First contact after a no-show
Send this within a couple of hours of the missed appointment — neutral, not accusatory:
Hi [Name], I had you booked in for a [service] today at [time] and it looks like you weren't able to make it. I hope everything's okay. As per my booking policy, your deposit of £[amount] will be retained for the missed appointment. Please let me know if you'd like to rebook. [Your name]
Shorter version:
Hi [Name], it looks like you missed your [time] appointment today. I hope you're okay! Unfortunately your deposit has been retained as per my no-show policy. You're welcome to rebook at [link].
No-show with deposit retained
If the client then responds asking about the deposit:
Hi [Name], I completely understand that things come up. Unfortunately, as per the cancellation and no-show policy you agreed to when booking, the deposit is non-refundable for missed appointments. This policy is in place because the time was held exclusively for you and couldn't be offered to another client. I hope you understand. You're welcome to rebook and I'd love to see you again. [Your name]
No-show without a deposit
If you don't currently collect deposits (and this is a reminder to start):
Hi [Name], I had you booked in for [service] at [time] today and it looks like you weren't able to come. I hope everything's okay. Could you let me know what happened? Going forward, all bookings will require a deposit to hold the appointment. You're welcome to rebook at [link].
Repeat no-show
If a client has no-showed or cancelled late more than once:
Hi [Name], I had you booked in today at [time] and you weren't able to make it. As this is the second time we've had a missed appointment, I'm no longer able to hold appointments for you without full prepayment at the time of booking. If you'd like to rebook under those terms, please let me know. I hope you understand. [Your name]
Declining to rebook entirely:
Hi [Name], I had you booked in today and you weren't able to make it. Unfortunately, after multiple missed appointments, I'm unable to take future bookings from you. I wish you well. [Your name]
Conditional rebook message
If you're willing to rebook but want a larger deposit or full prepayment:
Hi [Name], I'd be happy to rebook you — however, given the previous missed appointment, I'll need full payment in advance to secure your spot. If you're happy with that, just let me know what dates work and I'll send a payment link. [Your name]
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Start free →Frequently asked questions
Should I reach out to a client who no-showed?
Yes — a brief, neutral message gives the client a chance to explain (emergencies happen). It also puts your policy on record. Send it the same day or within a few hours of the missed appointment. Keep it short and professional, not passive-aggressive.
Can I refuse to rebook a client who no-showed?
Yes. If a client has a history of no-shows or last-minute cancellations, you can decline to rebook, or make rebooking conditional on a larger deposit or full prepayment. This is your business — protecting your time is entirely reasonable.
What if the client had an emergency?
An emergency is a reason, not an excuse to waive your policy. You can acknowledge the difficulty while still retaining the deposit. Some nail techs choose to waive in genuine emergencies — that's a personal decision. If you do waive it, make sure it's a genuine exception and not a pattern.
