1. Require a deposit

Your customers will be more likely to follow through if they’ve already paid you. Asking for a non-refundable deposit is a great way of ensuring that both your time and your customer’s time is respected.

2. Use scheduling tools

Services like Index allow you to share your calendar link with your customers so they can choose a time that works for both of you. Then, you can follow up with a confirmation message to remind your customer of their upcoming appointment.

3. Create an incentive

Give your customers a good reason to keep their appointments by offering a discount or reward to customers who arrive on time. For example, you could provide a 10% discount to customers who arrive on time, or add them to a monthly raffle for a special.

4. Address no-shows.

Sometimes people simply forget to show up. Follow up on missed appointments to make sure they don’t simply need to reschedule. Index makes it easy to send pre-written follow up messages with your business logo included right from your keyboard, with just a couple of taps. So, follow up on no-shows then revisit Step 2.

5. Thank punctual customers

A simple “thank you” can go a long way. Thanking customers who respect the appointment times you agreed upon acknowledges their effort while also reaffirming that it’s important to you that those appointment times be respected. After all, your time is valuable.

Whatever you choose to do, make sure to treat your customers with care and respect. They’re the reason you’re doing what you’re doing, and maintaining healthy, positive customer relationships will only help boost your success.