Over two-thirds of salon owners say clients do not care about the impact of cancelling appointments

Over two-thirds of salon owners say clients do not care about the impact of cancelling appointments, with nearly half (44%) reporting that repeated no-shows take a real toll on their mental health.

This comes at a time, according to the National Hair & Beauty Federation, that nearly half (45%) of UK salons are just breaking even, with one in six (15%) making a small loss each month.¹ 

Research compiled by Fresha, the world’s leading beauty and wellness booking platform, surveyed UK salon, wellness, and grooming businesses to find out the real cost of cancellations on the beauty sector workers.

You can read the full research here: https://www.fresha.com/blog/cancellations-cost-study

More than half of salon owners work longer hours because of cancellations:

• More than half (55%) of salon owners say no-shows force them to work longer hours, while nearly five in 10 (46%) say they have to turn away other clients because of the unpredictability.
• Over a quarter (26%) even say repeated cancellations make them question whether they can stay in the industry at all.

Disappointment, frustration, and stress are the default reactions to no-shows:

• Business owners reveal how cancellations make them feel, with just over half (52%) reporting disappointment and frustration.

• Sole traders feel the impact slightly more. Almost three in five (58%) sole traders say cancellations make them feel disappointed or frustrated, compared with those within slightly bigger companies (between 50% and 52%).
• More than a third (35%) of business owners say cancellations leave them stressed or anxious.

Cancellations cost mid-career business owners more than anyone else:

• Business owners aged 35-44 are hit particularly hard, with an average revenue loss of 8% each month, double the 4% average loss reported by owners aged 45 and over.

• That means a mid-career salon owner turning over £12,000 a month could lose £960 to no-shows and late cancellations alone, compared with around £480 for an older owner on the same income.

Annabelle Taurua, beauty expert at Fresha, has commented on how customers and salon users can support these types of business owners: “For salon owners, a late cancellation or no-show isn’t just a minor inconvenience; it can mean a loss of earnings that can’t be recovered, adding a level of stress and uncertainty to the day. Repeated no-shows can also take a real toll on salon owners’ mental health by increasing anxiety and burnout in an industry that already involves long hours and emotional labour. In some extreme cases, this could even cause your favourite salon to go out of business.

“Clients can make a real difference by giving as much notice as possible if plans change, respecting cancellation policies, and treating appointments with the same importance as any other professional commitment. Rebooking promptly or paying a cancellation fee without a dispute can help protect both the livelihoods and mental health of those people behind the businesses.”