Cut down on no-shows with Timely reminders
One of the fastest ways to annoy a business owner is to not show up to appointments. It's a problem that plagues the salon industry and frustrates business owners all over the world. It can cost a lot of money if not properly addressed. Fortunately, Timely has tools to help you minimise no-shows at your appointments.
It is generally a good idea to have rules in place around what happens if clients fail to show up to appointments without alerting you beforehand. For example, some business owners have a policy that states that appointments that turn into no-shows will still incur the full fee, or that several incidents will result in the agreement being ended.
Having a good policy is important, but in an ideal world, you wouldn’t have to use it. That’s where Timely’s preventative measures come in.
If you choose to have your clients book through the online platform, they will be presented with a list of appointment options that depend on your availability and existing bookings. This means that customers will be more likely to pick a time that suits them, instead of trying to squeeze an appointment in-between dropping the kids off at school and going to work.
Once a customer has booked, automatic SMS reminders alert your client that they have an appointment with you a few hours beforehand. In the message, they’ll be presented with the option to reply back with “Y” or “N” to confirm or cancel the appointment.
Take control of your calendar and ensure your books are full. Set up SMS rules in your Timely account, and we’ll automatically send clients messages based on your custom conditions. You can even arrange it so that clients that purchased a specific treatment will get an automatic message reminding them to book in again after a certain number of weeks.
For example, automatic messages can be set up for all clients that come in for a colour. They’ll be sent an SMS or email six weeks after their treatment, reminding them that it’s time to get their hair done again. You can choose what format the message arrives in, the specific action that triggers it, and exactly when the message is sent.
We have found that text and email reminders like these can decrease no-shows by 50%, and for some Timely customers, that number is even higher.
If you do have a client that doesn’t show up to an appointment, Timely will record the incident so that the next time they book, you’ll know they have a history of not showing up. This feature can also be used to enforce your no-show policy, if necessary.
As well as reducing no-shows, SMS messages gives you a new way to communicate to your clients. You can send messages about marketing offers, special promotions, or even a change in your business’s opening hours. It’s much easier and faster than typing individual messages from your cellphone, and it’s very affordable too!
It’s time for businesses to stop worrying about whether their clients are going to show up and start focusing on getting results with their customers.