Start here
If you're reading this hub for the first time, start with the pillar guide. It's a 14-minute read that covers the entire framework end-to-end. Every other article in this hub is a deeper dive on a specific piece.
The thesis
Cancellations aren't a customer-behavior problem. They're a workflow problem. Specifically, they're what happens when commitment is captured in words ("yes, send a tech") instead of action (a paid deposit). Change the moment of commitment and the rate drops in days, not months.
The four building blocks
Cancellation reduction has four moving parts. Master each individually; deploy them together.
- Measure honestly. Most shops underestimate their cancellation rate by 30–50%. Tag every dispatched job for 30 days before changing anything.
- Segment the cancellations. Six different customer behaviors look identical on the cancellation report. Different interventions for each. See the segmentation →
- Implement prepaid dispatch. The single biggest move. Service-call fee collected before truck rolls, enforced at the dispatch-board status level.
- Hold the line. The first 14 days your dispatcher will push back. The metrics speak for themselves at day 30.
What success looks like
-72%
Avg cancellation rate reduction in 30 days
+18%
Tech utilization improvement
$11K
Avg monthly savings for a 3-truck shop