Christmas Appt Deposits Do You, or Don’t You?

So, we all know how crazy it can get at Christmas time and the last thing we want to be doing is dealing with cancellations. So, I am going to explain to you why it is so important to take deposits from clients during this time of the year.

No Shows – this is something that we are all going to come across during our time in the industry. By taking a deposit, this will slightly compensate for the client not turning up to their appointment. Remember, when they don’t arrive for their appointments, it simply doesn’t give us time to fill the slot which means we will lose out on our earning capacity. However, by taking the deposit at the time of booking, it will compensate a percentage of their appointment so we are not at a complete loss – a kind of insurance policy if you like.

Cancellations – When a client has already parted with some money for their appointment, they will be less likely to cancel it as they don’t want to lose the money and not have their nails done. Taking deposits will lower your cancellation rate which keeps our income going and stops us spending time trying to fill them last minute slots.

It is always important to keep track of who has paid you a deposit and how much it is, I take a 50% treatment fee as a non-refundable deposit which will be taken off their remaining balance on the day of their treatments. Everyone is different so work out what deposit scheme is better for you and your business.

Also, when taking your deposits, it is a good idea to send over a copy of your polices to your clients so they are aware of charges/fees if they don’t turn up to their appointment or want to change it.

Most importantly do what works best for you and your business to alleviate some of the stress and enjoy this crazy, yet special time of year!

Rhi x