Definition
No-Show
A booked client who neither arrives nor cancels, leaving a paid-for slot empty with no chance to refill it.
A no-show is an appointment that a client books and then simply does not attend, without calling to cancel or reschedule. It is worse than a cancellation because it gives you no warning: the chair sits empty, the stylist is idle, and there is no time to offer the slot to someone on your Waitlist. Every no-show is revenue you had already committed labor and product to.
Rates vary sharply by how you run the front desk. With deposits and reminders in place, Zenoti benchmarks put no-shows at about 1% to 4% depending on business type. Without any deposit system, the same businesses run 15% to 25%, costing a typical salon $18,000 to $36,000 a year. The concentration of loss is real at the high end too: medspas lose about $820 a week to no-shows.
The fix is structural, not a stricter tone with clients. A clear Cancellation Policy, a Deposit or Card on File, and automated confirmations turn most no-shows into on-time arrivals or timely cancellations you can backfill. See the full playbook in no-show prevention.
See it in action
Related terms
Where this comes up
Pages across SalonAI that put no-show to work.
Ready when you are
Your craft. Your business. Your salon AI.
Build the digital and administrative side of your salon around the way you work. Take your plan into Founden to connect growth, client care, daily operations, money, and owner insights.
Built with Founden. Review your setup and running costs before activation.