“No shows” stink. A few startups recently complained to the author that after diligently planning UX studies and recruiting a great batch of customers, some of their participants just didn’t show up. That’s incredibly frustrating, can be embarrassing in front of the team, and wastes everyone’s time.

Here are a few habits that have dramatically reduced “no shows” at the author’s studies:

1. Avoid scheduling interviews on Mondays or immediately before or after holidays
2. Offer an incentive that’s big enough to motivate people to show up
3. Don’t start recruiting too far in advance
4. Send recruits clearly written confirmation emails
5. If parking is difficult in your neighborhood, give them specific instructions and assistance
6. Ensure all communication (phone calls, emails, etc.) to your participants is respectful, professional, and organized
7. Warn recruits ahead of time that the sessions will be 1-on-1 interviews
8. Call participants to remind them about their appointments the day before
9. Elicit several responses from your recruits in the days leading up to the study

No More “No Shows” — How to Make Sure Your Research Participants Actually Show Up