No shows’ and what it’s costing your business

The real “diary price” of a no-show

Every appointment carries a diary price - the value of the time reserved for it. When an appointment is missed, revenue is lost, profitability tanks, staff time is wasted and other paying clients are turned away unnecessarily.

According to research conducted by ScienceDirect, the average no-show rate for US healthcare providers is around 23%. If you work on a conservative costing of R750 per appointment in South Africa, and 10 appointment slots a day, a single healthcare practitioner is losing around R1,725 per day, which equates to a hefty R34,500/month, on average.

In beauty / personal services, one large analysis from Fresha (a booking platform) looked at over three million appointments and reported that almost 4% of booked appointments in their dataset resulted in no-shows. The same reporting highlighted that no-show rates can be much higher in certain sub-sectors – where hair salons/barbershops cited ~21% average no-show rate. If you take 100 appointments per week, at a 20% no show, and an average diary value of R300, that’s R24,000 in lost revenue.

No-shows are quietly eroding business profitability, yet many businesses still rely on outdated or passive reminder systems that fail to reduce the risk.

According to Richard Simpson, managing director of BulkSMS, appointment notifications and reminders are high-impact, critical business communications that need to be viewed from a business continuity perspective. “A simple reminder - “This is the date and time of your appointment” - can significantly influence whether an appointment is honoured. The key lies not only in sending the reminder, but in how it is delivered and whether it is read,” says Richard.

Why SMS works when other channels don’t

SMS remains one of the most effective communication channels available to businesses today:

• High delivery rates: SMS messages are almost always delivered, unlike emails that may land in spam folders.
  
• High open and interaction rates: Most SMS messages are read within minutes of receipt.
  
• Direct and personal: SMS cuts through digital noise and reaches clients where they are, and it does not need data connectivity to deliver.
  
• Cost-effective and scalable: Beyond speed, SMS is also affordable and scalable. Businesses can reach thousands of customers without straining budgets or margins.

“Following up an appointment booking with an SMS confirmation and offering an easy way to confirm, cancel or reschedule, dramatically increases attendance rates while significantly reducing the cost of no-shows on the business,” explains Richard.

Confirmation and reminder

By prompting clients to actively confirm their appointment via SMS, businesses reduce uncertainty and gain visibility into their schedules. Confirmed appointments mean:

• More predictable diaries
  
• Fewer last-minute gaps
  
• Improved client flow
  
• Better use of professional time

Even confirmed appointments benefit from a final nudge. Busy professionals and clients alike manage packed calendars, shifting priorities and constant digital noise. A short SMS reminder sent on the morning of the appointment helps ensure the meeting stays top of mind at the exact moment it matters. A day-of reminder:

• Reinforces commitment to the appointment
  
• Reduces genuine forgetfulness
  
• Gives clients a final opportunity to communicate delays or cancellations
  
• Helps businesses proactively manage their diaries

For businesses and professionals, an SMS can be the difference between an empty chair and a productive, billable hour. “Businesses can close the loop on attendance by combining advance confirmation with a same-day reminder. The result is fewer no-shows, earlier cancellations and the ability to fill gaps before they become lost revenue,” Richard explains. “This layered approach turns appointment management into a proactive process. For practices operating at capacity, this can translate directly into higher revenue and a better client experience.”

A short message with a big business impact

In industries where time equals money, reducing no-shows is one of the fastest ways to protect revenue without increasing overheads. SMS appointment confirmations are simple to implement and integrate into workflows and CRM systems, cost-effective and proven to drive results. For professionals who value their time - and expect their clients to do the same - it’s a small message that delivers outsized business impact and bottom line results,” Richard concludes.

About

BulkSMS.com is a division of Celerity Systems (Pty) Ltd. and was founded in 2000 along with its parent company. Its founders first began using SMS in 1997 to send weather updates to clients but soon realised the service had broader applications.

BulkSMS.com provides application-to-person (A2P) messaging services to large and small businesses, public benefit organisations, and individuals. The company has a global market presence in more than 200 countries, including Europe, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.