Appointment reminder texts and a cancellation policy

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:

1. How much notice you need. 24 hours is common for a straightforward job; longer for anything that takes a chunk of your day.
2. What happens without it. Be specific: a fee, losing a deposit, or simply that you can't guarantee the next slot as quickly.
3. 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:

1. Mark it and move on quickly. Don't leave the slot pending; free it up for the next booking.
2. Follow up once, to find out what happened and offer a new time. Most no-shows aren't malicious.
3. 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.