When you work with people, you’re going to deal with missed appointments. That is something you won’t be able to sidestep. The problem is that these no-shows cost you money, which makes handling them in a graceful manner tricky.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help. In this guide, we not only share with you how you should follow up and address clients who don’t show up to appointments through writing professional missed appointment emails, but we also share with you templates to get you started.
You’re trying to run a business and it’s frustrating when you’re doing everything right and others are hampering your progress. That being said, you need to approach missed appointments in such a way that your client sees you’re understanding of their circumstances yet you expect them to respect your time.
Let’s look at other tips you should keep in mind when it comes to writing a professional missed appointment email.
When To Send a Missed Appointment Email
Sometimes clients run late. It is a good idea to include 10 or 15 minutes before labeling a client as a no-show. Then you may decide to give them a call to find out whether they’ll be joining you.
If you don’t get a response, now would be a good time to send a follow-up email; however, if you know the client well and think they will reach out on their own, you can wait a little longer. Just keep in mind that it’s never a good idea to wait longer than the appointment would have lasted.
If you respond in a timely and respectful manner, you increase your odds of the client rescheduling the meeting. Yes, it’s true that you didn’t do anything wrong to begin with, but ultimately, you still want their business.
Consider Your Tone in The Missed Appointment Email
If you want to come across as a professional, the tone of your email is very important. You may be annoyed that the client wasted your time, but you don’t want to insult or anger them and lose any future business.
Keep the following in mind when writing your follow-up email:
Keep Your Cool
Get control of your emotions before you write the no-show email. You’re frustrated, angry, disappointed and are experiencing many other negative emotions. They’re not meant for your client, so let them all settle, so that you can write a professional email that won’t affront anyone.
Don’t Make Assumptions
You don’t know what happened, so don’t presume you do. The only thing you can assume is that they had every intention to make the appointment.
Maybe they didn’t show up due to a silly scheduling mistake, but what if it was something as serious as a family emergency?
You just don’t know and the last thing you want to do is come across as uncaring. Be respectful of their circumstances—whatever they may be. Also, the more willing you are to excuse this blooper, the more likely that they’ll reschedule and actually show up the next time!
Avoid Stalker Mode
You may feel the need to reach out on multiple channels. Don’t. Their social media, above all, is a no-go. Writing one follow-up email on the day they missed their appointment and sending it to one address is sufficient.
You can reach out via email again a few days later but avoid nagging. The last you want to do is come across as desperate or worse, make your client feel like you’re harassing them.
There’s No Room for Guilt-Tripping
For the same reason that you shouldn’t make assumptions, you shouldn’t guilt-trip your client. They may be going through enough and don’t need you to add on to their emotional load.
What’s more, it will leave a negative impression. Instead, approach your missed appointment email with compassion and you may create a client for life.
What to Include in a No-Show Appointment Message
As mentioned, a missed appointment email doesn’t need to result in losing a client. If done correctly, you can actually win the respect of clients and turn them into life-long repeat customers. Before we share some handy missed appointment text templates with you, let’s first cover what should be included in yours if you decide to write your own.
To begin with, as with all business emails, there should be a subject line that catches their attention, as well as a signature with your contact details. That’s pretty standard, but your email should also include:
Estimated Value
You have something to offer. That is why the client was coming to see you in the first place. Remind them what they stand to gain from your services.
For example, if you’re a hairdresser, you can use a quote such as, “Life isn’t perfect, but your hair can be,” to open or close your email as a reminder of how good they feel when they leave your salon.
How to Reschedule
Always recommend they reschedule and then give them the various ways they can go about doing just that. Remember, people like convenience, so give them as many options as possible for them to choose from.
Hopefully, you have more options available than just email or phone calls. Offering online bookings via your business’s website is a necessity in this day and age. Make sure you include links to all the ways they can reschedule their missed appointment.
Missed Appointment Email Templates
It’s not always easy to control your emotions when you have to deal with yet another no-show. In that case, it’s best to just use a missed appointment template and tweak it a little. Below, you’ll find a few templates you can copy and customize based on your business.
These mails may seem short, but that’s for good reason; you want to keep things to the point to avoid any implied emotion or assumptions.
So, have a read and see if you find one that fits a scenario you’re facing.
Massage Therapist No-Show Email Template
[Client’s name],
You had an appointment with me at [Business name] today at [time]. I was looking forward to helping you relax with a lovely massage. Please let me know when you would like to reschedule.
You can phone me on [contact details], reply to this email, or alternatively, visit our website to make an online booking [online booking app URL].
I look forward to seeing you again.
Friendly greetings,
[Signature]
Dentist Missed Appointment Email Template
[Client’s name],
You were scheduled to have your pearly whites whitened today at [dentist name] but sadly missed your appointment. Please let us know when you’d like to reschedule. You can phone us on [contact details] during office hours, Monday to Friday, or you can visit our website [URL] and reschedule your appointment online.
[Dentist name] looks forward to seeing your smile again.
Have a great day.
[Signature]
New Client No-Show Template
[Client name],
I was looking forward to meeting you earlier today. I would like to help you achieve your fitness goals, so let me know when you are available again next week. You can contact me on [phone number], respond to this email, or make a booking on my website [URL] via the online booking app.
Until then, stay healthy.
[Signature]
Missed Appointment with Forfeited Deposit Template
[Client name]
You unfortunately missed an appointment with [name] today at [time]. We hope everything is okay and we will be seeing you again soon to give you the hairdo you deserve.
Since we didn’t see you in the salon today, you did forfeit the 20% early booking fee we charged you. We’re sure you understand that the treatment you booked required specialist preparations as explained. To reschedule, please call [contact details] or visit our website [URL] to make a new booking via our online appointment app.
We look forward to hearing from you.
[Signature]
How to Minimize Missed Appointments
There are some simple steps you can take to prevent no-shows in the future, these include:
- Using appointment booking software such as Webba Booking. This plugin integrates with Google Calendar and similar, which means your clients will have easy access to their appointments with you. They’ll also get reminders based on their personal settings on the calendar apps they use.
- You can also improve the chances of them showing up by sending your own meeting reminders in the form of SMSs or emails. Webba Booking offers this feature. When you send these reminders is entirely up to you. You can send one directly after the booking was made, remind them again 48 hours before they’re supposed to walk through your door, and then drive it home 24 hours before. That way you can be sure they will be there and if they can’t make it, they will let you know well in advance, so you have enough time to get someone else to fill their slot.
Final Thoughts
Dealing with missed appointments is frustrating, there’s no denying that. You just have to make sure you keep your cool and do what you can to make sure you don’t lose a client because you’re annoyed that they didn’t cancel in time.
We hope the tips and templates in this article help you make a success of even the difficult moments of working with people. You should also try out Webba Booking to help get feet through your door.
