How I Helped Reduce No-Shows by 42% for Salon Owners - and Boosted Booksy Premium by 31%

problem:
Anna, a salon owner, struggled with last-minute cancellations that disrupted her schedule and revenue.
‍
solution:
Implementation of a dynamic deposit system and customer reliability ratings enabled her to regain control over her bookings and to a 28% revenue increase in just three months.

MY ROLE

- Interviewed salon owners to understand booking behavior and pain points
‍
- Designed a deposit-based booking system and reliability ratings, directly addressing the problem.
42%

fewer no-shows resulted from dynamic deposits, which increased customer commitment and minimized last-minute cancellations.

31%

more Booksy Biz Premium subscriptions were driven by the introduction of dynamic deposits as a premium feature.

Many different stories, one common problem.

Through in-depth interviews (IDIs) with 15 salon owners and an analysis of 500+ bookings on Booksy, I identified a recurring challenge:

Regardless of experience or service type, every salon struggles with last-minute cancellations that disrupt schedules and lead to lost revenue.
‍
Analyzing 500+ bookings revealed that 65% of cancellations occurred within 24 hours of the appointment, making it nearly impossible for salons to rebook those slots.

How can salon owners protect themselves from last-minute cancellations?

Booksy is a leading platform for booking appointments in the Beauty & Wellness industry, valued for its usability, 24/7 automated booking system or client management tools.

My research revealed a critical gap: Booksy primarily offers two main mechanisms to protect salon owners from unreliable clients. Unfortunately, neither method is highly effective.

1. SMS Reminders for Upcoming Appointments
- 65% of salon owners report that reminders alone do not significantly reduce no-shows.
- 75% of customers ignore notifications since they do not require any action or have direct consequences.

2. Requiring Deposits at the Time of Booking:
While deposits provide some protection against last-minute cancellations, they come with a trade-off. My research shows that 70% of salon owners avoid enforcing them due to fears of discouraging bookings.

As a result, salons still experience last-minute cancellations, leading to unfilled slots and lost revenue

The core of the problem

To better understand client behavior, I conducted an anonymous survey targeting beauty salon customers. My goal was to uncover why last-minute cancellations happen

Key Insight: Currently, clients face no consequences for last-minute cancellations. Booksy should focus on raising responsibility for the bookings they make.
‍

This analysis led me to several HMW (How Might We) questions, with one being central to solving the problem:

summary

1. Last-minute cancellations are a widespread issue in the Beauty & Wellness industry, causing significant revenue loss for salon owners.

2. 70% of surveyed salon owners stated that Booksy does not provide effective tools to prevent unreliable bookings.

3. Clients currently face no consequences for no-shows, which leads to a lack of accountability and repeated last-minute cancellations.
I applied a mix of qualitative and strategic UX methods
to deeply understand the issue and define solutions.
In-Depth Interviews
Affinity Diagram
How Might We
Jobs To Be Done
North Star Metric

The challenge: Encouraging client 
responsibility for bookings.

At first, reducing last-minute cancellations seemed straightforward - make clients more accountable for their bookings. 



However, the real challenge wasn’t just about enforcing stricter policies; it was about finding the right balance between accountability and user experience.


Salon owners needed a way to protect their schedules from unreliable clients without deterring loyal customers from booking. A rigid deposit system for everyone wasn’t the answer - it would create friction for well-intentioned clients and potentially reduce overall bookings.
The solution? A dynamic deposit policy that adapts to client behavior. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, deposits are only required for clients with a history of cancellations. 



If a client has canceled 30% or more of their past appointments at the last minute, the system automatically applies a deposit requirement for future bookings.


This approach ensures fairness - clients who honor their appointments experience a seamless booking process, while those with frequent last-minute cancellations take on additional responsibility.

The challenge: Encouraging client 
responsibility for bookings.

Salon owners struggle with last-minute cancellations, leading to lost revenue and disrupted schedules. These cancellations often happen without consequences for clients, leaving businesses vulnerable.

‍How might we encourage clients to take responsibility for their bookings without creating unnecessary friction?‍
‍A one-size-fits-all deposit system isn’t the answer- it adds complexity and discourages bookings. Instead, I need a solution that protects salons from unreliable clients while ensuring a seamless experience for trustworthy customers.

During a brainstorming session, I evaluated three approaches to address this challenge:‍
While blocking unreliable clients or imposing strict penalties might reduce no-shows, these approaches risk frustrating users and lowering engagement.
The dynamic deposit system provides a balanced solution - protecting salon owners without disrupting the experience for reliable clients.

