A salon cancellation policy is one of your most important tools when dealing with clients no shows or last-minute cancellations. Having a clear and easy-to-follow cancellations policy in place will make life much easier for your clients and each stylist. It will also provide transparency for your clients booking appointments online via your salon software.

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1. Why Is Salon Cancellation Policy Important?
2. Cancellation Policy Templates and Samples from Salons in Canada
3. Conclusion

Why Is Salon Cancellation Policy Important?

Every time someone books an appointment for services at your salon, they make a commitment to show up at that time. Your salon promises to have staff ready at the appointment time. If everything works out the way that it should, clients get the opportunity to receive services, staff have enough notice to prepare, and everybody wins. This is why appointments are very important.

Salon owners also need to anticipate late arrivals or cancellations. Having a policy in place for these events will give your staff the direction they need to make adjustments to their plan or deal with last-minute hiccups. This will make your salon look more professional.

Additionally, if a client cancels an appointment without giving enough notice (for example, many salons require at least 24 hours notice), you are able to charge a cancellation fee. This can be very important when you’re trying to maximize your appointments and avoid having any losses from gaps in your calendar.

Cancellation Policy Templates and Samples from Salons in Canada

Salon Lyol from Toronto

“Salon ... is committed to our clients and their convenience. Your appointments are very important to us. Nonetheless we understand that sometimes your schedule may change even at the last minute. We make an effort to remind you of your appointment 48 hours in advance because we know how easy it is to forget.
If you find it necessary to change your appointment, please call ... or email us at ... to let us know.
If you are unable to cancel your appointment at least 24 hours in advance, we miss the opportunity to fill your appointment time with a client on our waiting list and a charge of 50% of the scheduled services amount will apply. “NO SHOWS” will be charged 100% of the scheduled services amount. If the booking was made within 24 hours of the appointment time, it is necessary to provide us with a cancellation notice at least 4 hours in advance or else a charge equal to 50% of the scheduled services amount will apply.”

JUSTB Salon

“Due to limited amount of appointment availability and the demand for appointments [...] Salon now requires a credit card payment for your deposit. We will require credit card information to be kept on file for booking/deposit/cancellation fee on any future appointments. [...] Salon will protect your privacy rights as a customer and keep all information strictly confidential. If you are unable to provide a credit card we will require a 50% deposit on all appointments.
We kindly ask that you update your billing details in your [salon software] profile to complete your appointment request using your email address to log in. Your card will not be charged unless you do not show up for your appointment or cancellations fees apply. This is a new standard requirement for salons to accommodate the high level of appointment requests received after the closure and the only time we’ll request you to update your profile.”

Salon Haze in Vancouver

“In order to secure an appointment, we require a credit card on file. Salon Haze has a 48-hour cancellation policy, if a client cancels or reschedules within 48 hours there will be a charge of $150 for colour services and $50 for haircut services.“

Conclusion

Having a clear salon cancellation policy in place will help you to avoid income loss from missed appointments and no-shows. It will also help to encourage clients to give you enough notice when they need to make any changes to an appointment or service. This way, you won’t miss the opportunity to fill an empty space on your calendar.

Citations

Effective cancellation policy to reduce the negative impact of patient no-show
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/jors.2013.1

Service cancellation and competitive refund policy
https://pubsonline.informs.org/doi/abs/10.1287

Sales talk, cancellation terms and the role of consumer protection
https://academic.oup.com/restud/article-abstract