Business Blog 12 June 2023: How to Fill The Appointment Book

There can be nothing more depressing than starting the week with an empty appointment book. In fact, very little is more stressing than on a Sunday evening, you have to go back to work to a job you hate or having to start the week with zero business.

Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to make sure this doesn’t happen to your salon or spa.

How to Avoid the Dilemma: Pre-Booking

The most effective way is to pre-book the next appointment before the client leaves the salon. This strategy satisfies a number of customer service objectives:

Clients’ haircare needs are attended to more frequently, leaving them looking good and feeling great all the time.
Promote discounted or value-added promotions for the slower parts of the week. Today many more clients are feeling the pinch and, rather than looking for lower priced salons, you can give them the opportunity to enjoy lower prices during your salon's quieter times.
Train front-desk managers (receptionists) to 'sell' quieter times of the week. If given the choice, clients always seem to choose the salon's busiest times, leaving those popular times booked up early.
If clients are 'steered' towards the non-popular time and days, many will accept the appointment time suggested. If it doesn't suit the client, keep negotiating until you find one that does. Just avoid asking your client "what time would you like".
The final suggestion concerns your trading hours.

You may have set your trading without considering the demographics of the area you trade in. Consider expanding your trading hours if you live in a residential area where clients might like an appointment either before or after normal trading hours, when they have more free time.

Filling an appointment book takes planning and doesn’t happen by itself!

- Terry Miles, MD of My Salon Software