5 tips for dealing with client no shows

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Salon business consultant, Valerie Delforge, offers her top tips on ensuring client no shows don't ruin your day. Create and manage a waiting list Your customer waiting list is worth its weight in gold. If someone cannot be seen on a certain day, do you call these people and say: “sorry I couldn’t fit you in last Saturday but we have some availability this Saturday, what time would suit you?” or send a text/mail message with a link to your online booking facility to entice the customer to book again. Alternatively, you call the clients on that list to say that you have availability now, would they want to come? If they cannot come immediately, you might secure a booking for another time anyhow. Have a list of customers that love coming last minute You will be surprised who does and they are great to fill in the white space, especially your regular local clients. Get your team to visit local offices to check in anyone wants an appointment. Your team are also great at calling people they know. All you need to ensure is that they have a limit on the discount they can offer. Upsell to your clients in your salon Make clients in the salon aware that you have more time for them if they wish to be pampered even more? Implement training Find your staff something to do with that free time, if they cannot find a paying client, get them to do a model and practise! Follow up with the no-show client It is important to face the client who hasn’t turned up for their appointments. If you are setting up a no-show policy, you must ensure that you are consistent with it. Ensure you have a list of offenders as at one point they will need to pay in full if they want to come to you. Valerie Delforge is founder and CEO of consultancy Delforge + Cowww.delforge.co