SMS reminders: how to cut no-shows
A customer who doesn’t show up costs you the whole appointment, not just the margin. The reminder is the cheapest insurance you can buy against it — but only if it arrives at the right time and says the right things.
What an empty chair actually costs
Count in hours, not kroner per message. An hour that wasn’t used can’t be sold later; it’s gone. A salon with 750 kroner average revenue that loses two hours a month is losing 18,000 kroner a year. That’s more than most booking systems cost, and far more than the SMSes that could have prevented it. This is the calculation that makes reminders the one feature you shouldn’t try to save money on.
When the reminder should go out
One message, 24 hours before. Early enough for the customer to cancel and you to fill the slot, and late enough that she remembers it. If a customer books long in advance, an extra confirmation at the time of booking can be worth it. More than two messages per appointment starts to feel like nagging, and people stop reading them. Send during daytime hours. A reminder at 9 p.m. gets read, forgotten, and not acted on.
What the message should say
Four things, in this order: who it’s from, when the appointment is, how long it lasts, and how she can cancel. “Hi! You have an appointment at Salong Nord tomorrow at 2 p.m., about 1 hour. Need to reschedule? Reply here or rebook: link.” Make cancellation easy. A customer who doesn’t dare cancel is more likely to just not show up — and then you lose the slot without any warning at all.
What SMS costs and how it’s priced
An SMS costs real money per message with the operator, which is why many systems sell them in bundles or add a surcharge per message. Ask about three things: how many reminders are included in the monthly price, what an extra message costs, and whether the price is the operator’s rate or whether the provider adds a markup. A system that hides this behind “contact us” usually has a reason for it.
Timesalong takes no commission
19 kr a month for the whole salon, whatever the number of chairs. It is still in build — claim a spot now and you keep the price.
Common questions
How much do SMS reminders reduce no-shows?
The effect varies by customer group and industry, but the direction is consistent in studies of appointment reminders: fewer people forget, and those who can’t make it cancel earlier. Measure it yourself — count empty slots for two months before and two months after.
Is email as good as SMS?
No. An SMS is almost always read and almost immediately; an email isn’t. Email is fine for the booking confirmation, but the reminder the day before should be sent by SMS.
Do I need consent to send reminders?
Under Norwegian marketing law, a reminder about an appointment the customer themselves booked is a service message, not marketing, and therefore does not require marketing consent. If you also want to send offers or campaigns, that is marketing and requires consent. If you operate outside Norway, check the rules there: several countries, including the USA, demand explicit consent even for pure reminders.
Should I charge a fee for no-shows?
It can work, but only if the rule is stated clearly at booking and in the reminder, and you actually enforce it. A rule you don’t use makes no difference; a rule that comes as a surprise costs you the customer.
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Også for deg som driver et enkeltpersonforetak.
Også for deg som driver et enkeltpersonforetak.
Også for deg som driver et enkeltpersonforetak.
Også på norsk, laget av oss.