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Appointment no-show follow-up automation

No-show automation watches appointments that have started without a check-in. After a short wait it checks again, sends the customer a friendly text with a rebooking link and releases the rest of the slot.

An example of how the studio would build it. No live services are connected.

A kind next step when someone doesn’t arrive.

  1. Step 01

    Appointment started

    Read the start time from Google Calendar or Calendly and watch for the customer’s check-in.

  2. Step 02

    Status rechecked

    After ten minutes, check the booking and check-in status again before doing anything else.

  3. Step 03

    Rebooking texted

    Send one kind text through Twilio saying sorry to have missed them, with a Calendly link to rebook.

  4. Step 04

    Slot released

    Mark the booking as missed and open the remaining time for walk-ins, unless staff have noted a late arrival.

  5. Step 05

    Visit recorded

    Note the missed appointment on the customer record so staff have context at the next booking.

The result

Fewer empty chairs and no awkward phone calls.

A check-in or late-arrival note stops the sequence before the text is sent. Missed bookings are marked, never deleted, so staff can undo the change.

Before we connect it.

Where this is useful

Useful for salons, clinics, studios and other appointment-based businesses where staff ring customers who haven’t arrived. A sensible first version sends the text and marks the booking, while staff decide whether to release the slot.

What we need to connect

  1. 01A dependable check-in signal, such as a booking status, a front-desk button or a tablet sign-in.
  2. 02Appointments from Google Calendar or Calendly with the customer’s mobile number and permission to text them.
  3. 03The waiting time, the message wording, the rebooking link and how a released slot should appear.

What needs careful handling

The automation is only as reliable as the check-in signal. If staff forget to mark arrivals, a customer sitting in reception could receive the text. Use the calendar’s time zone, recheck just before sending and give staff a quick way to mark a late arrival.

Questions people ask.

Will the message upset customers who are simply running late?

The wording can apologise for missing them and offer to rebook, without assuming anything. A reply saying they are on the way goes to staff, who can keep the slot.

Can this charge a no-show fee?

The version described here doesn’t take payments. If you have a published cancellation policy, a person can apply it, or your booking system’s own deposit features can handle it.

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