In Part 1, we talked about why scheduling and punctuality matters in beauty salon management, common scheduling challenges for small salons, and practical scheduling strategies. Now we’ll take a look at technology solutions, best practices, and putting together a plan for better schedule management.
Using Technology for Smarter Scheduling
Many salons are moving toward AI-based scheduling systems to remove human error and make everyday scheduling much easier. Coleman acknowledges that a high-quality, all-around system that provides ease of use and AI technology can be costly for small businesses.
However, these tools are becoming essential for growing and sustaining a loyal customer base. The best software includes essential features like automated reminders, online booking for customers, and mobile access.
“It’s definitely a good investment,” she says. “And if you buy into a decent one early on, it prevents you from having to change over further down the line, which can be very stressful.”
Most platforms also offer a tiered system with a smaller entry-level cost. As your customer base grows or you need more advanced features, you can upgrade to higher tiers.
Client Communication Best Practices
Make your booking policies clear.
As a regular purveyor of beauty salons, I find that the most professional clinics are the ones that offer the clearest communication. This means that they make their booking policies clear when making an appointment, follow professional and legal guidelines (such as taking before and after photos for facials and aesthetic treatments), and provide good after-care information.
Be firm yet polite.
Reception teams should be strict yet polite when it comes to reinforcing policies on late arrivals and cancellations. While I don’t arrive late for my own appointments, I see customers doing this a lot in salons.
For instance, when I was waiting in the reception area of a clinic recently, a customer arrived 15 minutes late for a 15-minute consultation. The reception staff politely told her that she had now missed that appointment slot and that allowing her to take it would make the next customer (me) late. The client was disgruntled and quite rude, but I was impressed by the staff’s professionalism in this situation. This swift decision by the team meant that they kept their schedule on track and other customers happy.
This respectful form of communication also meant the clinic maintained my loyalty as a regular customer. They showed they respected my time as well as their own.
Protecting Your Business From Risk
Of course, customer satisfaction isn’t the only reason for smart appointment scheduling and management. A chaotic and disorganized environment can also lead to rushed work and a higher chance of service mistakes and accidents. If customers are dissatisfied or even injured, you could find yourself with a professional or general liability case on your hands.
Professional and general liability.
Understanding the differences between professional liability and general liability will help you determine the different types of coverages you need to protect your business. Professional liability includes service mistakes and a failure to deliver what was promised to the customer. For instance, a rushed consultation could lead to a customer not getting the right hair color. Meanwhile, general liability includes incidents such as injuries, like a customer slipping on a wet floor. Learn more about the small business insurance coverage options for beauty salons.
By keeping your scheduling smartly organized, customers will receive thorough consultations, adequate treatment time, and detailed aftercare – and help you reduce your risk of claims and complaints.
Implementation Plan: First Steps for Small Salon Owners
If you’re in the process of setting up a small salon, here are a few quick wins you can make to help get your business off to a successful start:
Set up booking software.
Research the right software for your business and budget, and request demos before making a decision. Once you’ve made your choice, teach all your staff how to use it efficiently. This will ensure you’re creating a calm and organized working environment from the very beginning, which helps you build trust with new customers and gain a good reputation.
Create a cancellation policy.
Decide on your cancellation policy and make sure that this is made clear to all customers when they book an appointment. You can reinforce this by including it in appointment confirmation emails and text messages. You should also make sure it’s listed on your business website, especially if customers are able to make online appointments. You may also decide to ask for a deposit or credit card details upfront for more expensive treatments.
Start sending appointment reminders.
Appointment reminders help reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations. Many salons send a text and email reminder 24 or 48 hours before an appointment. These messages should include cancellation terms and a phone number to call if the client needs to reschedule.
Some businesses also ask customers to reply to an automatic text with a “yes” to confirm an appointment. If the client ignores this message, a member of the salon team may also call them to confirm over the phone.
Start slowly.
As your team becomes familiar with your booking software and the everyday challenges of running a salon, try to keep things small initially and build gradually. For example, you could leave more time between appointments to make sure that your set-up and clear-up standards are spot on. A buffer should also give you more than enough time to provide thorough consultations.
Small gestures like these help build a loyal customer base, which will be much more beneficial in the long-term than trying to pack out your schedule and provide a second-rate service. Once your team is fully confident in running everything, you can start to build up your client base.
The Key to Your Success
Don’t forget that good beauty salon management involves more than just scheduling. Putting these policies in place will also protect your revenue, strengthen your reputation, and build client trust, which is integral to the success of any business.
If you’re currently losing money on no-shows and last-minute cancellations, it’s a good idea to take a look at your current scheduling process and tighten things up. Even very small salons can benefit from implementing software and better practices.