Crafting a no-show policy for your spa

By Liz Kline 

Time in the treatment room is valuable, and time equals money. The dreaded no-show can cost you the money you’ve factored into your day. But providing a smooth scheduling process and implementing a cancellation policy can benefit you in the long run. So how do we do it and what does that look like?  

A cancellation policy should outline your expectations for clients booking spa appointments and detail any upfront costs for cancellation fees. 

To begin, start with an appointment confirmation. Clients are encouraged to confirm their appointments and choose their communication preferences, such as via phone, text, email, or an online booking system. If you are in need of an online booking system, ASCP offers PocketSuite, an online booking app for free to members.

You can decide how many hours in advance you’d like your confirmation reminder to be sent before the scheduled appointment. For example, 72, 48, or 24 hours in advance.   

Here is an example of a cancellation policy message: 

“We at [spa name] understand that situations may arise, leading to a cancelled appointment. We kindly request a minimum of 24 hours’ notice for cancellations or rescheduling. Failure to provide an adequate notice may result in a cancellation fee. Cancellation fees can be paid online, over the phone, or in person before booking a new appointment. For an appointment cancelled less than 24 hours before your scheduled appointment time, a cancellation fee of $50 will be charged. This fee covers the time reserved for the esthetician as well as the impact on scheduling. Clients who wish to reschedule their appointment must do so within 24 hours of their original appointment time to avoid cancellation fees."  

As the professional, you can decide the price, if applicable, and time frame of when the appointment should be cancelled.  

In addition to the cancellation policy, you can also choose to implement a no-show policy. You can determine how many no-shows are acceptable before you require a client to prepay for future bookings.  

Here is an example of a no-show policy message:   

“A no-show occurs when a client misses their scheduled appointment without providing any prior notice. After three no-show appointments, clients may be required to prepay for future appointments. We at [spa name] understand that circumstances do arise that may cause you to miss your appointment without any prior communication. No-shows may be subject to payment of 100% of the reserved service amount.”