A broken appointment (no-show or late cancel) is lost production against fixed overhead. Open chair time times production-per-hour sizes the daily and annual cost of breakage.
The example
5 broken hrs/week, $450/hr.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Item | Value |
| 2 | 5 × 450 | $2,250/wk |
| 3 | × 48 weeks | → $108,000/yr |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
- Each broken appointment opens chair hours that were scheduled to produce.
- Multiply by production per hour for the lost production.
- Scale by weeks for the annual cost — often shockingly large.
- Track a breakage rate and the cost to justify reminders, deposits, and policies.
Annualizing breakage is what motivates change. A single no-show feels minor; five broken hours a week at $450 is over $100k a year against fixed overhead. Putting the annual number in front of the team — and measuring it before and after confirmation calls, a short-notice list, or a cancellation policy — turns a vague annoyance into a tracked, reducible cost.
Try it: interactive demo
Broken hours per week, production/hr, weeks.
Variations
Annual cost
Weekly × weeks:
Per broken appointment
Appt length × rate:
Breakage rate
Broken ÷ scheduled:
Pitfalls & errors
Production, not collection. Lost chair time is lost production.
Realistic refill. Some time refills from a short-notice list — net it if you track it.
Annualize. The weekly number understates the real cost.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the cost of broken appointments in Excel?
What's the annual cost?
How do I measure the breakage rate?
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