing no booking under that name, or the date a former employee left.
A wave of fake reviews and a demand for money
Some businesses get a run of one-star reviews, then a message offering to stop for payment. Google has a separate form for this, and says: "Do not engage with or pay the malicious individuals" (Google). Report it there, and keep screenshots of the messages.
What not to do
Don't offer the customer something to take it down. Google counts it as manipulating reviews.
Don't flood your profile with new reviews to bury it. Sudden bursts look like manipulation to Google.
Don't argue in public. The reply sits under the review for every future customer to read.
The ACCC also warns that removing or hiding genuine negative reviews can mislead customers (ACCC).
When it stays: reply to it
Most bad reviews can't be removed. A calm, short reply often does more good than the review does harm, because future customers see how you handle a problem. The reviewer is told when you reply, and they can change their review. Templates are in How to reply to Google reviews.
The other answer is more reviews. One bad review among 60 good ones reads as a bad day. Among 5, it's a pattern. Google itself says a mix of positive and negative feedback often looks more trustworthy.
TapBook asks every customer for a review when you mark the job complete, so good reviews keep coming in. See how it works.
Questions
Can I delete a bad review from my Business Profile?
No. Only the person who wrote a review can edit or delete it. You can report it, and Google removes it if it breaks Google's policies.
How long does Google take to check a reported review?
Google says review evaluation typically takes several days. You can follow it in the Reviews Management Tool.
Can I appeal if Google keeps the review?
Yes, once. The Reviews Management Tool lets you send a one-time appeal for up to 10 reviews Google decided don't break its policies.
A finished Google Business Profile has an accurate category, your real hours, your services listed with photos, a description that says what you do, and a way to book. Most trade businesses have a profile that's technically there but half-finished, which costs them local search results they'd otherwise win for free. This guide goes through every part worth getting right.
Your category decides which searches you show up for and what features your profile can use, including booking buttons for some trades. Google says: "The categories you select affect your local ranking on Google" (Google).
Pick one primary category, as specific as your main trade allows: "Electrician" rather than "Contractor". Add a few more that genuinely apply, such as "Air conditioning repair service" for an electrician who also does that work. To change it: Edit profile, then next to Business category choose Edit.
Don't add categories you don't actually offer. It doesn't help you rank for them and can work against your relevance for the ones that matter.
Services
List every service you offer, not just your main trade. Google lets you add a description and a price to each (Google):
Open your profile and choose Edit services.
Add from Google's suggested list for your category, or add your own.
Give each a short description and, if you're comfortable, a price or starting price.
Keep service names plain: Google rejects names with prices, phone numbers or personal details in them.
Photos
Google recommends photos as JPG or PNG, between 10KB and 5MB, at least 250px on each side, with 720px by 720px as the sweet spot (Google). The types Google names specifically (Google):
Exterior photos. Your shopfront, van or work site, so customers recognise it.
Interior photos, if customers visit you.
Product photos, your tools and equipment.
Photos at work. You doing the job. This is the one most trade profiles skip, and it's often the most convincing to a customer deciding between businesses.
Team photos. A face customers can put to the name on the invoice.
Add a handful of each, not fifty of one job. Photos should look like your actual work, not stock images.
Business description
You get up to 750 characters, and Google says not to include URLs or HTML code (Google). Use it to say what you do, where you cover, and what makes you the one to call:
Licensed electrician serving Narre Warren and surrounding suburbs. Switchboard upgrades, fault finding, and new installs for homes and small businesses. Fully licensed and insured, with same-day callouts for urgent jobs.
Skip the sales talk. Plain and specific reads better than "we pride ourselves on quality service".
Hours
Set your regular hours accurately, including if you close for lunch or work weekends. Add special hours for public holidays or planned closures: Google needs your regular hours set to "Open with main hours" first for special hours to show (Google).
Google's own advice for ranking starts with keeping your information up to date (Google). An old phone number, outdated hours, or a service you no longer offer costs you both customers and ranking. Check your profile every few months, not just when you set it up.
TapBook keeps your services, hours and address in sync with your booking page, and gives you a Google review link to send after every job. See how it works.
Questions
How many categories can I add to my profile?
One primary category, plus several more that genuinely apply. Pick the most specific primary category your trade allows, since it affects your local ranking.
What size should my Google Business Profile photos be?
Google recommends 720px by 720px, as a JPG or PNG between 10KB and 5MB, with 250px by 250px as the minimum.
How long can my business description be?
Up to 750 characters. Google says not to include URLs or HTML code in it.