Where they come from
The most frequent cause is two channels writing into different records: one booking arrives online, another goes in by hand over the phone, and neither knows about the other. While the salon is empty nothing happens; at peak times it happens regularly.
The second cause is technical and less visible: availability is shown to a person, then not re-checked when that person confirms. Minutes pass between display and save, and in those minutes somebody else can take the same slot.
The third involves pending requests. If a request not yet approved doesn't hold the slot, the system keeps offering it: two people take it, and one of them will get an awkward phone call.
Why clashes happen
The chart is qualitative and shows how much each cause contributes to the problem.
Risky setups
The table compares a fragile setup and a solid one.
| Aspect | Fragile | Solid |
|---|---|---|
| Entry channels | Several separate records | One calendar |
| Check on save | None | Re-check in the same operation |
| Pending requests | Don't hold the slot | Hold it and expire |
| Manual entries | On a separate sheet | In the same calendar |
How to prevent them
One calendar
The phone writes there too.
Re-check on save
Availability gets verified twice.
Requests that block
And that expire by themselves.
A recovery routine
Call straight away and two alternatives.
How to eliminate them
- Make every booking land in one calendar.
- Check the system re-verifies availability on save.
- Make sure pending requests block the slot.
The most important point is a single record. Appointments taken over the phone must go into the same calendar that feeds the public page: a separate sheet "for the long-standing clients" is the most common cause of clashes.
When a double booking happens anyway, recovery matters as much as prevention. Calling straight away, offering two concrete alternatives and something tangible resolves most cases; discovering it when the second client arrives doesn't.
One calendar, with an atomic re-check
In Saloria online bookings and manual entries land in the same calendar. A pending request holds the slot and expires if it isn't approved within the limit you set; approval, changes and creation re-check availability in the same transaction, so published availability never becomes a promise the salon can't keep.
Frequently asked questions
Why do double bookings happen?
Almost always because two channels write into different records, or because the availability shown isn't re-checked at the moment of saving.
Can I keep a paper diary alongside the online one?
It's the most common cause of clashes. If it's really needed, it must be a read-only copy, not a second record.
Should a pending request block the slot?
Yes. Otherwise the system keeps offering it and two people can book the same time.