Guide
How to handle repeat no-show customers
Handle repeat no-shows with steps that get firmer each time: a friendly message after the first, a deposit or full prepayment after the second, a no-show fee they must pay before booking again, and finally blocking online booking. Keep a record of every no-show so you know which step a client is on, and apply the same rule to everyone.
Step 1: Keep a record
You can’t treat repeat no-shows differently if you can’t see them. Note every no-show and late cancellation against the client, with the date. A note in a paper diary works; a booking system that does it for you works better.
Step 2: First no-show — a friendly message
A first no-show is often an honest mistake. Send a short message: you missed them, here is how to rebook, and here is your cancellation policy for next time. Don’t charge, and don’t make it sound like an accusation.
Step 3: Second no-show — ask for a deposit
From now on, this client pays a deposit or the full price when booking. It costs them nothing if they turn up, and covers your slot if they don’t. See should you charge a booking deposit?.
Step 4: Charge a no-show fee
If your policy has a no-show fee, the client owes it before their next booking. A fee that is added to the next booking’s payment is easier to collect than an invoice sent afterwards, and the client can’t book again without settling it.
Step 5: Block online booking
When a client keeps missing appointments, stop them booking online. You can still choose to book them yourself — with full payment up front, for example. Ask for a phone number as well as an email at booking, so a blocked client can’t simply book again under a new email address.
Write it down
Put these steps in your cancellation policy, so the first time a client hears about the deposit or the fee is not the moment you charge it. Our deposit policy template includes a section for this. To see what no-shows cost you overall, try the no-show cost calculator.
How Rezervito handles repeat no-shows
In Rezervito, our booking app for Shopify (launching November 2026), every no-show you mark is counted on the client’s record. With no-show debt on, your no-show fee — less any deposit already kept — becomes a debt the client must pay in the checkout of their next online booking. You can forgive a debt or mark it paid in person. Blocking a client refuses their online bookings with a neutral message, matching them by email or phone number, records each attempt they make, and still lets you and your staff book them by hand.
Questions
After how many no-shows should I block a client?
There is no standard number. Pick your own threshold — for example the second or third no-show without a word from the client — then apply it to everyone and write it in your policy.
Do I have to tell a client why they are blocked?
You don't have to give your reason in the booking system, but it is good practice to tell them directly, politely, if they ask — and how they can book again, for example by paying an outstanding fee.
Can a blocked client still book by phone?
That is up to you. Blocking online booking still lets you or your staff book them by hand — for example, once they have paid in advance.