Online booking for massage studios: room time and late cancellations
· 4 min read
A massage booked for an hour takes the room for longer than an hour. The client needs a few minutes to undress and tell you where it hurts, and after the treatment a few more to get up slowly and dress. Then you change the linen and air the room. A booking system that only knows the "60 minutes" on your price list will offer the next client a time when you are still stripping the table.
Treatment time and room time
Set up the two separately:
- The service length is the time the client spends with you: the treatment plus a few minutes before and after it. For a 60-minute massage that is usually 65 to 70 minutes.
- The buffer after is the time the room needs before the next person: fresh linen, a wipe of the table and the oil bottles, an open window, washed hands and a glass of water for you. Fifteen minutes is common, 20 after a long session with hot stones.
A 60-minute massage then blocks 80 to 85 minutes. A day from 9:00 to 18:00 fits six of them with a short lunch break, while the price list suggests eight. Six is the number you can actually keep. Plan for eight and you are more than an hour behind by lunchtime.
Some studios sell a "60-minute massage" that is 50 minutes on the table and say so on the booking page. That is fair, as long as the client reads it before booking. A massage that turns out shorter than expected annoys clients far more than a clear description up front.
For new clients, add a separate service such as "first visit with consultation", 15 minutes longer than the standard one. New clients choose it, and the bookings of your regulars do not carry 15 minutes of questions they answered a year ago.
Therapists and rooms
In a small studio the limit is either the people or the rooms. Work out which one it is before you set up booking.
- A room for every therapist. Plan by therapist only. Each has their own hours and their own calendar.
- More therapists than rooms. Two therapists who share a room cannot both see a client at 10:00. Give them hours that do not overlap: one works mornings and the other afternoons, or one works Monday to Wednesday and the other Thursday to Saturday.
Some treatments belong to one person. If only one of you does lymphatic drainage or pregnancy massage, offer that service with her alone, so clients only see times when she is in.
Couples massages
A couples massage needs two therapists at the same time and a room big enough for two tables. In a small studio it is booked a few times a month at most, and it is hard to automate well. The simplest approach is to list it on your website, ask clients to call or message you, and book the two therapists side by side yourself.
Late cancellations on long sessions
A 90-minute session cancelled at 9 in the morning for 11 is almost impossible to resell. Industry figures put no-shows at 12 to 18 per cent of bookings without a deposit and 5 to 7 per cent with one. On long sessions each of them costs you close to two hours of the day.
What helps:
- A clear notice period, for example 24 hours, written where clients see it before they book.
- A reminder the day before with a link to cancel. A client who cancels the evening before still leaves you a chance to fill the slot. Our post on reducing no-shows covers the rest.
- A deposit on sessions of 90 minutes or longer, if late cancellations keep happening.
Gift vouchers
Vouchers bring in people who would not have found you otherwise, especially in December. However you sell them, make them easy to use: let voucher holders book online like any other client and type the voucher number into the note. You check it when they arrive, and nobody has to phone you to arrange a time.
How it works in Termeva
Every service in Termeva has its own length and its own buffer before and after, so the linen change is reserved automatically and the client never sees it. Clients choose the treatment, the therapist and the time on your website. Each booking is one client with one therapist. Rooms are not booked separately, so if therapists share a room, give them hours that do not overlap. The client gets a confirmation email right away and a reminder the day before with a cancel link. Deposits are coming soon on the Studio plan. More on the massage studio page.
Questions
How much time should I leave between massage clients?
Most therapists leave 15 minutes to change the linen, air the room and wash their hands. After a 90-minute or hot stone session, 20 minutes is more realistic.
Is a 60-minute massage really 60 minutes on the table?
It depends on the studio. Some give the full 60 minutes and book 70 to 80 in total, others give 50 minutes of treatment and use the rest for undressing and a short talk. Either works if the booking page says which one you do.
What is a fair cancellation policy for a massage studio?
A notice period of 24 hours is the most common, and some studios ask for 48 hours for sessions of 90 minutes or longer. A reminder a day ahead that includes a cancel link helps clients who cannot come tell you in time.
Can clients book a couples massage online?
Some booking systems can reserve two therapists at once, but many small studios take couples sessions by phone or message. They are booked rarely, and a short conversation makes sure the room and both therapists are free.
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