Writing for people who run service businesses
Product updates, practical guides and what we are learning from salons, garages, clinics and trades across the UK.
7 articles
How far ahead should clients be able to book?
Most booking pages allow twelve months because that was the default. The window you choose quietly decides your no show rate and how painful your next price rise is.
Bookings,What to do when a client turns up late
Decide this on a quiet Tuesday morning rather than in the moment. Three options, a cut-off worth writing down and the repeat offender who needs a different fix entirely.
Bookings,Where double bookings actually come from
A double booking is almost never a mistake somebody made. It is a gap between two systems that both think they own the diary.
Bookings,The hidden cost of a ten minute gap
Small gaps between appointments look harmless. Six of them a day is most of a working hour. It is the hour you never charged anybody for.
Bookings,Should you still take walk-ins?
Appointment only is cleaner, quieter and easier to staff. It also turns away the customer standing in front of you with cash in their hand. A middle path usually wins.
Bookings,Do you want to control your own appointments?
There is a difference between being listed somewhere and owning your diary. It shows up in who the client thinks they booked and in what the next booking costs you.
Bookings,Do you want your quiet days to book themselves?
Saturday is full and Tuesday is not. Discounting the quiet day is the obvious move and usually the wrong one. Here is what actually shifts demand across the week.
Bookings,