In the last two weeks I've had three ladies cancel on me within an hour of the appointment without reason. Two of these were confirmed two hours before the appointment, and the third I called and happen to catch her in the midst of a family emergency. Shit happens. I'm use to it here. No biggie. Such is life in the biz.
So my question/suggestion. If I were a provider, scary thought, and I did this to a client, I would call/text/pm/smoke signals later to apologize and try to reschedule. A smart business lady would realize that she has already done the ground work with screening and communication. Otherwise the customer may "write you off" as a potential visit, and you lave lost that sale plus the opportunity of repeat business.
Just think of how many appointments you miss a year for whatever reason and how many you could "get back" if you just put out a little effort and a courtesy follow-up.. For the record these were young providers.
Sidenote...
I think too much of the business is handled by texting. With a new appointment, it would be nice if at least one of the communiques was done with a short conversation. It just seems more personal.