Technical time and station time
The technical time for a blow-dry can be twenty minutes. Station time includes the welcome, the wash, the discussion in the mirror, and the final styling, and easily reaches forty. The appointment calendar must be built on the latter, because that is what actually occupies the chair.
The difference between the two numbers is the reason why some salons are always late despite working quickly. It is not a question of speed: it is that the appointment calendar only counts the technical part and ignores everything else, which happens anyway.
When a client books two services, the question becomes how to add them up. The sum of the durations is almost always correct; what should not be added are the free times before and after, which remain one at the beginning and one at the end even if there are three services.
How to add up services
The table explains what is added up and what is not when a visit includes more than one.
| Element | It adds up | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Service duration | Yes | The total is the sum of the individual items. |
| Free time before | No | Only one, at the beginning of the visit |
| Free time after | No | Only one, at the end of the visit |
| Pause between services | No | Are they consecutive in the same visit |
How to set them up
Time the station time
From the moment they sit down to when they are free.
Measure on busy days
This is where the hidden minutes appear.
Configure free time slots
One before and one after, not between services.
Review every few months
They change with the team, techniques, and clientele.
How to fix them
- Measure station time, not technical time.
- Sum the durations, not the free time.
- Review durations every few months.
Measurement should be done on the most frequent services and on busy days, not on a quiet Tuesday. It is on busy days that hidden minutes emerge — waiting at the washbasin, handing over between colleagues — and those are what generate the end-of-day delay.
When the team changes, durations change. A new person takes longer on the same services for the first few months: taking this into account in the calendar avoids offloading the delay onto the person who is learning, which is the fastest way to make them work worse.
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 use the price list durations?
No. The price list indicates technical time; the agenda needs the time the station remains occupied, which is longer.
How do you calculate a visit with multiple services?
Summing the durations of the services, with only one free time slot at the beginning and one at the end of the visit.
How often should durations be reviewed?
Every few months, and every time the team changes: a new person takes longer on the same services.