How do I stop garage door customers from ghosting appointments?
Short answerVerify the caller's number with a confirmation text before dispatch, send an on-the-way message, and state the trip charge that applies if nobody is there. Garage door customers book in a hurry and sometimes fix the problem or find a closer company, leaving your truck at an empty driveway.
The explanation
Urgency cuts both ways. A caller with a stuck door wants help now and will accept almost any slot, but the same urgency makes them switch the moment someone else promises to arrive sooner. They rarely call to cancel.
Verify the number first. A text that says reply to confirm your visit proves the caller is reachable and gives the technician a live contact. If there is no reply, a quick call before dispatch costs less than a wasted trip.
On the way, send an ETA text and ask them to reply if the situation has changed. When the truck arrives and nobody answers, wait the stated time, mark the visit as a no-answer and apply the trip charge you disclosed on the first call. Offer to return when they are ready.
Steps
- Send a confirmation text before dispatch and require a reply.
- Call once if no reply arrives and note the attempt.
- Send an on-the-way text with an ETA and ask the customer to reply if plans changed.
- At the address, wait the stated time, then apply the trip charge and offer a return visit.
In garage door installer
Garage door repairs are often same-day and urgent, which makes customers quick to switch to a faster company. Technicians carry parts on the truck, so an empty-driveway trip costs fuel and a slot that could have gone to another call. All garage door installer scheduling questions.
How Apex does it
In progress
Part of this is built. The rest is not. Status as of 2026-10-07; the badge shows the least-built feature involved.
Apex is designed to send an on-my-way text with an ETA, send confirmation messages and apply a cancellation policy with trip and no-show fee rules. Texting needs a connected provider account first, and the policy piece is in progress.
- SC20ETA text on the way(Built, rolling out)
- CM04Confirmation messages(Built, rolling out)
- BK23Cancellation policy and no-show fees(In progress)
Apex Flow Scheduler is in early access. See how we label status.
Where this question comes from: we wrote it from research on common owner problems. It is not measured search demand.
Related questions
- How do I stop garage door customers from canceling at the last minute?
- I hate my garage door software, what else is there?
- How do I stop appliance repair customers from ghosting appointments?
- My garage door software is too complicated, is there something simpler?
- How do I stop concrete customers from canceling at the last minute?
- How do I stop carpet and tile cleaning customers from ghosting appointments?