How To Rebook Clients

“THE MOST DIFFICULT THING IS THE DECISION TO ACT, THE REST IS MERELY TENACITY.” --AMELIA EARHART, FIRST FEMALE AVIATOR TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC SOLO & AVIATION RECORD BREAKER

It can be intimidating (especially if you’re new to nails) to hit up your client for their next appointment. We’re going to show you how to go for the big ask as intimidating as it might feel. How do you break the seal and ask your clients to commit to their next service with you? You need to have skills with the product and sales savvy to rebook clients on auto-pilot. You want to build a “standing” clientele. This means scheduling the same clients to return to you every two-three weeks for maintenance. For any manicure, be it a basic polish switch, fill, or complete nail enhancements with tricked art; help your clients understand there is a rhythm to nails. Your job as a nail tech is to enlighten your clients of this scheduling rhythm and offer them this convenience. Reframing the sales mentality is really helpful here. Help your clients nab the most optimal time for their next appointment. Keep in mind you are doing this for all your clients and that flexible window of opportunity to book highly coveted nights and weekends narrows. A considerate and mindful person is a good business person. Take to heart your clients needs. This is where your sales persona needs to kick in. Sales does not need to be a dirty word. So how do you actually do this? Here are some helpful hints on how to funnel clients into your books with regularity.

AWKWARD MUCH
The end of your service is wrapping up. That familiar feeling of dread is starting to creep into your chest and throat. Experience and insecurity fills your head. It feels awkward. How do you get your client to come back? YOU HAVE TO ASK. Not asking is always a 100%, NO. Asking you have a 50-50 chance of the outcome you want, definitely better odds. So we say, lean in for the ask. Let’s air out the feelings around this. Tightness and heat under your collar? It’s a jumble of emotions. You wonder, do they like me? Do they think my work is good enough? Do I think my work is good enough or cool enough? It can feel like you’re opening yourself up to being judged. Who wants to visit those icky feelings 8-12 times a day? We’re here to tell you, yes it will feel awkward and that’s ok. It will continue to feel this way unless you actively do something to change it. Do one thing out of your comfort zone every day. It builds self-esteem and confidence. Keep doing it until it doesnt feel uncomfortable any more. We’ve been there. You have nothing to lose but that feeling of awkwardness.

JUST TELL ME WHAT TO SAY
Early in her career, Tracey, our YN Director of Operations, was lucky enough to have a fairy godmother come over and whisper in her ear, “What’s up sweetie? A magic reminder that now is the time to rebook this client. What are you waiting for?” Instructions and the script are as follows. Finish the service. Clean up. Take the money. Open up whatever calendar you use for taking appointments and say to the client with a sense of invitation.

“Alright then, let’s go ahead and book your next appointment? Let’s make sure we’ve got you set up. My availability is starting to fill up fast these days. Should I put you in for two weeks from now?”

You may be met with a block to the question. Maybe the client is non-committal, their head is somewhere else, or they travel a lot. The best follow up to something wishy washy or evasive is the cheerful and nonchalant reminder of your cancellation policy. Believe it or not many people are happy for the forethought and consideration. It’s not every time but most of the time the response to the rebooking question is a positive one.

“How about we put something in now and if you need to switch/cancel for any reason just give me a call ahead of time. I know this is the time slot that works the best for you. I have a 24 hour cancellation policy, so it’ll be no problem if anything needs to change.”


Here’s another way to work around a client who is unsure if they want to book.
“You’re all done. How would you like to pay? ($Ka-Ching$.) Before you leave, I want to get you back on the books. Things get crazy around here, I want to get you into a time slot that works for you.”

If this client wants to just phone it in the next time they want an appointment you can continue to respond like this. Keep your tone upbeat, like you just offered them the last piece of cake and they declined.

“OK. That’s fine with me. I just need to let you know I have the space open now and I can’t guarantee this same time will be free when you call. I’ve been filling up two weeks in advance. If you want to risk that, cool. We can try to get you in
around your preferred appointment time. Again no guarantees on availability. I’m booking first come, first serve.”

The client insists this is their preferred time slot and still wary of committing. You continue in a positive coaxing tone as if to a sassy yet well-behaved tween.

“I know! You’ve been pretty consistent. So let’s just go ahead and block this time for you now. So that it’s yours. You always ask for it and I know how much it works for you. It’ll be your standing appointment; so you don’t have to worry about. If something comes up, just let me know ahead of time and we can take care of you.”

People who do not commit will get boxed out of coveted primetime appointments. When you ask someone to rebook after their service, it means you want to make space for them. Lucky them. Don’t think of it as a hustle. It might feel like it today but it will soon happen for you. As a business person, you have to communicate every step of the way. If you’re not a naturally outgoing person, fake it ‘til you make it. You really have nothing to lose. We promise. The only way you get to a solid book of clients is by asking for the return appointment.

WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT?
When people cannot commit to the return appointment, our egos can take a hit. It can feel like the ultimate rejection. It might feel better not to ask, then be denied. This is not high school and the prom, people. This is your livelihood we’re talking about. The big ask is a practice in volume. Asking if a client (who is already sitting in your chair) if they want a standing appointment is offering them the first choice of convenience. It’s like a bartender anticipating your next pour while you’re still on your first glass of wine. It’s the server asking if you want to see the dessert menu before they drop off the check. It’s like the auto-pay option on your mobile phone bill. Make it a no-brainer. Once you get used to it, honestly it will not even faze you. Practice and it will get easier with time. The fear, it’s all in your head. Ask for the sale. Take the initiative to communicate one every point of how you operate your business. It could be as easy as stating, “I’m starting to fill up with new clients, I want to make sure my current clients get first pick of what’s available.” This is not an untrue statement.

STACKS OF CASH
Filling your books with regular clients is like strategizing a party game of Jenga stacking blocks. Stack your day with a strong base of returning clients and work your availability out for more complicated and time intensive looks. Strategize your anchor times, appointments that give you the best return on your time and then without disrupting the bulk of the other clients sprinkle in your fills and basic polish jobs. Now would be helpful for you to come up with a sales target for everyday. How many clients can you take per day? What’s the max and minimum amount of money you need to earn daily. Each day represents a stack of cash. Return clients should be stacked into your day to hit those earning targets to offer you a stable flow of monthly income. Eventually you will find yourself at the point of genuinely not being able to take on new clients or walk-ins. This is the gold medal of achievement for a true nail boss.

**This is an adaptation from our YN Biz Talk playlist on YouTube, “BIZ TALK: HOW TO REBOOK CLIENTS.”

***Follow our YN YouTube Channel and click here to watch the full discussion here: