Playbook
Fewer no-shows, without nagging anyone.
No-shows are a systems problem more than a customer problem: the booking was too easy to forget, too hard to change, and cost nothing to abandon. Four changes fix most of it. This playbook describes each one and what Amfion does for it today; it quotes no industry no-show rates, because yours is the only one that matters.
What you get
What this guide covers.
- Confirm at booking: read the appointment back and get an explicit yes before it exists.
- Deposits on the appointments that hurt: long slots, first visits, high-value work; release the slot if it is not paid.
- Email reminders with a reschedule link, so a customer who cannot make it moves the appointment instead of skipping it.
- A waitlist that is actually invited when a slot opens, so a cancellation is not an empty chair.
Steps
The steps, in order.
Confirm before you book
A summary and an explicit yes reduce the bookings that were never really intended. Amfion’s assistant does this on every channel before a booking is written.
Charge a deposit where it hurts
Set a per-service deposit collected through your own Stripe account. With Amfion’s hard policy the slot is held 30 minutes and released automatically if the deposit is not paid.
Remind by email with a way out
Amfion sends email reminders (off by default in case your calendar already sends them) with the customer’s manage link; scheduled text reminders are not available yet.
Refill cancellations from a waitlist
When a booking is cancelled, Amfion emails waitlisted customers and texts the ones who asked for it; a freed slot is offered before it is lost.
Questions
Answered plainly.
How quickly should results appear?
Deposits change behavior on the first booking they apply to. Reminders and waitlist refills show up over a few weeks. Count no-shows per week before and after, by service, and judge from your own numbers.
Which appointments should require a deposit?
The ones a no-show hurts most: long slots, first visits with prep time, and anything you cannot refill at short notice. Keep short, cheap services deposit-free so booking stays easy.
Does Amfion send text reminders?
Not yet. Reminders and rebooking nudges are email. Text goes out only to waitlisted customers who asked for it when a slot opens.
How do we avoid over-messaging customers?
One confirmation, one reminder, and a message only when something actually opened up. Every marketing-style email carries an unsubscribe link and Amfion honors it.