Let’s limit the frustration from client no-shows.
Okay so you have spent time, money and energy into achieving a client scheduling an appointment. You don’t want to risk losing the booking but the reality is that people have to make changes to accommodate work, family or leisure activities which may mean they need to re-schedule their meeting with you. They may even decide that they can’t or don’t want to follow through with the session at all. You’d like to think that most people will have the courtesy to let you know but often (for whatever reason) they don’t and you end up with a no-show. This costs you twice as you lose the revenue from the appointment you thought you had as well as the opportunity cost of a session you could have resold to someone else.
A major feature of any good online booking application is the ability to send out automated text message reminders to clients at pre-determined times ahead of the meeting. This is extremely powerful and works because:
- Most people check their text messages throughout the day or at at least several times per day so it’s very unlikely that they can miss the reminder.
- Reminders by phone can cost time and money and only end up with you leaving a voice message that you don’t know they hear.
- Email reminders are extremely hit-and-miss and you never know if your message gets through spam filters let alone be read in crammed inboxes.
