Chapter 3
How to fill a last minute cancellation
Have one waitlist and one text ready before it happens. When a gap opens, send the text to the whole list, and give the slot to whoever replies first.
What to do when a client cancels
Late cancellations are common. In a 2026 survey by the booking platform Fresha, 62% of UK beauty and wellness clients who cancel said they give less than 24 hours' notice. A ready process turns those gaps back into bookings.
- Note the cancellation and apply your policy if it was late.
- Check your waitlist for anyone who said that day or time works.
- Send the short notice text to them, or to the whole list if it's small.
- Book the first person who replies and tell the others it's taken.
A waitlist that isn't another job
Keep it in one place: your booking tool's waitlist if it has one, or a note on your phone. Ask for a name, a number and the days or times that work. When you have to tell someone you're full, offer the list in the same breath. The waitlist guide covers what to collect, the texts to send and which booking tools run it for you.
The waitlist text to send when a spot opens
To your waitlist
To the ones who missed it
Many booking tools can run a waitlist and send openings for you. The waitlist guide compares them, with plans and prices.
Questions owners ask
How do I run a waitlist without it becoming another job?
Keep one list, ask only for a name, a number and the times that work, and send one text to everyone when a gap opens. First to reply gets it. No calling down the list.
What if I tell people I'm full?
Offer the waitlist in the same breath, so “I'm full” becomes a next step rather than a reason to look elsewhere.
Sources
Updated 3 November 2026