What should you do when customers don't show up for their appointments?

What to Do When Clients Don't Show Up for Their Appointments?

Self-employed professionals know how frustrating it is when a client doesn’t show up for an appointment. Aside from the annoyance, you’re left with an empty hour, can’t reschedule it with another client, and on top of that, lose part of your income. So what should you do when clients don’t show up for their appointments?

Missed appointments are bad for business

In various industries, it’s now common practice to charge no-show fees when agreed-upon appointments aren’t kept or are canceled at the last minute. Nevertheless, many are hesitant to implement this policy in their business, fearing it might deter new clients.

Although we can understand this concern—especially when someone is just starting out as a self-employed professional—it’s important in the long run that you’re able to make a living from your work. And missed appointments have financial consequences that can be downright damaging to your business. Even if the client doesn’t show up, the space is still heated and lit by lamps and lights, and employees still need to be paid. That’s why there are various ways in the service industry to address this problem.

Charging a cancellation fee

At CFB Cosmetics®, we’ve therefore included the cancellation fee in a form that all new customers must fill out and sign. In the event of a missed appointment or a last-minute cancellation, a 50% cancellation fee is charged. First and foremost, it’s important to remind customers to keep their appointments. People who don’t work in one of these industries themselves may not necessarily understand the operational consequences of a missed appointment. That’s why education is always the first step.

Once customers are informed and have agreed to pay the cancellation fee if a missed appointment is unavoidable, both parties can accept this arrangement. And so far, every customer has returned. The cancellation fee is intended as compensation for lost revenue and is standard practice in our industry. So don’t worry—customers are understanding once they’re informed.

But the cancellation fee is more than just compensation: if it isn’t absolutely necessary, the client will think twice before simply not showing up. After all, if they don’t show up for the appointment, they have to pay 50% of the price. That makes it doubly worthwhile to go through with the treatment.

Rhetoric experts also have a small, simple trick to help secure an appointment. They advise asking the customer two or three questions they can answer with “yes” or “no.” An example: “So we’ll see each other on Wednesday at 2 p.m. for the lash lift?” – “Yes.” – “Would you be so kind as to let me know in advance if something comes up?” – “Yes.”

If the client has agreed multiple times, they’ll feel bound by the arrangement. After all, both parties want to keep the appointment, and you can ensure that by simply asking a few questions.

We hope we’ve answered your question about how to handle it when clients don’t show up for their appointments. And perhaps we’ve even encouraged you to introduce cancellation fees into your business.

Your CFB Cosmetics Team