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Salon cancellation policy: what to include, with a template

· 5 min read

A date circled in red on a paper calendar

Most salons have a cancellation policy somewhere, often a line at the bottom of the website or a sign by the till. Few clients have read it, and the salon remembers it about once a year, on a day it is already annoyed. A policy only works when the client sees it before booking and you apply it the same way every time.

What to put in it

Four parts are enough:

  1. The notice period. How long before the appointment a client can cancel or move it without consequences. 24 hours is the usual minimum. For long work, such as colour, a full set of extensions or a 90-minute massage, 48 hours is fair, because a long slot takes longer to fill.
  2. What happens after a late cancellation. Be specific, for example "we will ask for a deposit when you next book". A vague "we reserve the right to charge" is the line clients skip.
  3. What happens after a no-show. Usually stricter than for a late cancellation, because you lost the slot without any warning.
  4. How to cancel. The link in the confirmation email, a phone number or both. If cancelling means calling during opening hours, clients who cannot get through simply stay away.

If late arrivals are a problem, add a line about them: how many minutes you can absorb, usually 10 to 15, and what happens after that.

A template clients will read

Long policies get scrolled past. This one is under 90 words:

Cancellations and late arrivals. You can cancel or move your appointment free of charge up to 24 hours before it, using the link in your confirmation email or by calling us. If you cancel later than that or do not come, we will ask for a deposit when you next book. If you arrive more than 15 minutes late, we may have to shorten your treatment or move it to another day. If we ever have to cancel, we will tell you as early as we can.

Change the numbers to fit your work: 48 hours for long appointments, 10 minutes for short ones. If you already take deposits, replace the second sentence with the rule for the deposit. Our post on asking for a deposit has wording for that.

Keep the tone plain. "We kindly ask" and "unfortunately" make a policy longer without making it friendlier, and threats in capital letters put off the clients who always come on time.

Where to show it

  • On the booking page, close to the button that confirms the booking. That is the moment the client commits.
  • In the confirmation email, which is the message clients look for when their plans change.
  • In the reminder, as one line: "Can't make it? Please cancel using the link by 14:00 today."
  • At the reception desk, for clients who book their next visit in person.

Applying it fairly to regulars

The hardest case is a regular. A client who has come every month for five years cancels three hours before because her child is ill. Charging her the full price could lose a client worth several hundred euros a year to recover one appointment.

That does not turn the policy into a rule for strangers only. A rule applied to some clients and not to others starts an argument the first time two clients compare notes. A fair middle way:

  • The first late cancellation is a warning, for regulars and new clients alike. Mention the rule, kindly.
  • From the second one, the rule applies to everyone.
  • Look at the history before you decide. A regular with forty visits and one late cancellation is a different case from a client who has missed two of their last three appointments.
  • Treat a silent no-show more strictly than a late call. A client who phones an hour before at least gave you a chance to fill the time.

Write down who has already had a warning. Six months later you will not remember.

What a policy cannot do

A policy does not prevent forgetting, and most clients who miss an appointment simply forgot about it. A reminder the day before deals with that. The policy covers the smaller group who remembered and did not come anyway. What else helps is in our post on reducing no-shows.

How it works in Termeva

Termeva sends a confirmation email right after booking and a reminder the day before, and both include a link to cancel. The "how to cancel" part of your policy can therefore simply say: use the link in your email. A time cancelled through the link becomes free for online booking again. Put the policy text on your website, where clients see it before they book. Deposits are coming soon on the Studio plan, with the money going straight to your account.

Questions

How much notice should a salon cancellation policy require?

Most salons ask for 24 hours for appointments of up to two hours. For long treatments such as colour or a full set of extensions, 48 hours is common.

Can a salon charge a client for a no-show?

It can ask, if the rule was clear before the client booked, but an invoice sent afterwards is rarely paid. The reliable way to cover a no-show is a deposit taken at booking.

What should a cancellation policy say about late arrivals?

State the grace period, usually 10 to 15 minutes, and what happens once it has passed: a shorter treatment at the usual price or a new appointment. Clients accept it more easily when they have read it before booking.

Should a cancellation policy apply to regular clients?

Yes, the same rule should apply to everyone, but how strictly you enforce it is up to you. Many salons treat a first late cancellation as a warning and apply the rule from the second one.

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