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Guide

How to reduce no-shows (and refill the slots you can't save)

The most reliable way to cut no-shows is a reminder people can answer: send it a day before and again a couple of hours before, let customers confirm, reschedule or cancel by replying, and offer freed slots to a waitlist. Text-message reminders improve attendance in randomised trials; two-way replies add the ability to refill cancelled slots.

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What the evidence says

A Cochrane review of eight randomised trials (6,615 participants) found that mobile text-message reminders increased attendance at healthcare appointments compared with no reminder and had a similar effect to phone-call reminders, with low-to-moderate certainty evidence. Results in other industries vary, so measure your own before and after.

Timing and wording

  • 24 hours before: confirmation request with reply options (1 confirm, 2 reschedule, 3 cancel).
  • 2 hours before: short reminder with location and parking tip.
  • Avoid quiet hours; send in the customer's time zone.
  • Keep it friendly; never threatening.

Refill what you can't save

  • Keep a waitlist of people who asked for earlier slots.
  • When someone cancels, offer the slot to the waitlist automatically, first come first served.
  • For no-shows, send one kind rebooking message the same day.

Deposits and policies

Charging everyone a deposit can reduce bookings. A common middle ground is requiring confirmation or a deposit only from people with previous no-shows, and making your cancellation policy clear at booking.

Frequently asked questions

When should I send appointment reminders?

Commonly 24 hours before (with a confirmation request) and a couple of hours before. Adjust for your service.

SMS or WhatsApp?

Use the channel your customers read. WhatsApp is dominant in India, the Gulf, Latin America and much of Europe; SMS is common in the US.

Do reminders annoy customers?

Two short, useful reminders are generally welcome, especially when they make rescheduling easy.

Sources

  1. Mobile phone messaging reminders for attendance at healthcare appointments (CD007458) - Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Gurol-Urganci et al.), 2013. Note: 8 randomised trials, 6,615 participants; low-to-moderate certainty evidence; healthcare appointments.

By the Nomisly Product Team. Updated . Corrections: tell us.

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