A no-show is not a mystery. It is a free option. The customer kept your Thursday open while they waited on a cheaper quote. Reminders are polite. A deposit is a decision.
Pay to book
They approve the quote, put a hold on your Stripe, and only then does the job land on the schedule. Housecall Pro and Jobber often start with a request form. A request is not a booking. Jobber alternative if you want the loop to be the default.
Still send reminders
- Day-before: time window, tech first name, “reply if you need to move.”
- Morning-of: on-the-way / tracker link when you have it.
- Do not remind people who never paid to hold the slot. You are confirming a maybe.
Cancellation policy that is fair
Put it on the quote. Deposit applied to the job. Forfeited if they vanish. Refunded if *you* blow the window. Shops that hide this look greedy. Shops that never enforce it train no-shows.
Emergency vs install
A no-heat at 8pm is not a water heater install. You can take a card on file for emergencies without the same deposit theatre. Installs, replacements, and half-days of labor should never be free options.
Follow-up for people who quoted and ghosted: quote follow-up scripts.
Will deposits scare customers away?
They scare away the ones who were never going to let you in. Serious buyers are used to deposits for anything that takes a truck.
How much deposit?
Enough that they feel it — often 20–30% on installs. Service calls can be a smaller hold. Put it in writing.
