How to Prevent Customer Cancellations and Keep Your Schedule Full

1. Create a customer cancellation policy

A cancellation policy helps prevent clients from canceling last minute by documenting penalties and setting clear guidelines for them to follow. 

For example, an effective cancellation policy should have: 

• A timeframe to cancel a service to avoid a penalty. Many service providers allow customers to cancel or reschedule an appointment up to 24-48 hours before it’s scheduled to take place. This gives them enough time to try to fill the gap with another client while still providing the client with lots of time to move things around if something unexpected comes up. 
• A penalty for late cancellations. If a client cancellation happens within 24-48 hours of the job, it should be subject to a penalty. You can either charge a standard fee, like $25, or a percentage of the job, like 5%. This ensures that even if the client does cancel, you still get some money to cover any costs you incurred, like fuel for driving to their home or the time you spent making a quote.
• Clear appointment cancellation instructions. Include contact details like your email address and phone number so clients who need to cancel can easily reach out. And don’t forget to cover any specifics, like whether you accept cancellations via text message or if they must be done over the phone. 
• A place for the client to sign. You can only enforce your cancellation policy if your clients agree to it. While you can create a separate cancellation policy, you can also include one in your contracts, estimates, and quotes alongside your payment terms and disclaimers so clients can sign off on everything at once. Either way, make sure you communicate your cancellation terms clearly and include a place for your client’s signature to confirm they understand them.

2. Send appointment reminders

Appointment reminders reduce last-minute appointment cancellations by keeping the job top of mind, preventing customers from forgetting they booked a job with you. And, if something does come up, appointment reminders give customers a chance to cancel or rebook in advance, so you don’t waste time or money on a no-show. 

You can remind clients about upcoming jobs over the phone, via text, or by email. 

While phone calls add a personal touch, not all clients have time to chat about their booking, and they don’t give you a paper trail to follow if a customer claims you never reached out. 

Instead, text messages or emails are a better way to send appointment reminders because they’re less intrusive and more actionable. 

For example, Jobber lets you automate appointment reminders that include your contact information and cancellation policy to remind clients about an upcoming job any time — like a week in advance or the day before the job’s scheduled.

3. Offer flexible scheduling

Flexible scheduling helps clients book appointments when it’s convenient for them. The more you open up your availability, the easier it will be for customers to schedule your services at a time that works best for their lifestyle.  

For example, if you run a service business that requires a client to be home, like appliance repair or plumbing, consider offering extended hours one night of the week or working occasional weekends. 

For clients who work full-time day jobs or who need to book time off for an appointment, more flexible scheduling allows them to book appointments when they’re free, reducing the need to cancel or reschedule. 

Or, if you can complete the job without the client — like house cleaning or lawn care — let them know. That way, they won’t feel obligated to be at home for the appointment. Just make sure to arrange access in advance, like getting a passcode for their front door or asking them to leave the back gate unlocked. 

If you use online booking software like Jobber, clients will be able to see all your availability at once, allowing them to choose an appointment date and time that fits into their schedule. That way, they have control over when they book and you don’t need to go back and forth trying to find a timeslot that works for both of you. 

Pro Tip: Provide specific timeslots instead of service windows to make it easier for clients to be available. When you can only offer vague timeframes, like “between 12-5 PM”, it makes it difficult for clients to know when they need to be home.

4. Make rescheduling easy

If a customer has to cancel a booking, you don’t want to lose them altogether. By making rescheduling easy, you can encourage them to book at a more convenient time, keeping them as a client.

If rescheduling a job becomes too much work, or it’s a hassle to figure out availability, you risk having your customer choose a competitor instead of rebooking. 

With Jobber’s scheduling software, when a customer reaches out with a cancellation request or a booking change, all you need to do is use the drag-and-drop calendar to quickly reschedule.

5. Charge a deposit

Asking for a deposit gets a client invested in a job before it starts, keeping them committed to the work and providing you with funds to cover any expenses you incur if they decide to cancel. 

This is especially useful if you’re working with a new client you don’t yet have a relationship with or if a client books a large job that you need to block out a lot of time for.

6. Fire unreliable clients

If you have a service business for long enough, chances are you’ll have to fire a client eventually. If you have a customer who constantly books jobs only to cancel them, or who has a habit of being a no-show, it might be time to stop working with them. 

After all, you have a business to run, and the time you spend trying to accommodate them could be better spent at job sites or generating new leads.

7. Offer small discounts 

Another way to prevent last minute cancellations is by offering small discounts for different scenarios, like when a customer:  

• Reschedules an appointment instead of canceling
• Books an appointment outside of peak hours 
• Demonstrates loyalty by booking with you more than once
• Books in advance
• Schedules recurring services

This helps to reduce no-shows and cancellations by building a strong relationship with your clients and giving them a reason to keep their appointments. 

If they cancel, they risk losing their discount as well as your availability, making them more likely to stick around.

8. Ask what you can do 

If a customer reaches out to cancel, find out what you can do to accommodate their needs. While some cancellations are straightforward, like a client who isn’t feeling well, others are less clear, like when a customer gets cold feet. 

If a customer reaches out to cancel without a clear reason, try to ask questions that help you understand: 

• Why they’re canceling? For example, is it budget-related? Or did a family emergency come up?
• What you can do to keep them? Do they want to rebook? Can you offer a discount? 
• How important is the work to them? Review their pain points and how much they need the service to see if you offer anything that better suits their situation, like a service bundle. 

In some cases, like when a client has to go away on an unexpected work trip for an indefinite period, you may not be able to do much to keep them. But if their budget changes due to an unanticipated expense, you may be able to offer a different service package, small discount, or customer financing to help them out and keep your schedule full.

9. Build strong client relationships

Customers who feel valued and appreciated will be more committed to keeping their appointments with you. 

Provide excellent customer service to turn one-off jobs into repeat customers to boost loyalty and develop stronger relationships. For example, develop a referral program to reward clients who send work your way or conduct feedback surveys to gauge satisfaction.

That way, when a client does have to change an appointment, they’re more likely to rebook instead of cancel. 

READ MORE: The best customer service tips from experts

10. Have a waitlist

If you’re lucky enough to have more clients than you can schedule, keep a waitlist. That way, if you do get a cancellation, you can fill it with another client. 

While that won’t necessarily keep cancellations from happening, it does prevent them from impacting your cash flow by keeping your schedule full.

Best practices for reducing service cancellations

Reducing customer cancellations is a good strategy for keeping your schedule full and cash flow consistent. When rolling out a cancellation prevention plan, use these three best practices to make sure it goes smoothly.