WhatsApp No-Show Reduction With Confirmations and Rebooking
A no-show is an appointment that nobody changed in time. On WhatsApp the fix has two parts. A reminder goes out from your booking or calendar system, or as a broadcast to customers who opted in. AeroChat handles every reply: it confirms the appointment, moves it or cancels it in Phorest or Google Calendar, so a slot that would have sat empty opens up for someone else.
What happens today
Customers forget, or they mean to cancel and don’t want to call. Some reply to the reminder, but the reply sits unread until the afternoon, after the appointment has already passed.
The front desk spends the morning chasing confirmations by hand. A cancelled slot is only filled if someone happens to ask for that exact time.
How it runs on WhatsApp
- When the customer books, AeroChat can take a deposit with an Airwallex payment link (Growth and above), so the booking is held with money down.
- The day before, your booking or calendar system sends a reminder as an approved WhatsApp template to customers who opted in. On Growth and above you can also send it as a broadcast from AeroChat.
- The customer replies. AeroChat finds the appointment by phone number, or asks for the booking reference or email when no number is available.
- A confirmation is recorded against the appointment in your booking system.
- A request to move is handled straight away: AeroChat reads the free slots, offers three times and moves the booking.
- A cancellation is processed in the system at once, so the slot shows as free and the next customer who asks to book is offered it.
- A customer who missed their appointment and messages later is offered a new time. Disputes about deposits or fees go to your team.
The recipe
Copy this into AeroChat
When a customer replies about an upcoming or missed appointment, follow these steps.
- Find their appointment in our booking system by phone number. If there is no phone number, ask for their booking reference or email.
- If they confirm, record the appointment as confirmed.
- If they can’t make it, offer three free slots in the next 7 days (example) and move the booking to the one they choose. Tell them their deposit carries over to the new time (example rule).
- If they want to cancel, cancel the booking right away so the slot is free, and tell them our cancellation policy: free with 24 hours’ notice (example).
- If they missed an appointment, say we’re sorry we missed them and offer three new times.
- If they ask for a refund of a deposit or dispute a fee, hand the conversation to the front desk.
Keep each reply short and always end with the confirmed date and time. Reply in the customer’s language.
Use your own deposit and cancellation rules before you paste it.
Connect the systems behind it
- Phorest: finds the client’s appointment, moves or cancels it, and frees the slot in your salon or spa diary.
- Google Calendar: moves or deletes the event and reads free times. Connect it by signing in with your Google account.
Deposits use Airwallex payment links, sent inside the chat. AeroChat never sees card numbers and never holds your funds.
Using a different system? If it has a public API, it connects to AeroChat the same way: describe what you want, paste in its key, and it runs.
Can’t find your tool? Message us in the chat on this page and we’ll tell you how it connects.
What it costs on WhatsApp
Each reminder is a utility template, charged per message. The customer’s reply is free, and AeroChat’s replies inside the 24-hour window are service messages, free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number and charged per message after that. Handling a confirmation or a reschedule in one or two replies keeps the count down, which now saves money. Rates vary by country and are set in Meta’s rate cards. AeroChat passes Meta’s WhatsApp fees through at cost.
Also on Instagram, Messenger, TikTok and web chat
The same reply handling runs on Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok (direct messages and TikTok Shop buyer chat), Telegram, the chat on your website and email, with the same diary connections. A customer who cancels on Instagram frees the same slot as one who cancels on WhatsApp.
Who uses it
See how it works for spa and wellness businesses (no-show reduction for spas) and dental clinics (appointment reminder replies).
Questions
Does AeroChat send no-show reminders on its own schedule?
No. The reminder goes out from your booking or calendar system, or as a WhatsApp broadcast to customers who opted in, on Growth and above. AeroChat handles the replies. When the reminder goes out as a WhatsApp broadcast from AeroChat, the customer’s reply comes straight back into the same conversation.
Do deposits help with no-shows?
A deposit gives the customer a reason to tell you when they can’t come. AeroChat sends an Airwallex payment link when they book, and the rules you set decide whether the deposit moves with a reschedule.
What does a WhatsApp reminder cost?
A reminder is a utility template, charged per message at Meta’s rate for the customer’s country. Messages outside the 24-hour window need an approved template and the customer’s opt-in. Replies inside the window are free up to 1,000 a month per business phone number.
Which AeroChat plan do I need?
Workflows via Skills are on every plan, Free included. Starter has 500 AI responses and 3 seats. Growth has 2,000 AI responses and 10 seats, and adds payment links for deposits and broadcasts. Advanced has 5,000 AI responses and 25 seats.
Fill the slots your customers were going to skip
Start your 7-day free trial. No credit card needed.
On Shopify? Install AeroChat from the Shopify App Store.
Related: appointment reminders and confirmations and booking deposits on WhatsApp.