"No Show" customers

How do you handle certain customers who are consistently late or don't show up for their appointments? I am pretty upset today. Last Friday I had a no-show, and I called the customer two days before the appointment to remind her too! Then today, I only had one dog booked for 9:00 a.m. This customer is always late, arriving just under the wire (I allow 15 minutes after the appointment for customers to show, if they don't they get re-scheduled). At 9:20 I called and told her I would have to reschedule. I got her voicemail and she still hasn't returned my call an hour and a half later. This particular customer always calls and expects me to do her dog that day or the next. I am only working 3 days a week at the moment, and haven't been able to accommodate her. Last week she called wanting to know if I could do her dog late in the afternoon, she had to take her boys to their hockey game. I don't start dogs as late in the day as she had requested, and I knew if she was taking her boys to a hockey game she wouldn't be ready to pick up the dog when the groom was finished. I asked her to book her dog for today and to call me if she couldn't make it. I think I'm going to ask her to go to another groomer, but I'm not a confrontational type person, so I'm pretty nervous about it. By the way, this isn't the first time she has missed an appointment either.

We've always had a policy requiring 24 hours notice for cancellations or we charge a $25 fee. In the past we didn't enforce it. Before the Christmas rush we put up a notice reminding everyone of the policy, and have started charging the $25. So far no problems, and everyone has paid the fee and returned. The exception happens with new clients, that get in elsewhere earlier and "forget" to cancel. You could type up a form letter about the missed appointment fee and pop it in the mail to clients right away when they no show or cancel without proper notice. That way you are letting them know they will be charged the fee, but don't have to confront them face to face.

How do make the clients pay the late charges! ?