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Having a salon booking and cancellation policy can be one of your greatest assets and resources. In an ideal world, clients will make their scheduled appointment times, but, when they do not, it is important to have a set of guidelines in place.
People costs are probably the biggest expense for your business, and missed appointments can add up. Having clear booking and cancellation policies helps you and your staff provide better customer service and manage your clients’ expectations from the get-go, while protecting your business, staff, and clients in the instance of missed appointments. If you do not have a clear policy in place, it can be difficult to enforce fees for missed appointments or decline to book new appointments with clients who habitually no-show.
Here’s how to create booking and cancellation policy templates to help you run your business more smoothly.
What to include in your salon booking and cancellation policy
A cancellation policy is usually part of your larger booking policy. A booking policy sets the basic guidelines for client and salon interactions, telling everyone what to expect from the start. It may include a variety of stipulations, including:
- If you require deposits for advance payments
- How much you charge for no-shows
- How flexible you are on late arrivals
- How much you charge for cancellations
When you create your cancellation policy, you want to frame it in a clear and concise way so that clients know what to expect when interacting with your salon. You’ll want to include the following information:
- Timeframe before canceling (such as providing a minimum of 24 hours’ notice to avoid a fee)
- When a client should arrive (such as 5 minutes before their scheduled appointment)
- Last-minute cancellation terms (such as fees for late cancellation)
- Payment collection terms (such as payment due in full when services are rendered)
- Salon contact information
Once you’ve established your policy, you can customize your cancellation windows, fees, and payment methods in your Square Appointments account.
How to enforce your salon booking and cancellation policy
Once you’ve defined your policy, you need to make sure it’s enforcable. That starts by making sure your clients know about it.
First, you want to add your policy to your website. A booking or contact page is a great place to list all of your salon policies. Square Appointments allows you to create bookings and include policy pages for your website. Make sure you use wording that is firm and straightforward to explain policies so there’s no room for questions.
If you also take appointments over the phone, train your staff to share your policy when appointments are booked. You can also use Square Appointments to send email and text reminders to clients before their upcoming appointments that reference the policy.
6 salon cancellation policy templates
The following set of templates contain example policies that you can customize for your business. Just insert your information — such as salon name, location, and rules — and include them on your website and in communications.
