The Ultimate Holiday Scheduling Survival Guide to Boost Bookings and Sales
The bells will soon be jingling and the lights strung, but there’s still time to make sure your business is set up for success this season. With consumer spending reaching new heights during holidays like Black Friday, Christmas, and New Year’s, it’s the perfect opportunity for appointment-based businesses to attract new client bookings and increase revenue with exciting holiday deals.
Whether you’re helping clients look good for their holiday parties or getting them organized for tax season, this guide will walk you through key holiday scheduling strategies to enhance your client experience, boost your bottom line, and keep appointments running smoothly during the most hectic time of year.
Why the holidays are a merry and bright opportunity to grow your business
The holidays are one of the most profitable periods for businesses, as clients actively seek out deals, gifts, and special experiences. Deloitte’s 2024 holiday survey revealed that shoppers plan to increase their spending by 8% compared to last year, with 75% planning to participate in October and November promotional events. Not only that, they’re favoring experiences over goods—Deloitte projects a 16% increase in average expected holiday spend on experiences from 2023. Good news for appointment-based businesses!
What types of businesses might see a surge during the holidays?
Beauty: Clients book hair, makeup, and nail appointments, as well as other aesthetic enhancements like lash extensions, so they can stay photo-ready.
Photography: Speaking of getting photo-ready—family portraits, holiday card photoshoots, Santa meet and greets, and event photography are high in demand.
Wellness: Clients turn to spas, massage therapists, and energy healers for stress relief, rejuvenation, or just to treat themselves and loved ones.
Leisure: With more time off and family get-togethers, clients seek out group activities and experiences they can share.
Fitness: Clients want to look and feel their best and are beginning to set goals for a healthier lifestyle in the year to come.
Business services: Clients may consult with financial consultants, legal advisors, and tax preparers to close out the year successfully and prepare for the next.
Retail: Of course, ‘tis the season to shop ‘till you drop. Clients might hire professionals to help with gift buying or personal styling for holiday events, or schedule fittings and alterations, custom jewelry designs, and in-store experiences like candle making.
But that’s not all—no matter your business type, now’s the time to optimize your schedule (and your offers) to ensure you’re ready for increased demand and stand out in a sea of sales. Here’s everything we recommend you do to make the most of this time of year while keeping your sanity in check.
How to use scheduling software to maximize holiday bookings
Set up appointment coupons
Creating holiday coupons is an easy and effective way to incentivize clients to book appointments. With Acuity Scheduling, you can set up a variety of coupons to fit your holiday needs. Need some inspiration? Here are a few ways you can use coupons this holiday season:
Holiday deal: Offer a short-term, exclusive holiday discount for events like Black Friday or Christmas Eve. Set a coupon code that expires at midnight the day after the holiday to create urgency.
Limited availability: Want to reward fast-acting clients? Create a coupon that limits the number of uses (e.g., the first 50 clients get 20% off) to encourage them to book early.
Specific offers: Create coupon codes that can only be used for specific appointment types. For example, you could offer a discount code specifically for gel manicures (e.g., HOLIDAYGEL), and encourage more clients to book that service for longer-lasting nails.
Creating coupon codes in Acuity is simple, and they can be an excellent way to fill your holiday calendar and get more clients spending. Advertise them to your audience to drive them to book. During the checkout process, clients can enter the coupon code to receive their discount.
Create packages so good they don’t need gift wrap
Who doesn’t want more for less? Acuity enables you to create enticing bundles of multiple appointments or services at a discounted rate. Use this feature to offer a Buy One, Get One (BOGO) deal, creating a package of two appointments for the price of one. This is a great way to get more clients through the door (virtual or otherwise) and encourage repeat bookings.
You can even create coupons for packages, offering a discount on top of the already discounted rate. This "deal on a deal" strategy is sure to entice clients to book a session (or two).
Sell holiday gift cards to present-seekers
A popular gift option for friends, family, loved ones, and even colleagues, gift certificates are perfect for everyone on your list. Not only will they encourage existing clients to buy from you, but they’ll also help you reach new clients through their gift giving.
Creating new gift certificates is quick and easy in Acuity. Plus, they’re completely customizable—choose if and when they expire, and their redeemable value. Once you set them up, clients can buy the gift certificate to give to someone else, introducing friends and family to your services. Their chosen recipient can then redeem the gift certificate when booking an appointment with you.
Promote your gift certificates as the perfect present this holiday season to increase both revenue and client acquisition.
Hit subscribe to keep clients coming back
If your business provides services that clients schedule habitually, like monthly facials or weekly yoga classes, a seasonal subscription offering can be a game-changer for boosting revenue and securing client loyalty.
