Future Bookings: By Erin Snyder Dixon
Flipping through the appointment book is likely to bring a smile to my face as the holidays near.
All those names back-to-back on the pages. Whew, there’s barely time to eat. What wipes that smile away in an instant is hearing a client’s dissatisfaction in not getting that coveted appointment before her big holiday event. In fact, it used to be that it would really worry me. Would they come back? How long would they hold it against me that I couldn’t squeeze them in? That is, until a few years ago.
A few years ago, I had an interesting experience. I took a call from a client who was upset about not getting the appointment she wanted. I offered her others, promised to call her if I had a cancelation, and still felt terrible. As I turned back to the client in my chair, the current client said, “They should have booked it earlier.” A simple statement. Easy for that client to say, she books her appointments a year in advance. And while I had always encouraged clients to book ahead, I still wasn’t seeing the big picture—a whole year in advance.
It was then that I changed strategy. When a client remarked how hard it was to get in with me, I would suggest, “Let’s go ahead and book your appointments farther out so we make sure you get a time that’s good for you. Would you like to book through the year?” Somehow, I remembered to book out when times were lean, but when I was swamped, booking fell through the cracks. Wow, did I have it wrong. At first, it seemed like a lot of work to book all those appointments during the busiest time of the year. The reality is, scarcity makes the perfect time.
Clients who have appointments on the books are unlikely to go elsewhere. When I have a scheduling conflict, they work with me to resolve it because I made it a priority to plan far in advance for them. Clients no longer rake me over the coals for not having time, after all, they like having a super busy, sought after nail professional. Some even relish the fact that their friends could not walk in at the last minute and get an appointment.
The holidays are approaching again, and I’m reminding people to let me know as soon as they start filling their holiday social calendar. If they need to switch an appointment, I’ll do my best and having a heads up goes a long way to making that possible. I may need an extra person to help with booking but I know everyone is happier in the end.
There will always be those frantic calls. Sometimes I can squeeze them in, sometimes another tech must fill in, and sometimes neither works out. The difference is they end differently these days. I walk away knowing I did everything possible to accommodate my clients, and my clients appreciate that they have the opportunity to book ahead. It’s a win/win situation.
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