I always tell the guy to call/text to confirm an hour ahead of the designated time. If they don't follow that simple step, better luck next time. It shouldn't be up to us to hunt clients down. It really sucks that you missed out on your photo shoots and appointments. Stuff happens on both sides of the hobby. But most hobbyist it seems to have a back up provider and a back up for the back up if that doesn't pan out either. So....
If he can't keep his appointment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM1RChZk1EU