How many reminders should we send before a job?

Three works best for UK field service: a confirmation at booking, a reminder 24 hours before, and an on-the-way message on the morning. More than that starts to feel like spam and customers stop reading them.

Is SMS or email better for appointment reminders?

SMS is opened far faster and is the right channel for the day-before and on-the-way messages. Email is better for the booking confirmation, because it can carry the quote, terms and a calendar invite.

What does a no-show actually cost?

Take your average job value and add the engineer's paid hour, fuel, and the office time spent rebooking. For most UK trades a single no-show costs between GBP 120 and GBP 250 once all of that is counted.

ROI & Savings28 May 2026

The Pound-per-No-Show Cost of Not Sending Reminders

Automated appointment reminders by SMS and email

A no-show isn't just a wasted hour. It's a wasted hour you've already paid an engineer for, with no customer to bill at the end of it. The only thing more expensive than a job that goes wrong is one that doesn't happen at all.

The hidden cost today

The slot is gone — you can't sell yesterday.
The engineer is still being paid.
Fuel and time to drive to a door that doesn't open.
Office time spent rebooking and apologising.

What Tryoup changes

Tryoup sends automated SMS and email reminders at booking, the day before, and on the morning, with a one-tap reschedule link. Customers either confirm, or they move themselves — and the slot frees up in time to fill it.

A worked example

3 no-shows/week × £150 average ticket × 52 weeks = £23,400/year.
SMS reminders cost: pennies per message — easily under £30/month.
Payback: roughly the first prevented no-show of the month.

A simple formula

Annual recovery ≈ prevented no-shows/week × average job value × 52

Why reminders fail when you send them manually

Most no-shows are not rudeness — they are a diary clash the customer forgot to tell you about. When reminders depend on someone in the office remembering to text, they go out for the jobs that are top of mind and get skipped for the rest. Automation removes the judgement call: every booking gets the same three touches, whether it was taken at 9am on a Monday or 11pm on a Sunday.

The reminder sequence that works

On booking — confirmation with the date, arrival window, engineer name and price basis.
24 hours before — reminder with a one-tap reschedule link.
Morning of — "your engineer is on the way" with live tracking.
After the visit — invoice plus a review request, while the job is still fresh.

The reschedule link is the part most businesses leave out, and it is the one that recovers the slot. A customer who can move the appointment in two taps will do it the day before instead of ignoring the door on the day.

Filling the gap when someone does cancel

A cancellation 24 hours out is only a loss if the slot stays empty. Tryoup keeps a waiting list of jobs flagged as flexible, so when a slot opens the office can offer it to the nearest customer on the list and keep the engineer's day full.

Frequently asked questions

How many reminders should we send before a job?: Three works best for UK field service: a confirmation at booking, a reminder 24 hours before, and an on-the-way message on the morning. More than that starts to feel like spam and customers stop reading them.
Is SMS or email better for appointment reminders?: SMS is opened far faster and is the right channel for the day-before and on-the-way messages. Email is better for the booking confirmation, because it can carry the quote, terms and a calendar invite.
What does a no-show actually cost?: Take your average job value and add the engineer's paid hour, fuel, and the office time spent rebooking. For most UK trades a single no-show costs between GBP 120 and GBP 250 once all of that is counted.