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Scheduling & Appointments
Cut no-shows with automatic appointment reminders
“People book and then just don't turn up, and that empty slot is gone for good.”
The short answer
Turn on automated SMS and email reminders at 24 hours and 2 hours before each appointment, and make sure the reminder contains a one-tap reschedule link. Reminders alone reduce no-shows substantially; adding an easy reschedule option converts a would-be no-show into a moved booking, which is a slot you keep rather than a slot you lose. Nearly every booking tool already includes this and most businesses have simply never switched it on.
- ~2 hours/week back (estimated)
- 15 minutes to set up
- Easy difficulty
How we estimated that: Assumes 3 no-shows a week and roughly 40 minutes each of lost chair time plus rescheduling admin. This is a model, not a measurement — check it against your own numbers, because if the assumption does not match your business the figure will not either.
What you'll need
- Your existing booking system free tier
Check here first. You are very likely already paying for this feature.
Pricing checked 2026-08-06 — source. - Acuity Scheduling
Strong reminder controls, good for clinics.
Watch the pricing: Starter is $16/mo billed annually ($192/yr) or $20/mo monthly. Standard is $27/mo billed annually or $34/mo monthly. Text/SMS reminders and recurring subscriptions require Standard tier ($27+/mo).
Pricing checked 2026-08-02 — source. - Calendly free tier
Email reminders on the free tier, SMS on paid.
Free until: Free plan is capped at 1 event type and 1 connected calendar, with no time limit. Round-robin is not available on Free or Standard.
Watch the pricing: Standard $10/seat/mo and Teams $16/seat/mo are BILLED YEARLY — monthly billing costs more. Round-robin distribution requires Teams. Enterprise starts at $15,000/yr.
Pricing checked 2026-08-01 — source.
We are not paid by any tool listed here. If a cheaper or better option exists, that's what you'll see.
Pricing above was checked between 2026-08-01 and 2026-08-06. Vendors change their terms without notice, and free tiers do get withdrawn. We take no money from any vendor listed here. If something on this page is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Watch the quick setup (28s)
Original tutorial by Calendly (Official Channel) · Watch full video on YouTube →
How to set it up
- Check what you already have
Open your booking tool's notification settings before buying anything. This is switched off by default more often than not.
- Set two reminders, not one
24 hours out gives them time to reschedule. 2 hours out catches the people who genuinely forgot.
- Use SMS for the 2-hour reminder
Email gets missed on the day of. Text does not.
- Put a reschedule link in every reminder
The goal is not guilt, it's recovering the slot. Make moving the appointment easier than ghosting.
- Watch the numbers for a month
Note your no-show count before and after. This is the number that proves the fix worked.
Common questions
- Should I charge a no-show fee instead?
- Reminders first. Fees create friction at booking and can cost you more in deterred bookings than they recover.
- Is two reminders too many?
- Two is standard and rarely draws complaints. Three starts to feel like nagging.
Last reviewed 2026-07-30. Tools change — if something here is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.
Related fixes
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