As a beauty and lifestyle journalist, I’ve visited many different beauty businesses over the last decade — from nail salons and aestheticians to hair salons and beauticians. This has given me first-hand insight into what makes a successful business and what increases the chances of my returning. (Spoiler alert: It’s not how pretty their waiting area is).
The secret? Top-notch service that begins with a seamless booking system, a thorough consultation, and a personable and knowledgeable clinician. If that clinician or salon worker also creates a good relationship with me over time, the likelihood of my rebooking increases significantly.
If you’re a small business owner yourself, read on to find out more about the tools, policies, and communication strategies that are integral to beauty salon management, plus how they can help protect your revenue while building client trust with people like me.
Why Scheduling and Punctuality Matter in Beauty Salon Management
Your customers are busy, and they expect their appointments to run on time. This can obviously be a challenge for beauty salons if earlier customers arrive late. Suddenly, you’re scrambling to catch up for the rest of the day.
That’s why it’s essential to organize your appointments carefully to create a small buffer for these types of issues. Reception staff should inform customers politely yet firmly that they won’t be able to honor their appointment after a certain point, such as 15 minutes after the start time.
Even if poor punctuality isn’t your fault, it can reflect badly on your business and create an unprofessional environment. Emma Coleman, owner of Emma Coleman Skin Clinics, told me that without smart scheduling, running her clinics can become chaotic for reception staff and practitioners. She uses Phorest software to provide a more intuitive approach to scheduling appointments, but she admits her clinics still very much rely on human-powered bookings. She finds that her clients like the friendly atmosphere and personal touch.
Common Scheduling Challenges for Small Salons
No-shows and late cancellations.
Customers not showing up for their appointments or cancelling at the very last minute is a common issue for salon owners. Coleman says that no-shows are a common issue in her clinics and waste important time, but they’re mostly preventable with appointment reminders.
She also works with Phorest software to find more effective solutions to deposit payments and appointment reminders. “Poor scheduling costs us money in so many ways in terms of appointment timings and patients being unaware of their appointment date and time,” Coleman remarks. “More importantly, it provides a poor customer experience.”
Double-bookings or overlapping services.
Double-bookings and overlapping services are a nightmare situation for beauty businesses. Not only will this leave your reception staff with the issue of handling a disgruntled customer, but it will also make you appear unprofessional.
Avoid these awkward situations by using scheduling software — such as Phorest or Square — that syncs up with your digital calendar and booking system. These tools can prevent you from accidentally double-booking a client.
Staff should also be well-trained in using your software and booking system. This includes knowing average treatment lengths, how long cleaning the room and preparing it for the next client will take, and when staff require a break.
Using one central booking system that all clinicians can see also ensures total transparency. Often, the most disorganized clinics are the ones still using pen and paper and taking appointment requests from multiple places, such as texts, online booking systems, and social media platforms. Many clinics now have centralized booking systems that allow clients to book appointments online and see availability for themselves.
Take a look at your competitors’ booking systems, too. Are you offering a similar or better service? Is it easy for a customer to make an appointment? If their system is filled with holes or pain points, you could potentially gain a competitive edge.
Balancing admin tasks with client-facing work.
When setting up a scheduling system, allocate time for your clinicians and reception team to do important admin tasks. This will help your team manage their day well and give clients the attention they need when they arrive. These types of tasks are perfect for when you have empty appointment slots and the clinic is quiet. However, they shouldn’t be done when you’re expecting clients, as this can affect the service and level of attention you offer.
Walk-in clients disrupting schedules.
Walk-in clients are a common part of running a beauty business, but these appointments can often be difficult to facilitate. I find that this happens most commonly in nail salons when people pop in to enquire about a last-minute pedicure or manicure.
Many salons turn these people away because they have a tight salon schedule and staff are well-trained on understanding the timings of their booking system. These decisions are best left to reception and admin teams, who have a clearer idea of the schedule and how long each service takes.
While it can be tempting to take the extra business, it’s never a good idea to do so if it puts added pressure on your staff or means your customers will receive a rushed service. If you can’t accommodate the client, suggest the next best appointment or direct them to your online booking system if you have one. This may help to bring them back at a later date.
Practical Scheduling Strategies
Use online booking systems.
As I’ve covered above, an online booking system is a great way to keep your beauty business running seamlessly. This can help protect you from lost revenue, no-shows, last minute cancellations, and double-bookings. Your team should also be happier and less stressed because the online book system will help build in the time needed to do everything to the best of their ability.
There are lots of affordable options available, such as Square, Fresha, Vagaro, and GlossGenius. These platforms are generally intuitive to use and easy to integrate. It’s always a good idea to request a demo and try out a few different ones out before committing. You can then choose the best one for the size of your business. Many of these platforms also offer free training so you can get the whole team up to speed.
Make customers aware of your booking policies.
Many salons that I have visited share their booking policies when you make an appointment. For instance, the appointment confirmation email usually includes clear cancellation windows. Then, clients see the same information again when they get a reminder 48 hours before their appointment. These notifications are often sent by both text and email.
Many beauty businesses also ask clients to provide their debit or credit card details when making an appointment. This allows a salon to charge a portion, if not all, of the price of the treatment if a customer doesn’t show up or cancels at the very last minute.
However, use your own discretion when enforcing these policies. For instance, I’ve had to cancel last minute once or twice at salons I visit regularly due to a sick child and other things outside my control. In these situations, the salon has understood and not charged me. This is important to get right, especially with repeat customers.
Time management.
When working on the scheduling times and appointment slots for your online booking system, don’t forget to allow buffer time for customers running late, appointments that take longer than planned (for instance, if a client has questions before or after), and admin time for staff.
You may also be able to cluster certain services to save time. For instance, I’ve had a pedicure while enjoying a facial or received a simultaneous manicure and pedicure. This requires two members of staff but saves me time in the salon. Plus, it means I don’t have to take up two appointment slots.
Delegation.
If you have the necessary staffing numbers, try to assign non-service tasks, such as sending out after-care information, rebooking in a client, and taking payment to admin support where possible. This will free up your beauty team and allow them to focus on their clients fully.
Ready to Learn More?
We have more helpful tips and information to help you get your salon running even more smoothly and efficiently. Check out part 2 of our guide where we cover these critical topics:
- Using technology for smarter scheduling
- Client communication best practices
- Protecting your business from risk
- Putting together a plan