It’s the most hectic time of year for salons. Do more than just survive the holiday crunch; prepare now for a steady and prosperous new year.
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It’s the most hectic time of year for salons. Do more than just survive the holiday crunch; prepare now for a steady and prosperous new year.
During the holidays, even the most consistent work schedule can be easily disrupted by rescheduling requests, late cancellations, travel plans and emergencies. Even the most reliable clients can get distracted and forget appointments, despite receiving text or email reminders. And it’s not just clients who need to adjust their schedule; beauty pros have their own plans, obligations or unexpected events that may force them to alter their routine and prior commitments.
The holidays present a challenge when they land on a typical workday. Most salons, like many other businesses, close for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s at a minimum. It’s inevitable that decreased availability and increased demand result in greater disruption. No wonder we’re so exhausted by year’s end!
Through it all, we beauty professionals do our best to accommodate our existing clients, and make time for new clients whenever possible. Reluctant to disappoint anyone, especially in this season, we give up our time to meet the demand, increasing availability by adding days and extending hours. Anticipating a significant decrease in demand at the beginning of a new year, many tolerate the short-term inconvenience of working harder and longer hours to generate more revenue. Beauty pros who typically don’t work on Mondays may find themselves doing just that on a temporary basis to avoid losing out.
What’s the solution for scheduling chaos? In two words: control and consistency.
As a beauty pro and business owner, I choose my clients. I control who’s on my schedule and when (no online booking!), and the more consistent the schedule, the better. That’s why I encourage clients to reserve standing appointments a year in advance.
A whole year? Who can plan that far ahead? I can and so can most of my clients. Pre-booking a client for their next appointment before leaving the salon, while useful, does not secure their loyalty for the long term. Why schedule the next one or two appointments every visit when you could make a more permanent arrangement? Not only does this save time, but also relieves the anxiety associated with either having too few clients on your schedule, or so many that you cannot find time for your best clients when they want an appointment. Approaching a client about standing appointments can be as simple as saying: “I really enjoy doing your [name of service], but as my clientele grows, convenient appointments will be harder to schedule. I’d like to reserve a specific day and time just for you. What days and times work best?”
I survive the holidays knowing that after all the excitement and exhaustion, my new year begins with a new, orderly schedule filled from January through December. At first glance, it may not look much different from the current schedule. The salon hours will not have changed, nor have I added or eliminated any services, or raised prices since going tipless several years ago. But to assume that nothing has changed would ignore the fact that I invite clients to recommit every year. Sadly, a few clients no longer appear because they’ve died or moved away. Most clients, however, remain in their preferred time because that still works best for them.
Standing appointments demonstrate how much your clients value your time and services.
A schedule based on standing appointments requires careful planning; these suggestions will help you get started:
Work by appointment
My goal is to have a consistent and manageable flow of clients. That cannot be achieved by relying on walk-ins or online booking. Even if a new client wants service from you the same day, you still want to reserve that appointment and collect their contact information for your client database: first and last names, email address and phone number.
Choose your days and hours
A defined and predictable work schedule makes planning that much easier. Don’t worry about when most salons operate. Choose what’s best for you and your circumstances, not your clients’. Most existing clients will adapt, and those who cannot will find a salon home elsewhere. For example, I serve clients on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. That’s 30 hours of availability each week.
A defined and predictable work schedule makes planning that much easier.Adobe Stock/tatomm
Plan a year in advance
Every summer, I start the process of building the schedule for the following calendar year. It’s not merely a continuation; in fact, until recently, the 2025 calendar was completely blank as if I had no clients at all. Treating this as an opportunity to reset days/hours, services and pricing, I announce any changes to clients months beforehand to provide ample notice. This announcement comes as an invitation via email (see below).
List clients according to priority
Review your schedule over the past 12 months. Identify any clients who would be good candidates for a standing appointment based on their qualities (reliable, cooperative, appreciative, etc.). Chances are some clients will be on a fairly consistent schedule already. Using a spreadsheet, I label separate columns (client name, day of week, time, weekly interval, services, email address and phone number) and fill the rows with information on preferred clients (those who have standing appointments). At the bottom of the spreadsheet, I add the names of regular clients, not every client served, just the ones who have potential.
Invite clients to reserve appointments.
In an email blind-copied to all the clients listed in my spreadsheet, I announce any changes and offer this invitation: “Planning for next year, I'm pleased to announce that Precision Nails pricing will remain the same. Please reply to this email to reserve your standing appointments for 2025. Appointment reservations available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. If you want to adjust your current schedule, or prefer to reserve appointments only as needed, I'll do my best to accommodate your requests.” Notification and communication via email ensures that everyone receives consideration and that I can manage their responses. Most clients keep the same schedule, but for those who want a different day/time or a change in service or frequency (weekly interval), I highlight their name in the spreadsheet. Not all clients will be able to commit as their personal schedules may vary too much, and that’s understandable. I value these “regular” clients because they fill out nearly all the remaining time in my schedule.
Make and confirm the reservations
Using my salon management software, I reserve recurring appointments from January 1 through December 31 based on client seniority. (I don’t block off holidays because any affected clients can be rescheduled as the date approaches.) Despite the option, I don’t choose to send an email or text confirmation from the salon management software when I make reservations. Instead, I wait until closer to November to send individualized emails to every preferred client with their list of appointment dates, noting any that land on a major holiday. Clients receive a courtesy reminder via text and/or email 48 hours before their appointment. When a scheduling conflict arises, clients follow my 24-hour cancellation policy so I’m informed. If a preferred client needs to reschedule an appointment, they receive priority on the waiting list. When standing appointments no longer work for a client, the reservations can be canceled. Throughout the year, new clients may be invited to reserve standing appointments when there’s an opening available.
The importance of these preferred clients is obvious; taken together, they account for approximately 70% of my available time. While value can be quantified by various statistics (service dollars, frequency, referrals), those numbers do not convey the qualitative value of standing appointments. They provide structure and stability, and eliminate the seasonal fluctuations that many beauty pros experience. Particularly in uncertain economic times, it’s very reassuring to know that I can reasonably expect a certain amount of revenue during the year.
