What are no-shows costing you?
Enter your appointments a week, how many people don’t turn up, and what a slot is worth. You get a rough monthly and yearly figure, and you can see what a deposit would cover.
By Sammy Morgan, who runs M1 Studio in Chichester. Updated .
- Runs in
- Your browser
- Figures sent anywhere
- None
- Time
- About a minute
- What you get
- An estimate, with the sums shown
Your figures.
How the sum works.
Appointments a week × the share who don’t turn up = no-shows a week.
No-shows × the share of slots you can’t refill = slots left empty.
Empty slots × what an appointment is worth = the estimate. A month is 52 weeks divided by 12; a year is 52 weeks.
Deposits kept = every no-show × the deposit (never more than the appointment is worth).
What it can’t tell you
- It counts turnover, not profit. An empty slot still costs you rent, wages and time.
- It doesn’t guess how many fewer people would miss appointments with a deposit or reminders. That depends on your customers.
- A deposit policy has to be clear, shown before people book and fair. The guide below covers how.
If the number is worth fixing.
Fixed prices, or a fixed quote before any work starts. No VAT is charged. Any running costs are listed before you agree.
- Online Booking & Deposits £1,800
Online booking with a deposit taken up front, automatic reminders and your cancellation rules shown at booking. £1,800 fixed; the booking tool and card fees are paid by you.
Bookings taken online, with a deposit paid up front.
- Missed-Call Rescue £800
Automatic reminders before each appointment, plus a text back to anyone whose call you miss.
Missed calls get a text back, automatically.
- Scale Build from £12,000
A booking system built around how you work, for businesses where bookings are the heart of it.
Take the admin off you.
Before you decide.
Something else? Ask Sammy on WhatsApp.
What counts as a no-show here?
Anyone who doesn’t turn up, or cancels too late for you to fill the slot. If you rebook some late cancellations, the refill box takes care of that.
Is it fair to keep a deposit when someone doesn’t turn up?
Usually, if your policy is clear, shown before they book and reasonable for the time you lose. Consumer law says terms must be fair, so a deposit that’s a small part of the price is easier to defend than keeping the full fee. Read how to reduce no-shows with deposits. This isn’t legal advice.
Why does the refill figure matter?
An empty slot you manage to fill from a waiting list or a walk-in costs you little. Only the slots that stay empty cost you the full value, so the calculator counts those.
Where do the example figures come from?
They’re examples so the calculator has something to work with. They aren’t averages or research. Replace them with figures from your own diary.
Do the figures I type go anywhere?
No. The sums run in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to M1 or anyone else, and nothing is stored. Close the page and it’s gone.
Know what to fix. Then decide.
Sammy writes down what’s holding your business back and what to fix first. The Foundation Blueprint is yours within 5 working days of your answers.
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