Put a holiday-themed spin on an ongoing service and sell it as a subscription or membership for a set number of billing cycles. For example, a “Winter Wellness” subscription to indulge in seasonal specials at the spa, a “Holiday Shave Club” for routine maintenance all season long, or a “Jingle Bell Bootcamp” to kickstart those 2025 fitness goals. Clients will be drawn to the convenience and value, while you get repeat business.
Embrace togetherness with special events, group classes, or workshops
The holidays bring people together—so why not give them something to do? Host a limited time, seasonal event, class, or workshop for couples or groups to book and share in a special experience. Thanks to Acuity’s video conferencing integrations, you can meet with multiple clients at the same time in either virtual or in-person settings based on your preference.
Upsell clients with add-ons to increase the value of every booking
Don’t want more on your to-do list? One of the most effective ways to boost revenue without requiring additional bookings is through add-ons. With Acuity, you can offer exciting seasonal extras that can be added to an appointment with a few clicks when clients book online. For example, makeup application added to a haircut, 15 minutes of aromatherapy added to a massage, or an aftercare kit added to a nail service.
With these personalized options, clients can customize their experience and you can increase your revenue without taking on more appointments.
Quick tips for advertising holiday promotions
Once you’ve launched your holiday promotions, it’s essential to advertise them effectively to ensure your clients know about them. Here are a couple easy ways to spread the word and get that holiday sales boost:
Target your list with email and SMS campaigns
Send personalized holiday messages to your existing mailing lists and include any coupon codes, special offers, and links to the gift certificates, packages, or subscriptions you’d like them to purchase. With Acuity’s powerful email integrations with platforms like ActiveCampaign and Squarespace, you can easily add Acuity clients as subscribers to level up your marketing throughout the holidays.
Bring good tidings to your social media networks
Share your holiday promotions on your social media profiles like Instagram and Facebook to generate excitement and engagement. Highlight specific deals through ads or organic posts that showcase the value of your holiday services, creating urgency and FOMO with countdowns.
Once you’ve caught their eye, reduce friction with a Book button on your profile or a convenient link in bio that takes clients (and prospects) directly to your page where they can buy or book a time.
How to protect your (very) limited time during the busiest time
With clients drawn to these holiday specials, your calendar might feel more chaotic than usual—but it doesn’t have to get out of hand. With the right tools and strategies, you can increase efficiency while delighting your clients during the holiday rush.
Automate email and SMS notifications
Set up automated confirmations and reminders to notify clients of their upcoming appointments via email or SMS. This drastically reduces no-shows without any extra work on your part, ensuring your time slots stay filled while any necessary changes are made in a timely fashion.
But don’t stop there—capitalize on the boost in business by collecting client feedback. Send an automated follow-up post-appointment to express your gratitude and request that your client leave a review. With more positive reviews about your business circulating online, you can turn a short-term seasonal success into long-lasting results.
Accept deposits or payment in advance
Don’t let late cancellations and no-calls/no-shows disrupt your schedule this season. Acuity offers secure online payment processing, so clients can pay before their appointment.
Require a deposit or payment during booking as a financial incentive for clients to commit to their appointments and show up on time. Alternatively, you could request a credit card number upfront to be charged in the event of a no-show. This keeps your schedule and revenue stable, giving you peace of mind.
Add appointment padding
Even a few minutes of buffer time between holiday appointments can help you avoid conflict and improve client experiences. Add padding to the beginning or end of appointments (or both) to allocate extra time for clean-up, prep, admin, a quick breather, or the unexpected.
Download Acuity’s mobile scheduling app
Between travel, events, and last-minute needs, everyone needs a bit more flexibility during the holidays. With Acuity’s mobile appointment booking app, you can manage your schedule and keep up with clients even when you’re away from your desk.
View your calendar and client lists, make changes, get paid, stay up to date with push notifications, and much more—all while on the go. Whatever business you’re running, the mobile app will help you stay agile and organized during the busy season and beyond.
Test your online booking setup beforehand
Don’t wait until the peak of the holidays to find out something’s not working as it should. Set yourself up for success from the very start of the season by testing your scheduler ahead of time.
Review your calendar to check that your availability is correct, that any appointment padding is set, and that all holiday offers are live. Then test scheduling an appointment, using a coupon, purchasing a package, and completing a payment as if you were a client before you start promotion to ensure everyone has a smooth booking and buying experience.
If you need an extra hand this holiday season, invite staff members as contributors to your Acuity Scheduling account to get support with viewing, editing, and booking appointments.
You’re on your way to sleigh the holidays
There’s no better time to boost your sales, attract new clients, and build stronger relationships with your existing ones. With Acuity Scheduling, you have all the tools you need to manage the holiday rush efficiently and hit your goals before the year’s close. From setting up coupons and packages to automating effective reminders, your business and your clients can have the best holiday season yet.
Get started with a free trial now to start preparing, and watch your bookings and revenue soar.
