Timely reduced my no-show rate by 30% — here's what I did
Hannah Hussain
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Tattoo Studio · Lincoln · 3mo ago
Can we talk about the actual cost of running a waxing salon without a proper booking system? Because I think a lot of people are making the calculation wrong.
They see the monthly fee — let's say £50 per month — and think that's an expense. But they don't add up what they're already spending:
- Time doing manual admin (at least three hours a week for most people I speak to)
- Money lost to no-shows with no deposit protection
- Clients you miss because they couldn't get through on the phone
- Late-night WhatsApp messages you answer because you feel you have to
When I sat down and actually counted this up for my waxing salon in Bristol, I was losing the equivalent of £50 a week to inefficiency. The booking system paid for itself in the first fortnight.
I've been using Square Appointments now for 18 months and the ROI is obvious. My diary is fuller, my admin time is down to about three hours a week from what used to be a lot more, and I haven't had a no-show in over a month because the deposit system filters out the chancers before they waste my time.
They see the monthly fee — let's say £50 per month — and think that's an expense. But they don't add up what they're already spending:
- Time doing manual admin (at least three hours a week for most people I speak to)
- Money lost to no-shows with no deposit protection
- Clients you miss because they couldn't get through on the phone
- Late-night WhatsApp messages you answer because you feel you have to
When I sat down and actually counted this up for my waxing salon in Bristol, I was losing the equivalent of £50 a week to inefficiency. The booking system paid for itself in the first fortnight.
I've been using Square Appointments now for 18 months and the ROI is obvious. My diary is fuller, my admin time is down to about three hours a week from what used to be a lot more, and I haven't had a no-show in over a month because the deposit system filters out the chancers before they waste my time.
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The point about filtering your client base with deposits is something I wish someone had told me when I started. It sounds harsh but your business actually runs better with fewer, more committed clients than with a packed diary full of flaky ones.
#1
The bit about re-engaging lapsed clients is something I hadn't thought of using Appointy for. Going to set that up today. I've got loads of clients I assumed had just moved on who might just need a gentle nudge.
#2
The deposit psychology point is spot on. I've said this for years — a £10 deposit doesn't stop genuine clients, it stops time-wasters. Anyone who values the appointment enough to actually show up doesn't think twice about a deposit.
#3
I've been in this industry for 6 years and the switch to online booking was the best operational decision I ever made, full stop. Not even close. The time saving is enormous and the professionalism it adds to your brand is something clients notice and comment on.
#4