How to Effectively Reduce Salon No-Shows

Does your salon business suffer from frequent no-shows? Do you want to know how to effectively reduce no-shows in your salon? Great! Let’s get down to business.

The Annual Cost of No-shows.

How much are no-shows are costing your business? If you were to add up how much no-shows are costing you annually, you would be horrified. According to a survey by World Wide Salon Marketing, 2018, “The average annual loss through no-shows is a whopping $10,000 per salon” or roughly 5-10 per cent of your annual profit. https://worldwidesalonmarketing.com/how-much-do-no-shows-cost-your-salon-every-year/

That is a serious drain on your revenue. Not only are you paying your staff to stand around twiddling their thumbs, but you are losing profit too, so it really is a double whammy!

Luckily, Konnect Spa and Salon Software has great reporting tools that allow you to access your no-show data. Once you have a rough idea of how much you are actually losing annually, you can then focus on looking for patterns. Are you seeing more no-shows at a certain time or day of the week? Does a particular staff member have more no-shows? If so, why? Finding a pattern in your data may give you a good indication of how you can improve areas where no-shows are more evident. https://www.konnect.software/features/reporting/

 Konnect provides you with simple, easy-to-use tools to successfully run day-to-day operations

SMS Booking Reminders

If your salon does not make use of SMS booking reminders, you are really doing your business a huge disservice. These days people expect to get reminders for their appointments. Not only is it helpful to your clients but your business looks more professional and organised.

Let’s face it, we all have busy lives, and your clients do too. Sometimes life just gets in the way and a client will simply forget their appointment. So a simple SMS booking reminder is such an effective way to reduce your no-shows.

According to Voice Sage, 90 per cent of all text messages are read within the first three minutes of notification, so this is definitely the most powerful way to snag your clients’ attention and ensure they attend their appointment. https://www.voicesage.com/blog/sms-compared-to-email-infograph/

Sending a reminder 48hrs before an appointment gives your client enough time to ring and reschedule if they need to. This also gives you ample time to fill the empty booking from your waitlist.

To reduce no-shows even further, remember to set up your SMS reminders so your clients must respond with a YES or NO to confirm.

In the event that a client does not confirm, be sure to ring them. A personally confirmed appointment almost always guarantees attendance.

Konnect allows you to customise and automate your SMS reminders with ease, saving you time, money and reduces your no-shows…YAY! https://www.konnect.software/features/reminders/

Access anytime, anywhere

Provide Online Bookings.

At first glance, you wouldn’t think that allowing your clients to make an online booking would help to reduce no-shows. But it does and here’s why.

When your clients are able to book an appointment in their own time, they are more likely to put a lot more thought into making a booking that is suited to their schedule, thus reducing the chance of missing an appointment.

Also, sometimes when clients are asked to rebook in the salon, they may feel pressured or rushed to make a quick decision which they are not sure about, and this also increases the chance of a no-show.

The other benefit of offering online bookings is that you can include your cancellation policy and/or take deposits, which again will reduce no-shows. And don’t forget, online bookings allow you to take bookings 24/7. How good is that?

https://www.konnect.software/features/online-bookings/

Happy clients, happy you

Provide a Crystal-Clear Cancellation Policy.

Cancellation Policy

Having a clear cancellation policy is definitely a must to reduce salon no-shows. Make your clients aware of your salons’ cancellation requirements so they know what is expected of them. Be clear, firm and make sure you enforce your policy.

Time is one of your most valuable assets and it’s important that your clients are aware of that. So make sure your cancellation policy is visible. Display your policy at the front desk, at your point of sale area, on your treatment menu, and on your website and social media channels. It is also important to include your cancellation terms in your SMS reminders.

Be sure not to appear too relaxed or lenient to late-comers or last-minute cancellations, or your clients will feel less obligated to respect your schedule.

Unfortunately, sometimes genuine unexpected circumstances arise, such as illness, family troubles or car problems. So, if one of your loyal clients do cancel at the last minute or does a no-show, it may be prudent to waive your cancellation fee as a one-time thing. This ensures your loyal client stays loyal and will appreciate your kindness and understanding.

Staff Awareness.

Implementing a cancellation policy is great but it is useless if all your staff are not on board.

Call a staff meeting and discuss your policy and be sure they are absolutely clear on all the details.

Go through all the steps you will be undertaking to reduce no-shows and help your staff with ways to address the issue with their own clients.

Remember, you and your staff are a team and nothing is more powerful than a united front.

If your investigations uncover one staff member is showing a higher proportion of no-shows, you need to discover why. Pay attention to their work ethic, customer service, time management and even their skill set. You may need to take them aside and address this issue as you see fit.

The Serial No-Show Client.

Serial Salon No-show clients.

You know the type I am talking about…regularly no-shows, cancels at the last minute or is habitually late. These clients need boundaries!

Devise a plan of action on how to manage this type of client. You may decide to ask for a non-refundable deposit or even request up-front payment.

Be aware that your client may take offence to this and you may potentially run the risk of losing their business. So, do your maths, use your discretion and decide if it is a risk you are comfortable with. It may be that this client has such a drain on your profits that they just are not worth hanging on to.

Make Contact with No-Show Clients.

Make contact with no-show clients.

If a client has missed their appointment, it is worthwhile contacting them via text, email or phone to give them a chance to rebook.

Some no-show clients may feel terrible that they missed their booking and subsequently will not rebook due to embarrassment. So, by providing a polite follow-up message that reminds the client you are happy to rebook can make all the difference. Of course, this is for clients who usually do not miss their appointments, not for serial no-show clients.

If they are a serial no-show client and you want to keep their loyalty, politely offer to rebook with a non-refundable deposit as discussed previously. Alternatively, if you feel more comfortable, give this client walk-in appointments only.

Use your Konnect reporting tools, to identify your most notorious no-show clients and decide if they are worth keeping. Look at it logically, nobody likes to fire a client but if the financial drain is just too much, it’s time to take action.

When breaking up with a client, be very polite. Explain to them why you have decided that you are no longer a good fit for each other and give them a recommendation for another salon. Remember, these days disgruntled ex-clients can give you a bad rap on social media, so it is vitally important you handle these situations delicately and with grace. Preserving your good business reputation is a must.

Conclusion.

• No-shows and late cancellations may be extremely frustrating but dealing with them in a polite manner is key.
• By providing SMS booking reminders and having a clear and visible cancellation policy, you are setting clear expectations for your clients.
• Ensure staff is on board with implementing your cancellation policy and always remain a united front.
• Don’t be afraid to provide financial deterrents to reduce no-shows or break-up with clients who are just not financially viable.
• And finally, always, always remain polite in these frustrating situations to maintain your great business reputation.

By implementing these effective strategies, you are sure to see a reduction in your no-shows.

Get the most out of Konnect by utilising all of its great reporting features to ensure the success of your business. 

At Konnect Spa and Salon Software, we enjoy providing you with useful business strategies that work in conjunction with our great software.

If you are not already using Konnect Spa and Salon Software, sign up for a free demonstration today. https://www.konnect.software/free-demo/

Konnect Spa and Salon Software – the simple, affordable key to making your business brilliant. Call us now on 1300 887 086.