No-show
A no-show is a client who books an appointment but does not attend and does not cancel in time, leaving a slot you could have sold empty. No-shows are one of the biggest hidden costs for appointment-based businesses. Taking payment upfront and sending reminders are the two most effective ways to cut them.
Why no-show matters
A no-show costs more than the fee for that slot. You blocked the time, perhaps travelled or prepared notes, and turned away someone else who wanted it. For a physiotherapist charging ₹800 a session, two no-shows a week is ₹1,600 of time that cannot be sold again. Clients rarely mean harm. They forget, or plans change and messaging you feels awkward.
That is why the fixes are mostly about making it easy to show up or to move the booking. Prepayment gives the client a reason to come. A reminder the day before catches the forgotten ones. A self-serve reschedule gives busy clients a way out that does not leave you with an empty chair.
Take payment at booking, send reminders, publish a clear cancellation policy, and let clients reschedule themselves within it. Book A Sloth handles payment, reminders and rescheduling automatically, with a 24-hour reminder on every plan and an extra 1-hour reminder on Sloth Active.
Example
A Hyderabad physiotherapist who keeps losing ₹800 evening slots to forgetful patients starts taking UPI payment at booking and sending a reminder the day before, so patients who cannot come reschedule instead of skipping.
Related terms
Book A Sloth turns these into one link: a booking page with upfront payment over UPI, GST invoices and automatic reminders.