The hours when decisions are made
The moment a person realizes they need a hairdresser rarely coincides with opening hours. It happens in the evening while looking in the mirror, or on Sunday while organizing the week: these are hours when a phone ringing unanswered is a lost booking.
Accepting bookings outside of hours does not require someone to watch: it requires rules written once. The minimum notice prevents someone from booking for ten minutes from now; the limit on days in advance prevents filling a calendar that does not yet exist; the maximum number of appointments per day protects against an impossible Saturday.
With those three rules set, an 11 PM booking is indistinguishable from one taken over the phone at 10 AM. It enters the calendar, receives confirmation, and the salon sees it the next morning along with all the others.
The rules that make the channel secure
The table lists the parameters to be set and what they prevent.
| Rule | What it prevents | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum advance | Bookings for a few minutes from now | A few hours |
| Bookable days in advance | Calendars that do not exist yet | Weeks, not months |
| Maximum appointments per day | Impossible days | Depends on the team |
| Request deadline | Slots blocked for nothing | A few hours |
How to manage them
Set the minimum deposit
A few hours, not a few minutes.
Limit the horizon
Weeks, not months.
Set a daily cap
On the number of appointments.
Check the morning
First thing, before opening.
Before opening the channel
- Set the minimum deposit before publishing.
- Limit the days that can be booked in advance.
- Check overnight bookings first thing in the morning.
The limit on days in advance is what protects against surprises: if you accept bookings six months out, you must have vacations, closures, and shifts already entered for six months. A few weeks are almost always sufficient and drastically reduce the work of calendar maintenance.
The morning check remains necessary even with automatic confirmation. Not to approve, but to see what has come in: a day that filled up during the night changes the organization, and noticing it at eleven is too late.
From guide to salon work
In Saloria, you can set services and durations, define salon hours, and receive bookings on your public page. The general calendar is free; separate calendars for professionals are available from the Basic plan. Appointment management. Compare updated features, quotas, and prices.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to answer at night?
No. Rules set once are needed: minimum notice, bookable days in advance, and daily cap.
Can someone book for ten minutes from now?
Only if you haven't set a minimum advance notice. With that active, slots that are too close are not offered.
How far in advance is it worth allowing bookings?
A few weeks. A long horizon requires holidays, closures, and shifts already entered for that entire period.