- No-show rate = estimates nobody showed for ÷ estimates booked.
- The further out an estimate is booked, the more likely it slips.
- Reminders that ask for a reply catch problems before you drive out.
- An easy reschedule link turns no-shows into new times.
Measure your no-show rate first
Count every booked estimate in a month. Mark the ones where nobody was home, nobody answered, or the homeowner canceled within a few hours. Divide that count by the total booked. That’s your no-show rate.
Track it by lead source and by how far out the appointment was booked. Both usually tell you something.
Why homeowners don’t show
Most no-shows aren’t rude. Something got in the way and nobody gave them an easy way to say so.
- The appointment was booked a week or more out and life happened
- They never got a confirmation and forgot the time
- They wanted to reschedule but didn’t want to call
- They were never very interested and booking was easy
- They got a quote from someone faster and didn’t tell you
Fixes, in the order they happen
None of these need a big system. They need to happen every time.
- Book within a few days of the inquiry when you can
- Send an instant confirmation with the date, time, address, and who’s coming
- Include a photo of the estimator so the homeowner knows who to expect
- Text a reminder the day before that asks them to reply to confirm
- Send an “on my way” text with an arrival window the morning of
- Put a reschedule link in every message
Example: what no-shows cost (example numbers, not a benchmark)
You book 20 estimates a month and 15% don’t happen. That’s 3 wasted visits. At $150 each in time and fuel, $450 a month is gone before you count the lost work.
At a 30% close rate and $25,000 average job, those 3 visits would have produced about 0.9 signed jobs. That’s $22,500 a month in work at risk (3 × 30% × $25,000).
Qualify a little before you book
Some no-shows were never real appointments. Booking was so easy that a homeowner with mild curiosity took a slot. A couple of qualifying questions before the calendar opens filters most of them without slowing serious homeowners down.
