In any business that involves appointments, no-shows are a serious business concern. A missed appointment equals lost revenue. It also impacts operational efficiency and completely disrupts the schedule of the service provider. Wasted resources further lead to lost revenue. Even if you send reminders to each and every client with manual efforts, it can cost your business a lot. If you don’t keep clients abreast of their upcoming appointments, you stand a risk of losing them. The best solution to this is sending automated salon appointment reminders.
Set it once, forget it forever!
Once automated text or email reminders are set, your clients will be notified seamlessly without the headache of manual follow-ups.
Through this blog, we will delve deeper into appointment reminders and how it is the secret to reducing no-shows in the beauty business.
Common Reasons for No-shows & Cancellations
Here are a few common reasons why clients cancel or fail to show-up for their appointment:
- They forget they have an appointment booked
- Poor communication can lead to a missed appointment
- They make last-minute changes due to sudden commitments or unexpected personal issues
- The absence of strict policies reduces the urgency to attend an appointment
- Clients may be unsure about their booking date/time owing to which they entirely miss the appointment
- Change of mind about a particular service. This happens the most in case of a haircut or hair colouring service.
- Budget constraints may also cause a client to entirely miss the appointment.
The Importance of Appointment Reminders in Reducing No-shows
The success of a salon or spa depends on how connected/engaged they are with their clients. Automating reminders is not just a fool-proof way of informing clients about their upcoming appointment but also aids in relationship building:
- Personalised Appointment Reminders
When a generic appointment reminder is sent, clients might treat it as a promotional message and tend to delete it. However, when the message includes an element of personalisation, they’re more likely to act. When you set appointment reminders on salon scheduling software, you have an option to personalise it. The message can include the client’s name, date and time of the service and location. You can also add a CTA asking them if they can make it. Give them two options – Yes and Reschedule. Thoughtful communication always fosters a positive experience for the customer.
- Increased Client Satisfaction
Back in the day, clients would call the salon and ask if their appointment on that day was confirmed. Today, with technology becoming seamless, clients surely feel lazy to do that. When salon appointment reminders are set and formatted to client preference, they surely feel satisfied. Receiving a message via SMS, email or WhatsApp is surely much easier than calling the salon.
- Helps Clients to Stay on Track
As a salon owner, if you want to be flooded with appointments, sending regular reminders is important. It sets the tone for recurring appointments. All too often, clients forget they’re due for a service. Reminders encourage clients to commit themselves to a self-care routine. Whether it’s fortnightly threading, monthly waxing or quarterly haircuts, reminders surely help clients stay on track.
- Multichannel Messaging
Not all clients prefer receiving reminders in the same format. For instance, one may prefer SMS while the other might prefer WhatsApp. The beauty of salon scheduling software is that you can program your messages to reach the customer via multiple modes. Clients can choose between SMS, email, WhatsApp and push-notifications. When integrated seamlessly, your clients will never miss an appointment again. However, SMS reminders are considered to be the most effective owing to their immediacy.
- Opportunity to send Marketing/Promotional Messages
Appointment reminders are not just to send marketing or promotional messages. It’s also ideal to send messages regarding upcoming promotions, special services and seasonal or occasional offers. This not just adds value but is a huge revenue opportunity for your salon as clients will tend to rebook before their current appointment.
Best Practices to Implement Appointment Reminders
- When a client schedules an appointment, it’s wrong to bombard them with reminders from that very minute. It’s important to set the right intervals. The recommended intervals include a week before the appointment, a couple of days before and on the day.
- Automated salon software makes it easy for clients to confirm or reschedule their appointments. They prevent no-shows.
- Automated appointment reminders will only work when you have up-to-date client information. A large chunk of salon no-shows take place because clients change their email address or phone number owing to which they cannot be reached. That is why it is important to make sure that client contact details are up-to-date. When they’re stored in an organised way, sending reminders is surely easier.
Automated reminders help clients manage their schedule better. It also leads to time efficiency, improved customer experience and cost savings.
Final Words
In beauty salons, automated reminders are an invaluable tool. It’s surely the secret to reducing no-shows. Salon360App is a robust salon scheduling software that can help your clients book appointments on their own and receive automated reminders. Since there is no middle person involved, the process is seamless and appointment-related confusion is eliminated completely.
For more information on how Salon360 can help your beauty business, get a free demo.
