First, measure your own no-show cost
No-show cost per month ≈ no-shows per month × average booking value
Count the no-shows and last-minute cancellations in your calendar for a month, then multiply by what an average booking is worth. For example (made-up numbers): 8 no-shows × $60 = $480 a month. We don’t quote an industry no-show rate because it varies a lot between businesses — your own calendar is the only number that matters.
What Greeta sends
Customers get an SMS confirmation for their appointment and an SMS reminder before the visit. Each plan includes a monthly allowance of notification SMS segments: Solo 375, Growth 675, Pro 1,250. Reminders and confirmations are part of the same system as your calendar, so they follow the booking whether it was made by phone or by text.
Five habits that reduce no-shows (with or without software)
- Confirm every booking right away. A confirmation text catches wrong dates and typos while there’s still time to fix them.
- Remind before the visit. A short reminder with the day, time, and who they’re seeing is enough.
- Make changing a booking easy. People cancel less awkwardly when it’s easy: customers can reschedule or cancel by phone with Greeta, by text, or in the free GreetaBook app when your business allows it.
- Know your policy. Decide what you expect for late cancellations and say it clearly at booking.
- Fill freed-up slots. When a customer cancels, the slot is open again for the next caller — including the ones Greeta answers at night.
Keep the texts welcome
Confirmations and reminders are appointment messages the customer asked for by booking. Keep them short and useful, and respect opt-outs. For the rules on consent, see the FCC guide linked below; this is general information, not legal advice.
Details: SMS reminders and confirmations.
What a good confirmation or reminder says
- Your business name, so the message is instantly recognizable.
- The service, the date, and the time — in that order of importance for most customers.
- A clear way to change plans if something comes up.
Confirmation now, reminder later
The two messages do different jobs. A confirmation reassures the customer the moment they book: it’s real, here are the details. A reminder arrives closer to the visit and catches the people who simply forgot. Together they cover both kinds of no-show — the forgetful and the unsure.
Make rescheduling easier than skipping
A customer who can’t make it will either reschedule or silently not show up. Your job is to make the first option effortless. Greeta books, reschedules, and cancels by voice and by text, and customers using the free GreetaBook app can see their upcoming visits and make changes when your business allows it.
Measure it yourself
Count your no-shows for a few weeks, then compare after reminders are on. Use your own numbers rather than anyone else’s averages, and multiply by your typical booking value — the same approach as in our guide to calculating what missed calls cost.
A note on consent
Confirmations and reminders are messages about an appointment the customer actually booked, and every message should let the customer opt out (STOP). Rules for business texting vary, so check what applies to you with your own advisor — this guide is general information, not legal advice.