The margin is not wasted time
In an appointment calendar without margins, every delay is definitive: there is no moment in the day when it can be absorbed. With a few minutes between one appointment and the next, however, a delay is consumed and the four o'clock client enters at four.
Those minutes are not inactivity. They are needed to tidy up the station, prepare the mixture, say goodbye without rushing to those leaving, and welcome those entering. If they are not in the appointment calendar, they are taken anyway, but from the time of the next appointment, which therefore starts late.
The right margin depends on the service. After a color, more time is needed than after a blow-dry, because there is cleaning and reorganizing to do. For this reason, a single value for the whole salon works less well than a general value with exceptions for services that require it.
How much margin for which service
The table indicates where more breathing room is needed and why.
| Service | Margin | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Cut or styling | Minimum | Workstation to be tidied up, little else |
| Color or touch-up | Medium | Cleaning, mixing, reorganization |
| Lightening or long path | Wide | More steps and more material |
| First visit with consultation | Medium | Dedicated time before starting |
How to set it up
Measure the typical delay
How late you close in a normal week.
Divide by appointments
Obtain the missing margin for each one.
Configure general settings and exceptions
More breathing room for technical services.
Re-measure after two weeks
And correct, without overdoing it.
How to calibrate it
- Start from a general value and add exceptions for technical services.
- Measure the average delay before and after.
- Do not increase it for safety: it costs capacity.
The simplest way to adjust margins is to look at how late the salon closes in a typical week. If it is twenty minutes over eight appointments, the missing margin is about two or three minutes each: you add them and measure again.
The opposite error is just as costly. Wide margins everywhere take away one or two appointments a day, which over a month is a lot: the margin goes where the work requires it, not everywhere out of caution.
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
How many minutes to leave between one client and another?
Those needed to tidy up and welcome: few after a blowout, more after a color. They are derived from the average delay at the end of the day.
Does the margin lose appointments?
If it is broad everywhere, yes. It must be placed where the work requires it, not for general caution.
Is it needed even before the appointment?
Yes: preparing the station and the mixture takes time, and if it is not in the calendar, it is taken from the appointment itself.