If you manage a clinic, then you know how frustrating it is to experience no-shows. Imagine arriving at your clinic at the start of your working day, expecting a busy day and ready to provide high-end treatments to your clients. And then your 10:00am appointment doesn’t show up. Neither does your client booked in for 2pm, or your regular customer booked in at 5:00pm. This might not seem like the end of the world, but just five no-shows in a week could result in a yearly loss of £10,000.
When it comes to running your business, no shows can be costly, time-wasting and can lower morale among your employees. Never fear!
We’ve put together a list of ways you can reduce no-shows at your salon with the help of your software:
Online Patient Portal
Anyone should be able to go online either to your practice website or their patient portal account and schedule or amend their next appointment. We understand phone calls have always been the safest and most reliable form of communication, but patients are pushing the boundaries to a new normal which is online scheduling. Millennials view a phone call as an archaic method that often wastes their time by waiting to get connected and being on hold once they are.
Not only that, but this patient population is much more Type A personality than any other, we want to feel a sense of control by scheduling our own visit and having a confirmation email or number that provides undeniable proof of our appointment. Now if patients can schedule an appointment online they also expect to be able to cancel and reschedule their appointments online again without a phone call. It is a generation that is always on the move that has access and control over their schedules at every moment. If a dinner reservation or a vacation can be made online, why shouldn’t our other appointments be as well?
Send Appointment Reminders
Today’s patients are busy. Help them stay in communication with your practice with appointment confirmations and reminders. Not only do automated reminders let patients know you value their time, but they also help you reduce costly no-shows. Today’s population is more and more dependent on their smartphones and are used to having data at their fingertips, they expect the convenience of a text or email to confirm their appointment or remind them of an upcoming event. With Pabau, you can stay on top of your customers’ busy schedule by sending personalized notifications to the right clients, at the right time.
Follow ups
It is always beneficial to follow up with a client that has missed an appointment. You can do this by calling, texting or sending an email. Always give them the opportunity to rebook unless they are a dreaded serial offender. Some clients feel embarrassed that they didn’t show and as a consequence do not rebook. So sending a polite message giving reassurance that you are happy to rebook may put your client at ease and prompt them to rebook. This also lets your client know that you did notice their absence. However, always use your discretion and choose wisely how you treat each situation.
Tidy up your client database
Keep up-to-date information about your clients, so you can remember which ones are busiest, most forgetful, or most likely not to show. A large proportion of salon no-shows take place when your clients change email address or phone number and they don’t receive your reminders or confirmation emails. That’s why it’s imperative to check in with your customers and make sure their contact details are up-to-date and stored in an organized way – for example via your Pabau account.
Have a relationship with your clients
Your clients are much less likely to skip their appointments when you share a close relationship with them. As a beauty salon owner, it’s crucial to get to know your clients as individuals. Learn their likes and dislikes, what they do for a living and talk to them like a friend, so you can go the extra mile with customer service. By forming a personal bond and expressing your passion for your business, clients know how much their turning up for appointments means to you.
We know how upsetting it can be when clients don’t show up for their appointments at their scheduled times, let alone the financial drain it can have on your business. Some no-shows are unavoidable, but you can lower the number at your business by following these simple steps.
