Free tool — no sign-up
Your no-show & deposit policy, written in 30 seconds
A missed slot on a grooming round can’t be refilled like a walk-in shop. Set your numbers below, copy the policy, and pin it wherever clients book you.
Capped at the deposit: a late cancellation never costs more than a no-show.
New-client deposit£20
[Your business name] — Booking & Cancellation Policy Deposits. New clients pay a £20 deposit to secure a first appointment. It comes off your groom price on the day. Regulars: no deposit needed. Life happens. Need to move your appointment? Free with 48 hours' notice — just message me and we'll find a new slot. Late cancellations (under 48 hours): I set aside your slot, planned my day around it, and turned other dogs away — so 50% of the groom price applies, taken from your deposit and never more than the deposit you paid. No deposit, no late-cancellation fee. No-shows: your deposit is kept, and that's all — nothing further is charged. I will always make an exception for genuine emergencies — I'd rather keep you than the deposit. Why I do this: a missed slot can't be refilled at short notice — it's time, fuel, and another dog's chance at the appointment. Thanks for understanding; it keeps my prices fair for everyone. 🐾
Paste it into your pinned post, booking confirmations and website.
Two tips that make it stick: take the deposit at booking (not after), and keep the “why” — clients accept “I planned my day around your slot” far better than a bare fee.
Curious what a marketplace app takes from you in a year? Run your numbers in 30 seconds →
Common questions
- Is this really free?
- Yes — no email, no sign-up, no catch. Set your numbers, copy the policy, use it anywhere. It exists because no-shows are the most common pain UK groomers tell us about.
- Will clients actually accept a deposit?
- Almost always, if two things are true: the deposit is taken at booking (not chased afterwards), and the policy explains WHY — “I planned my day around your slot and turned other dogs away” lands far better than a bare fee. That's why the template keeps the why in.
- How do I enforce it without awkward conversations?
- Take the deposit when they book, so a no-show settles itself: the deposit is kept and there's nothing to chase. Pretty Pooches does this out of the box: a no-show keeps the deposit and nothing further is charged, and a late-cancellation fee comes out of the deposit and never exceeds it (with a one-tap forgive for genuine emergencies). The policy works wherever you take bookings.
While you’re here: what does your booking app take from you in a year?
If clients your own Instagram brought in are being counted as a marketplace’s “new clients”, the maths is worse than you think. Run your numbers — it takes 30 seconds.
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