The problem
Turning up to a job and finding nobody home costs the trip and the slot. If 3 visits a month go that way and each wastes about 1.5 hours, then at £40 an hour (if your time is worth that) that's £180 a month in lost time, before the knock-on.
What the AI does
Job software can send customers an appointment reminder ahead of the visit, which gives them a chance to confirm or ask to move it. You get fewer surprises and can fill a freed slot with another job.
A worked example
A three-person electrical firm in Sheffield has 3 no-access visits a month. They switch on Powered Now Premium and customers get a reminder before every appointment. The next month there is one.
Before
3 wasted visits a month, about 1.5 hours each
After
1 wasted visit a month, with the slot sometimes refilled
What it's worth
Around £120 a month, from 2 fewer wasted visits at 1.5 hours, if your time is worth £40 an hour. That roughly breaks even against £120 for three Powered Now seats; the real value is in slots you refill.
How to set it up
- Choose software with appointment reminders: Powered Now Premium or Tradify Pro both list them.
- Put your diary into it and book new visits there.
- Turn on reminders and decide when they send, for example the day before.
- Add a line telling customers how to rearrange.
- After a month, count the no-access visits and compare.
What goes wrong
- Powered Now charges per user (£40 each on Premium, excluding VAT), so three users is £120. Tradify Pro is £37 per user, so three would be £111.
- Reminders only help for appointments booked in the app.
- Customers can ignore them. Phone anyone with a large job booked.