A no-show costs more than the slot. For a salon it’s an hour of a stylist’s time that can’t be sold twice. For a contractor it’s a drive across town to a locked door, and a customer who’d have taken that slot yesterday. A clear no-show policy won’t stop every one, but it cuts them down, and it gives you a fair, agreed way to charge when they happen.
Below are no-show and cancellation policy templates for appointment businesses and home service businesses, how to choose a fee, and how to enforce it without starting fights. A quick note: these are practical templates, not legal advice. If you’re unsure about consumer rules where you work, have a local advisor look over your final wording.
What should a no-show policy include?
- What counts as a no-show. Not there at all? More than 15 minutes late? Not home when the technician arrives?
- The cancellation window. How much notice a customer must give to cancel or reschedule for free.
- The fee. A flat amount or a percentage of the service, and when it’s charged.
- How you’ll take it. A card on file, a deposit taken at booking, or added to the next invoice.
- Exceptions. Genuine emergencies, bad weather, illness. Saying you’ll use discretion makes the policy feel fair.
No-show policy template for appointment businesses
For salons, barbers, groomers, spas, tattoo studios and similar:
Cancellation and no-show policy
We hold your appointment time just for you. If you need to cancel or reschedule, please let us know at least 24 hours before your appointment and there’s no charge.
Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged 50% of the booked service. If you don’t arrive, or arrive more than 15 minutes late and we can’t fit you in, we’ll charge 100% of the booked service.
We keep a card on file to hold your booking. We’ll always use discretion for genuine emergencies. Thank you for understanding.
No-show policy template for home service businesses
For plumbers, HVAC, electricians, cleaners, pest control and other businesses that come to the customer:
Appointment and access policy
When you book, we reserve a technician and a time window for you. If you need to reschedule, please let us know by 5 p.m. the day before and there’s no charge.
If our technician arrives within your booked window and can’t get access to the property, or no one is home, a missed-appointment fee of $75 applies. We’ll call you when we’re on the way, and we’ll wait 15 minutes and try to reach you before leaving.
We understand that emergencies happen and will always use discretion.
Many home service businesses tie the missed-appointment fee to their normal service call fee, since the cost to you is the same: the trip. Our guide to setting a service call fee walks through the numbers.
How much should a no-show fee be?
Big enough to make people take the booking seriously, small enough that it doesn’t feel like a punishment. Common approaches:
- A percentage of the service, often 50% for late cancellations and up to 100% for no-shows. Works well where services vary a lot in price.
- A flat fee, like the cost of your trip or a typical short appointment. Easier to explain and to remember.
- A deposit at booking, credited to the service. Best for long or expensive appointments, and for clients who’ve no-showed before.
How do you actually enforce it?
A policy nobody has agreed to is hard to enforce. Make sure customers see it before they book: on your booking page, read out or summarised on the phone, and in the confirmation text. Taking a card or deposit at booking is what turns the policy from a polite request into something you can act on, though it can put some first-time customers off. Our guide to no-show protection and cards on file weighs up when it’s worth it. Ansdale, which is ours, helps at the booking stage: it books a real appointment during the call, so the customer knows they’re booked, and sends SMS confirmations on the Growth plan and up, with a timestamped opt-in for every number.
When you do charge, keep it calm and factual: “Hi Sarah, we missed you at your 2 p.m. today. As per our booking policy, there’s a $40 missed-appointment fee. Would you like to rebook?” Offering the rebooking in the same message keeps most customers.
How do you stop no-shows in the first place?
- Send reminders. A text the day before, with an easy way to confirm or reschedule, catches most of the people who’d otherwise forget. Our appointment reminder text templates will help.
- Make rescheduling easy. People who can’t easily move an appointment often just don’t show up.
- Book soon. The further away an appointment is, the more likely it’s forgotten.
- Get consent for texts before you send them. Our guide to SMS confirmations and the TCPA explains why that matters.
Questions people ask
Can a small business charge a no-show fee?
Generally yes, if the customer agreed to the policy before booking. Show it on your booking page, mention it on the phone and include it in the confirmation. Check local consumer rules if you’re unsure.
How much notice should a cancellation policy require?
24 hours is common for appointment businesses. Home service businesses often use 5 p.m. the day before so they can rearrange routes.
What is a typical no-show fee?
Many businesses charge 50% of the service for late cancellations and up to 100% for no-shows, or a flat fee equal to their trip or service call charge.
How do I collect a no-show fee?
The reliable way is a card on file or a deposit taken at booking. Without one, you’re relying on the customer paying when asked.
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