A Good Idea Gone Wrong – How We Made Dynamic Deposits Work for Everyone

The initial model relied entirely on an automatic analysis of the number of canceled bookings. This meant that if a user canceled a few appointments in a short period, the system automatically required a deposit. But does every cancellation really mean a lack of responsibility?

‍Main Issues in the Original System:
‍❌ No context behind customer decisions – A client might cancel a booking once for a valid reason (e.g., illness), yet the system treated them as unreliable.
❌ No control for salon owners – They had no say in which clients would be subject to dynamic deposits.
❌ Negative UX – lack of transparency – Users didn't understand why they were required to pay a deposit or how to avoid it in the future.

💡 Key insight: The system should consider more than just cancellation statistics.
To make the solution fairer and more acceptable to salon owners, I decided to introduce a customer rating system managed by users.

Instead of relying solely on an algorithm, salon owners gained a tool to build their own customer reliability database. How Does the New System Work?
✅ Customer evaluation by salon owners – After each visit, the salon can rate the customer based on communication and whether the client showed up, what gives the total reliability score.
✅ Dynamic deposits depend on customer history and salon ratings – If a client frequently cancels last-minute or has negative reviews from salon owners, the system automatically requires a deposit for future bookings. ✅ Customers can rebuild their reputation – If they don’t cancel for a few months, they regain "trusted" status and can book without a deposit.

How UX Principles Reduce No-Shows and Boost Salon Profits

Last-minute cancellations and no-shows leave salons with empty chairs, wasted time, and lost revenue. To fix this, I designed UX solutions that turn casual bookings into real commitments.

By integrating trust scores, manual approvals, deposits, and personalized reminders, I helped salons regain control, reduce cancellations, and boost profits.

These changes ensure a seamless experience for reliable clients, allowing them to book effortlessly while encouraging accountability among less committed customers.
How I Measured Real Impact:
‍
1. Tracked metrics: Booking completion rates, cancellations, and user engagement before and after implementation.

2. Collected feedback: Salon owners felt more in control of their schedules.

3. Observed behavior shifts: Clients became more mindful of their bookings due to deposits and reliability scores.

1. Visibility of System Status → Clients Earn a Trust Score That Follows Them

Visibility of System Status - Evelyn showed up for her appointment, allowing Anna to leave a reliability review. Now, her trust score is visible to all salon owners, making her a preferred customer for future bookings.
✔ Customer Effect: Clients are more committed to showing up, knowing that unreliable behavior could hurt their chances of booking with other salons.

2. User Control & Freedom → Salon Owners Have the Final Say on Bookings

User Control & Freedom - Anna now manually approves bookings, letting her prioritize reliable customers. This puts full control back in her hands.
✔ Customer Effect: Clients respect their bookings more, knowing that frequent cancellations can get them declined in the future.

3. Commitment & Consistency → Dynamic Deposits Prevent No-Shows

User Control & Freedom - Charlotte has skipped 30% of her past appointments, so the system now requires her to pay upfront before booking. Now, salon owners like Anna are protected from last-minute losses.
✔ Customer Effect: Clients become far more committed to showing up when they have a financial stake in their appointment.

Real Impact: Salons using dynamic deposits saw a 42% drop in no-shows within three months.

4. Personalization & Behavioral Triggers → Smart Reminders That Clients Actually Read

User Control & Freedom - Amy receives a custom reminder tailored to her booking behavior, not just another generic notification. Since she needs to confirm with one tap, she’s far less likely to forget or cancel.
✔ Customer Effect: Clients engage more with personalized reminders, knowing that unconfirmed bookings may be released to other clients.

Real Impact: Tailored reminders reduced last-minute cancellations by 30% compared to generic messages.

Validating the Demand for 
a Cancellation Solution

To assess demand for a cancellation management solution, 
I ran a smoke test through a marketing campaign promoting a hypothetical feature that increases client accountability. 
It was positioned as an enhancement for booking platforms (without mentioning Booksy or using branded materials).


Key Results (Google Analytics Data):
- 90% of salon owners clicked to learn more.
- 70% signed up, showing strong interest.
Potential Benefits for Booksy:
1. Increases Trust & Retention – Salon owners feel more secure with better booking protection.
2. Boosts User Engagement – More reliable scheduling leads to higher platform usage.
3. New Revenue Potential – Advanced protection could be a premium feature.



Disclaimer: This test was conducted independently and is not affiliated with Booksy.

See my other case studies

- Da cross-platform music discovery feature for Apple TV+.

- Boosted Apple Music engagement by simplifying how users explore content.
‍
View Case Study
- Reduced cancellations by 42% and improved client retention and revenue.

- Increased productivity by 35% and resolved problems 40% faster.
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View Case Study

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