Tips for Beauty Pros to Minimize Missed Appointments

When you’ve made the decision to invest in a salon studio lease, you’ll want to ensure that you’re making the most of your new space. Moving to an upscale location is one of the best decisions you can make for your business, but missed appointments can throw a wrench in your plans. To minimize the frustration and income loss from no-shows, consider the following tips to incorporate in your business plan:

Create Clear Cancellation Guidelines

Your time is valuable, and no-shows or last-minute cancellations are a waste of your time and money. To help encourage clients to keep their appointments, be upfront about your cancellation guidelines. Many beauty professionals require at least 24 hours’ notice for cancellations and charge a rebooking fee if this timeline isn’t met. Want to simplify the process for your clients to cancel if they can’t make it? Consider using an online scheduling platform where they can also rebook themselves to a new time and date.   

Send Out Reminders

We all realize that life gets hectic, and even the most reliable clients can have a forgetful day. Many of our Indies have found great success with appointment retention by sending out reminders a few days  before each appointment. Some Indies send all of their reminders out via text on Sunday to get ready for the week. If you prefer to automate this process, Square offers simple booking and appointment reminders. We partner with Square, so each of our Indies has the option to also enjoy discounted credit card processing rates on this technology.

Focus on Relationship Building

Although cancellation policies and appointment reminders are great ways to reduce missed appointments, the importance of relationship building shouldn’t be overlooked. Your clients should look forward to spending time in your studio and grow to regard you as a trusted person in their life. When you take time to build strong relationships with clients, they’re more likely to respect you as an individual and keep an open line of communication. Investing in a private salon makes relationship-building a breeze, since you’ll have the privacy you need to spark engaging conversations and establish lasting connections.

Making the transition to a salon studio lease is an exciting step in your career. When you’re ready to give yourself a raise, missed appointments aren’t in the plan. By following the tips we share here, you’ll give yourself the best chance of maximizing your income by boosting appointment retention. As an Indie, you’ll have access to a host of benefits that make it simple to advance your career as a beauty pro. In addition to a gorgeous space to call your own, you’ll benefit from ample continuing education opportunities, support from our community, and the ability to earn rent rewards through our wholesale beauty supply program. Ready to learn more about becoming an Indie? Please call or text our market Manager, Kandice Meylan, at 303-792-8222.