Free no-show calculator
No-Show Cost Calculator
See what missed appointments cost you each month and year, and what cutting them would be worth.
no-shows a month
lost a month
lost a year
back each year at your target
Based on 52 weeks a year. It counts the value of the empty slot; if you usually refill late cancellations, lower the percentage to the slots that stay empty.
A no-show is the most expensive kind of appointment: you kept the slot free, turned other customers away, and earned nothing. Because each one feels like a one-off, few businesses ever add them up. This calculator does it for you from four numbers you already know.
How the calculation works
Your appointments per week multiplied by 52 gives your bookings for the year. Your no-show percentage gives the number of empty slots, and multiplying by your average appointment value gives what those empty slots are worth. The last box shows what you would get back if you cut no-shows by the percentage you choose.
Count a late cancellation as a no-show if you couldn’t realistically fill the slot. If you run a waiting list and usually refill short-notice gaps, use a lower percentage, so the figure reflects only the slots that genuinely stay empty.
How do I find my no-show rate?
Look back over the last eight to twelve weeks in your diary or booking system. Count the appointments where the customer didn’t arrive or cancelled too late to rebook, and divide by the total number of appointments booked. Use a few months rather than one busy week, because no-shows tend to cluster around holidays, bad weather and school breaks.
What should I do with the result?
Compare the yearly figure with what it would cost to reduce no-shows. Most of the fixes are cheap:
- Confirm every booking in writing, with the date, time, address and how to rearrange.
- Send reminders a day or two before, and on the day for early appointments.
- Make rearranging easy, so customers move the slot instead of simply not turning up.
- Have a clear cancellation policy, agreed at booking, and consider a deposit for long or high-value appointments.
- Keep a short waiting list so late cancellations can be refilled.
Our guide to never missing a lead covers the wider picture, and the free template packs include ready-to-use confirmation and reminder messages.
Questions people ask
What counts as a no-show?
A booked appointment the customer did not attend, or cancelled too late for you to fill. If you usually manage to refill short-notice cancellations, only count the slots that genuinely stayed empty, so the figure reflects real lost income.
How do I work out my no-show rate?
Count the missed and too-late-to-fill appointments over the last eight to twelve weeks, then divide by the total number of appointments booked in that time. Using a couple of months smooths out unusual weeks such as holidays.
What is the quickest way to reduce no-shows?
Confirm every booking in writing, send a reminder a day or two before, and make it easy to rearrange rather than simply not turn up. A clear cancellation policy agreed at booking, and a waiting list for gaps, help too.
Can I charge customers who don’t turn up?
You can if your terms say so clearly and the customer agreed to them when booking. Any fee should be fair and in proportion to your actual loss. Check consumer law guidance on GOV.UK if you deal with members of the public.
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