Do reminder calls pay off? How to work out the return on calls that prevent no-shows
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Whether reminder calls pay off comes down to one formula: no-shows prevented × profit per visit, minus the cost of the calls. Use the profit left after costs, not the price of the service. If you give a freed slot to another customer, that counts too. For example, 250 one-minute reminders a month cost 200,000 so‘m with Sado: with 80,000 so‘m profit per visit, preventing three no-shows covers the cost. For a real answer, compare the weeks before and after reminders.
The formula: three numbers
- No-shows prevented: no-shows without reminders minus no-shows with reminders, over the same length of time.
- Profit per visit: not the price of the service but what is left after materials, the specialist’s share and other costs.
- Cost of the reminders: calls reached × average minutes × price per minute, plus staff time to fill the freed slots.
Gain = no-shows prevented × profit per visit − cost of reminders. Return (ROI) = gain ÷ cost of reminders.
Example: a car service
A car service books 400 cars a month. Without reminders 48 didn’t come; with reminders 20 didn’t. These numbers are only an example.
- No-shows prevented: 48 − 20 = 28.
- Profit per visit, for example 120,000 so‘m: 28 × 120,000 = 3,360,000 so‘m.
- Cost of reminders: 340 of the 400 customers were reached, about 1 minute each: 340 × 800 = 272,000 so‘m.
- Gain: 3,360,000 − 272,000 = 3,088,000 so‘m. Return: 3,088,000 ÷ 272,000 ≈ 11 times.
That doesn’t include refilled slots. If the time of people who said “I can’t come” goes to other customers, the gain is bigger still.
Three businesses, one calculation
| Example | Bookings a month | No-shows: before → after | Profit per visit | Gain − cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beauty salon | 300 | 30 → 15 | 80,000 so‘m | 1,200,000 − 200,000 = +1,000,000 |
| Dental clinic | 250 | 30 → 14 | 150,000 so‘m | 2,400,000 − 176,000 = +2,224,000 |
| Barbershop | 200 | 10 → 7 | 30,000 so‘m | 90,000 − 144,000 = −54,000 |
All numbers are examples; cost is counted on reached calls at one minute each. Look at the last row: with few no-shows and a cheap visit, calling everyone doesn’t pay.
If reminders don’t pay off
- Call the people likely to miss, not everyone: first-time bookings, bookings made a week ahead and people who missed before.
- Keep the call short: day, time and “Can you come?”. Every extra sentence adds to the minute.
- Remind long and expensive services first: they take most of the specialist’s time.
- Fill the freed slots. Without a waiting list, much of the gain from a reminder is lost.
- Same-day bookings don’t need a reminder.
How to measure it honestly
- Record the no-show rate for 2–4 weeks before you start reminders.
- Then record it for the same time with reminders, in a similar season: don’t compare a holiday month with an ordinary one.
- Don’t count timely cancellations as no-shows: a slot freed in advance is exactly what the reminder is for.
- Include staff time in the cost: preparing the list and rebooking.
Handing reminders to an AI operator
If your receptionist can’t make dozens of calls a day, give the reminder calls to an AI operator. You upload tomorrow’s bookings as an Excel file in the Auto-calls section, or your software sends them by API. Malika or Shohruh talks with each customer in Uzbek or Russian and rebooks anyone who can’t come. The cost and outcome of every call are in the portal, so the numbers for the calculation above are ready. The price is 800 so‘m a minute, and unanswered numbers cost nothing. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
How much does one reminder call cost?
Sado charges 800 so‘m a minute, so a one-minute reminder costs 800 so‘m. For example, 250 reached reminders: 250 × 800 = 200,000 so‘m. Unanswered numbers are not charged.
Texts are cheaper, so why call?
A text is cheaper, but without a reply you don’t know whether the customer is coming. Most of the return comes from moving the booking during the call and giving the freed slot to someone else.
When will we see the return?
At the end of the first month, compared with the 2–4 weeks before reminders. Don’t judge by a single week.