With things moving back to normal after COVID-19, we are seeing some old trends coming back online and in brides’ actions. One old trend that has been returning has been the dreaded No-Show Appointments. We all know that having brides not show up for their appointments is frustrating, but what can you do about it?
Here’s how to Eliminate Appointment No-Shows and keep brides excited for their appointments!
Build Excitement for Appointments
When looking to eliminate No-Show appointments for your bridal shop, let’s first look at how your brand can discourage No-Shows without potentially scaring away brides with a policy change. A great way to do this is by ensuring that your bridal shop is building excitement leading up to your bride’s appointment! This is important because your brand needs to support brides throughout their entire journey with you, from first hearing about your shop to saying “YES! ”.
You can create excitement for appointments in several ways, but utilizing SMS or Email Follow Ups before each appointment adds a personalized touch. SMS messages, for example, are great for sending quick reminders to brides or asking for quick information such as sizes or appointment confirmations. Email Follow Ups are also great for establishing trust in your brand and providing resources for the bride leading up to their appointment. For example, you could send a tour of the bridal shop or a “What Dress Matches Your Personality” quiz!
Keeping this line of communication open with reminders not only of the appointment but also that you are there to support the bride creates trust and builds excitement. It also can help create emotional loyalty to your brand, decreasing the chances that brides would decide to no-show for their appointment.
No-Show Fees
If your shop cannot afford to lose the money spent on stylists for no-show brides, you can also decide to add a no-show fee to your store’s policy on top of follow-up SMS/Emails. These fees would require brides to put a card on file when booking, and charges the card if the bride does not call a certain amount of time before their appointment to cancel. Although your shop would only charge those brides who don’t show, adding a card when booking may create confusion or decrease bookings. On the other hand, someone who is willing to pay for their appointment with you is also more likely to decide on a dress, which could be more beneficial for your shop in the long run.
Look at Competitors
As always, you first want to look at what your competition and other shops in the area are currently doing before making any policy changes. If your shop is going to be the only bridal shop in town asking for a credit card or charging for appointments, your brand will lose its competitive advantage and see lower bookings. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make this choice, but knowing what other shops are doing can provide insight into how a no-show policy can affect your bookings.
Ready to Eliminate Appointment No-Shows?
We help bridal shops like yours effectively communicate and build excitement to stop appointment no-shows. By building a trend-proof strategy specific to your bridal shop, we can use Email and SMS Marketing Strategies to generate new leads and support current brides! Learn more about how we can help level up your marketing here!
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