No-shows are beauty's biggest let down, it is the hardest thing to squash but once you have mastered it, there is no looking back.

Time is money & when someone doesn't show right in the middle of your day, there is little you can do especially if it has done at such short notice... Here are a few tips that I have found have helped me to stop no-shows almost completely!

1. INVEST IN A BOOKING SYSTEM

If you have considered a booking system & haven't got around to taking the plunge... WHY? There is a huge reason why booking systems are hugely popular these days.  Have you ever heard of anyone who has tried one & returned to the pen & paper diary?  EXACTLY!  The advantages are endless, here are just a few;

• MASSIVE reduction in no-shows, (surely that is enough)
• Access to your diary no matter where you are,
• Notifications & reminders done for you!
• Client's able to book online.

Personal recommendations - OVATU (also heard that BOOKSY & FRESHA are good!)

2.  SEND REMINDERS

If you have a booking system, set this up to automatically be done for you, usually booking systems will automatically send out a confirmation on booking & then at what ever time you choose to remind them.  Depending on costs you can also choose to send text reminders, which are extremely beneficial to clients.  If you prefer to avoid booking systems, collecting your clients email addresses is a low cost way of sending out your reminders, little tip - remind your clients to add the reservation to their calendar, which can easily be done manually or via an email reservation reminder.

If you prefer to text manually, I would recommend to do this at the start of the week & to schedule some time to do so.

3. HAVE A POLICY

If you do not already have a clear cancellation policy it will be pretty difficult to try & implement something when someone does cancel.  Schedule some time to decide what is a reasonable, yet firm policy for your clients & make a notice of the changes in your salon or beauty room.

4. GIVE THEM A CHANCE

We all know that sometimes things do crop up or happen & over time, you will know who is making a genuine excuse to cancel.  So give people a chance, weigh up their loyalty & what it would mean to loose them as a client.  On the other hand if someone is a repeat no-shower, it might be time to access what is best to do for your business.

5. YOU'RE OUT

For the repeat no-shows, who you have given far to many chances to, it may be worth setting some ground rules.  This is something that can be set out in your policy, so clients no what to expect.  For example, after x2 late cancellations or no-shows:

• Ask them to pay upfront,
• Refuse to offer any further appointments.

It may sound harsh but the frustrating thing is that there would of no doubt been a client who would of loved to fill the spot & the odd show is manageable but when the hours are creeping up that you could of been earning, it is time to take action!

Hope you enjoyed my top tips to reduce cancellation & I hope they can help you in some way...

Happy earning!