CustoDeskCustoDesk
CustoDeskCustoDesk
Create your workspace

No card to start. The Core Workspace is free.

TrustPrivacyTerms

How to stop no-shows

No-shows are best fixed before the day: a policy people saw when they booked, something paid up front, a reminder, and a way to cancel that takes two taps.

6 steps. Checked September 26, 2026.

Cancellation policy generatorPick your notice, fees and grace period, and a clear policy writes itself, ready to copy.Write your policy Free, with no account.
  1. 1Write a cancellation policy
  2. 2Show it before they book
  3. 3Take a deposit when they book
  4. 4Send a reminder the day before
  5. 5Call to confirm the big ones
  6. 6Make canceling easy

  1. Write a cancellation policy

    Decide the rules once and write them down in plain words. A policy nobody has to interpret is one people follow.

    • How much notice you need to cancel or move. Many businesses ask for 24 or 48 hours.
    • What a late cancellation costs, if anything.
    • What a no-show costs, if anything.
    • How long you wait for somebody running late.
    • How to cancel: a link, a call or an email.

    Write yours with the free policy generator

  2. Show it before they book

    A policy only works if people saw it before they said yes. Put it where they pick a time, not in small print afterwards.

    • On your booking page, beside the button that books.
    • On your website, where your services are listed.
    • In the confirmation they keep once they have booked.

  3. Take a deposit when they book

    People keep appointments they have already paid toward. Ask at booking, so the money is in before the time is held.

    • Ask for it on long or high-value appointments, and on first visits.
    • A set amount is simple to explain, and so is a share of the price.
    • Say whether it comes off the price, and when it is refunded.
    • For clients who have missed before, ask for the full price up front.

    More on taking deposits

  4. Send a reminder the day before

    Plenty of no-shows are people who simply forgot. A reminder with a way to change the time turns a no-show into a cancellation you can fill.

    • Send it about a day before, and a second one a couple of hours before, if you like.
    • Include the day, the time, the address and who they are seeing.
    • Put the link to change or cancel in the reminder itself.

  5. Call to confirm the big ones

    For a first visit or a long appointment, a quick call the day before is worth the two minutes. Ask whether the time still works, and offer to move it if not.

    Say it like this
    “Hi Maria, it's Studio Nord, calling about your color appointment tomorrow at 10. Does that time still work for you?”

  6. Make canceling easy

    It sounds backwards, but somebody who can cancel in two taps will, instead of just not coming. That gives you the time back to offer to someone else.

    • A link to move or cancel in every confirmation and reminder.
    • A cutoff that matches your policy, so late changes come to you.
    • A short list of people who want an earlier time, to call when a slot opens.
    • A note on the profile of anybody who misses, so a pattern is easy to spot.

Let CustoDesk do the reminding

Your policy where people book, the deposit taken when they do, and the reminders sent on their own.

BookingsOnline booking with deposits, reminders and a link to change or cancel.
  • A deposit at bookingA service can take a set deposit or the full price when someone books, by card into your own Stripe account.
  • Reminders by emailConfirmed bookings get a reminder 24 hours before, or at the times you choose, with a link to change it.
  • Your policy, where they bookIt shows beside the button that books and on their link to change or cancel, which closes at the cutoff you set.

More guides

Every guide

Questions about no-shows

How much notice should I ask for?

24 hours suits most appointments. Ask for 48 or more when a missed slot is hard to fill, like a long treatment or a whole morning's work.

Should I charge for a no-show?

Many businesses do, and a deposit is the simplest way, because it is already paid. A fee charged afterwards has to be collected, and not everybody pays it.

Does CustoDesk charge no-show fees by itself?

No. Bookings takes a deposit or the full price at booking. A fee beyond that is yours to collect, for example with an invoice.

Is a deposit refunded when somebody cancels?

Not by itself. Canceling in Bookings does not refund a deposit, so you refund it from the booking when your policy says to.

Can clients confirm they are coming?

Not in Bookings. Reminders carry a link to change or cancel, but there is no button to confirm, so call the appointments that matter most. You can mark a no-show on the booking, and Insights shows your no-show rate.

Put your policy, deposits and reminders to work.

Start free

Free for 14 days. No card to start.

See what each app costs