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"Last year, we had 18 cases where customers didn't show up": beauty entrepreneur Rocio Furgler on the problem of no-shows. (symbolic image)
Image: IMAGO/imagebroker
Whether it's a beauty treatment in Lucerne, a tailor-made suit in St. Gallen or a massage in Kloten: Time and time again, customers fail to show up for appointments despite having booked them. This is more than just a nuisance for the companies concerned - they feel the financial consequences.
They book appointments, reserve services - and then simply don't show up. No-shows have long been a well-known annoyance in the hospitality industry.
However, other sectors are now also increasingly struggling with customers who let agreed appointments pass without canceling.
Entrepreneurs tell blue News about a problem that costs time, money and nerves. Their experiences show just how much businesses suffer from cancellations at short notice and customers who stay away without any notice.
Cosmetics expert and entrepreneur Racio Furger has been running her studio at Zürcherstrasse 69 in Lucerne for 20 years. In her small business with one employee, she offers beauty treatments and passes on her expertise in courses.
Furger is also aware of the problem. In 2026 alone, around 18 appointments have gone unused - mostly from new customers who neither cancel nor show up.
Furger first tries to talk to them. After a no-show, she contacts the customers concerned and inquires about the reason for their absence. "I ask if everything is okay," she says.
She is reluctant to impose sanctions and is cautious about doing so. She charges 50 francs for longer treatments of around one and a half hours and a flat rate of 20 francs for shorter appointments. However, these cancellation fees are rarely paid.
«We are a small company, so this is a financial problem for us»
Rocio Furger
Founder of Beauty Rocio in Lucerne
There is also the fear of negative consequences. The beauty entrepreneur fears that she will annoy customers with more consistent measures and lose them as a result. She is also put off by bad Google reviews.
Despite the challenges, Furger is optimistic about the future. Born in Spain, she wants to develop her business further and is particularly looking forward to the upcoming 20th anniversary of her studio in Lucerne.
The clothing industry is also familiar with this challenge. Johannes "Jojo" Ucan, founder and owner of Jucan, ventured into self-employment in 2015. With locations in St. Gallen and Zurich, he specializes in made-to-measure suits. His vision: to provide men in Switzerland with perfectly fitting made-to-measure suits.
«There can be a thousand reasons why someone doesn't show up for an appointment. I try to take a sensitive approach»
Johannes «Jojo» Ucan
Bespoke suit entrepreneur
"No-shows are rare for us. Last year, we had maybe five to ten cases," Johannes "Jo Jo" Ucan tells blue News. Anyone who fails to show up for their appointment without an excuse would actually have to pay 150 francs. However, Ucan usually waives the fee. He doesn't want to upset his customers or risk negative Google reviews.
"There can be a thousand reasons why someone doesn't show up for an appointment. That's why I try to approach such situations with tact and understanding," says Ucan. To avoid no-shows as far as possible, he always confirms appointments in advance.
If a no-show nevertheless occurs, Ucan seeks a conversation. Depending on the reason, he makes a note of the incident in the customer dossier and does not make any further appointments in future. Because a no-show costs time: while a consultation takes around 30 minutes, the fitting and measurement for a made-to-measure suit can take up to two hours.
Ucan doesn't want to get too worked up about the problem. He often uses the time he has freed up for spontaneous customer consultations or other work. He is more worried about incorrectly booked appointments, which can disrupt his schedule.
Ucan has sympathy for other companies. "No-shows can be a much bigger problem, especially for smaller businesses," he says.
"On average, I have one or two last-minute appointment cancellations every other day. Sometimes these are only 30 minutes before the appointment - then I can't reallocate the space," Phan-On Hablützel from the Simuang Thai massage practice in Kloten ZH told blue News.
The self-employed massage therapist offers classic Thai massages and other wellness treatments. "Cancellations at short notice and no-shows mean I lose out on several hundred francs a week," she says.
«Cancellations cost me several hundred francs in revenue per week»
Nevertheless, Hablützel does not want to introduce a cancellation fee for cancellations at short notice. She is afraid of scaring customers away.
In addition, the administrative effort for her small business would be considerable - from invoicing and payment control to reminders and possible debt collection.
In the fight against no-shows, Hablützel has drawn up her own rules: Anyone who repeatedly reschedules appointments at short notice or fails to show up is blocked. "There have been customers who have postponed their first appointment three or four times at the last minute," she says.
However, she doesn't let her frustration about such cases show. The joy of her work prevails. She finds it fulfilling to help people with back pain, headaches or inner restlessness.
