How to fill quiet hours at your salon

Most salons are packed on weekends and evenings and quiet on weekday afternoons. Your rent and salaries are the same at 3 pm on a Tuesday as at 6 pm on a Saturday, so every chair you fill in a quiet hour is close to pure profit.

Find your quiet hours first

Look at the last four to six weeks of bookings and mark each hour as busy, normal or quiet. You will usually find a clear pattern, such as weekday afternoons and the first hour after opening. Those are the slots to work on.

Offer a discount only in those hours

A small discount that applies only to quiet slots moves flexible clients away from your busy times without lowering prices for everyone. Students, homemakers, people working from home and retired clients often have the flexibility to come in during the day.

Keep the offer simple, for example a flat amount off any hair spa booked between 12 and 4 on weekdays.

Put longer services in quiet slots

Treatments like keratin, global colour, facials and pedicures take a long time. Encourage clients to book them in the afternoon so your evening slots stay free for quick services and walk-ins.

Message the right clients

Clients who have booked in the daytime before are the most likely to do it again. A short WhatsApp message to them about a weekday offer works better than a broadcast to everyone.

Use quiet time for training and content

Not every quiet hour can be filled. Use the rest for training junior stylists, taking photos of your work for Instagram and Google, and restocking.

Make it easy to book

Many people decide to book a salon late at night or during their lunch break, when nobody can answer your phone. If they can see open slots and book online, the quiet afternoon you are trying to fill is right there in front of them.

On Zespa you can switch on an offer for chosen hours with a tap, and customers searching nearby see those open slots and book them directly.