Nothing is more inconvenient than rushing to shave your legs, look for your panties, and applying makeup simultaneously because your client made another last-minute booking.
We all lead busy lives, which means that many of us are unable to accept last-minute reservations. Maybe you have college courses, a day job, or young children that prevent you from being available to take reservations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. No matter your reasoning, it would be nice to know about bookings with clients ahead of time.
Here are some excellent ideas for getting clients to book ahead of time.
Consistency is Key
If you truly do not wish to accept last-minute reservations, you must be consistent. Clients will ultimately learn if you have regular availability and consistent 'rules' about how long in advance they must book.
While contemplating on what you would like for your business and lifestyle to look like, you need to be tough and continually enforce your boundaries. You have the upper hand here. Clients who are truly interested in attending will be patient and arrive on your timing.
Update your Availability
You must be certain of your future intentions if you really want your consumers to book beforehand. If you know you'll be busy in the future, try to update your schedule as soon as you can. Having a real-time calendar with particular days and hours available, rather than general availability, can be beneficial. However, some people may be concerned about their privacy if they provide more particular availability. If this is the case, consider setting up a password-protected availability calendar for regular clients.
Use Incentives to Your Advantage
If you provide discounts early on, things most likely are not going to work out well. However, penalizing last-minute reservations is beneficial. You could, for instance, charge customers $75 for same-day reservations. Remind customers who call you for last-minute reservations that there is an additional cost. They will either reserve their spot regardless of the fee or they will learn to book ahead of time.
Ending Thoughts
If you would like to have more advanced bookings, then make it happen! After all you are in control. Enforce your rules and eventually clients will learn your way of doing things. Remember that it is your job and that you have a personal life as well. It is okay to keep the two separate.