No-shows and last-minute cancellations cause the average salon to miss out on the equivalent of a senior stylist’s salary each year. Not only is this inconvenient for your team, but it significantly impacts your bottom line.
However, for Oscar Oscar Salons, no-shows are almost non-existent. They have implemented policies and processes that help ensure their clients turn up for their appointments.
We spoke with Laura Hunter, salon partner at Oscar Oscar Indooroopilly in Brisbane, to learn her secret to eliminating pesky no-shows from her salon.
How has introducing online booking helped grow your salon?
Implementing Kitomba’s Online booking system has completely revolutionised my business. It’s so easy for guests to book whenever they want and incredibly easy to use. I simply couldn’t live without it. I have worked with a previous software brand that didn’t have online booking and I truly believe that the missed opportunities are endless.
I love walking into the salon every morning and seeing fresh online bookings, whether they’re existing clients or new clients! It’s money in my appointment book that wasn’t there before. It’s also so easy to use, I love it!
It’s also really important to make sure that you’re constantly engaging with your guests, whether they’re booking online or over the phone. By taking the time to give them a quick call you can make sure what they’ve booked in for is what they’re expecting to have done. Aside from that, online booking is the easiest thing in the world and I love it.
Why does Oscar Oscar take deposits for online bookings?
We like to take deposits for larger appointments and online bookings to minimise no-shows. The dollar amount depends on the service: for our larger services or any of our colour services, we require a higher deposit amount than something more simple like a haircut or blow-dry.
Online booking deposits is a really important feature that Kitomba has introduced. People expect it these days… you’d pay a deposit for a restaurant, so you should pay a deposit for an appointment.
I find that people forget that they’ve paid a deposit, which is great for them because they get to the end of their appointment and surprise, it’s a little cheaper than they thought it would be. It’s a very seamless process for our staff by the time the client has paid a deposit and had their services, it just comes off the total bill at the end automatically.
How has taking deposits reduced no-shows in your salon?
I believe that adding that very small barrier to booking an appointment online completely eliminates time wasters in your appointment book. It really solidifies the people who are serious about your time in the salon.
I find that when people have taken the time and effort, and have put money towards a service with an online booking deposit, the rate of no-shows is close to zero. In addition to taking deposits, we also utilise Kitomba’s auto-confirmation feature on appointment reminders: it’s an incredible part of my business that I take very seriously. Confirming appointments and engaging with your guests in that fashion reduces no-shows.
Were you concerned that taking deposits would deter people from booking?
I’ll be honest, I was a bit hesitant about implementing deposits at first. I thought that it would reduce the number of people who were willing to book online. And it did, but in the best possible way. It reduced the number of people who have had a couple of glasses of wine at 7pm hop online and think, I’m going blonde tomorrow. Well… you’re not, because you have to leave a $150 deposit. And if they’re not serious about that process, then they’re going to waste your time by making a booking that they’ve really got no intention of turning up to.
How important is Kitomba to the day-to-day running at Oscar Oscar?
Kitomba has been an integral part of Oscar Oscar’s success since we’ve adopted it. From the online booking system to the incredibly diverse and accurate reporting, it helps us to get a handle on our numbers, not just where we were, but also where we are and where we’re going in the future.
I would recommend Kitomba to any salon owner who is looking to really dive deep into the numbers of their business and get a full-scale understanding of what’s going on behind the scenes. Kitomba is easy to use, it’s incredibly intuitive to myself and our staff, and I’ve found that if there’s a feature that you can think of, Kitomba has it.
Free eBook: No More No-Shows
In our new eBook, No More No-Shows, we’ve compiled a comprehensive guide packed with actionable steps that you can implement right away. These strategies are designed to help you significantly reduce the risk of no-shows and cancellations, giving you peace of mind and a more predictable revenue stream.
Don’t let no-shows and cancellations jeopardize your business’s future. Download our eBook today and take the first step towards securing your salon, spa, or clinic’s financial health.
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