What are your no-shows actually costing you?
An empty slot is a paid hour that bills nothing. Calculate the monthly and annual loss, and how much of it automated reminders would recover.
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Loss per year
€17,957
Recoverable per year with reminders
€6,285
Your numbers
Private clinics typically see 10% to 20%.
With a waiting list or by calling another customer on the spot.
A WhatsApp or call reminder 24 hours ahead typically cuts 25% to 40%.
Result
Loss per year
€17,957
Recoverable per year with reminders
€6,285
- Missed appointments per month
- 31
- Loss per month
- €1,496
- Missed appointments per year
- 374
How it is calculated
Missed appointments per month = appointments per week × no-show rate × 4.33 weeks. The loss counts only the slots you fail to refill, since a slot covered by another patient is not a real loss.
Each slot is valued at its sale price, not its margin. That is correct when the cost of the hour is already committed: the professional is in the room and gets paid whether the patient shows up or not.
The estimated recovery applies the reduction percentage to the annual loss. Automated WhatsApp or call reminders 24 hours ahead typically cut 25% to 40%, and work best when they allow one-click cancellation, because a slot cancelled in time can be refilled.
Frequently asked questions
What no-show rate is normal?
Private clinics and aesthetic centres typically see 10% to 20%. First visits run higher than follow-ups, and the rate rises when the appointment was booked more than two weeks ahead or when there is no upfront payment.
What actually reduces no-shows?
Three things, in this order: a reminder 24 hours ahead with one-click cancel or reschedule, a deposit or partial payment at booking, and not scheduling too far in advance. Reminders that only inform, without letting people reply, cut far less.
Does charging a deposit scare customers away?
It slightly reduces booking volume and cuts no-shows far more, so effective capacity almost always improves. Where it tends to backfire is on first acquisition visits: there it is better to rely on the reminder alone.