How do I stop no-shows on taxi and tour bookings?
Short answer: With three simple things: a small booking fee paid online and taken off the final price, a cancellation rule written down before the customer pays, and a reminder the day before. People who have paid something turn up.
Why people do not turn up
It is rarely out of malice. They booked two trips for the same day and choose at the last minute, the flight was late, or they found another offer outside the hotel. If booking was free, so is not turning up.
1. A booking fee, not the whole payment
Asking for the full amount up front puts off people who do not know you yet. A small fee, paid by card when they book and taken off what they pay on the day, puts nobody off and changes everything: the seat is now worth something.
2. The cancellation rule in plain sight
Say before payment, in a few lines, until when the customer can cancel and get the fee back, and from when they lose it. With the rule written on the site, in the confirmation and in the email, the awkward conversation is already had.
3. A reminder the day before
A message on WhatsApp or by email, the day before, with the time, the meeting point and an easy way to change the date. Many people who were going to miss it would rather rebook, and the seat is not lost.
What not to do
- Do not ask for card details by message.
- Do not hide the fee. People who find it at the end give up.
- Do not rely on memory. If the reminder does not go out by itself, one day you will forget.
What to do this week
- Count last month's no-shows and what they were worth.
- Write your cancellation rule in three lines.
- Check whether the payment system you already use can take a small fee online.
Written by The W2 Collective team, in Santa Cruz, Madeira.
