2025 Survey data: 5 key salon and spa consumer trends shaping appointment management in 2026

How many times have you tried to book an appointment, only to be met with a busy signal, a clunky online form, or a "we're closed" message? It’s a familiar frustration, and in the past year, consumer patience with these kinds of inconvenient booking systems has dropped sharply. For beauty and wellness businesses, this isn't just a minor annoyance; it's a direct hit to the bottom line.  

Limited hours, missed calls, and a lack of personalized service don't just frustrate potential clients – they cost salon and spa businesses real revenue. As we head into 2026, understanding what your clients want from their booking experience is no longer optional. It's a strategic necessity for growth, loyalty, and standing out from the competition. 

Based on fresh survey data from 2025, we've identified the key shifts in client expectations. These trends highlight a clear demand for speed, convenience, and personalization. Businesses that adapt will build stronger client relationships and capture more revenue, while those sticking to outdated methods risk being left behind.  

Let's dive into what your clients will expect in the year ahead. 

The expectation for on-demand service has officially moved into the beauty and wellness space. Think about it: Your clients live in a world where they can order food, stream a movie, or shop online at any hour of the day, as do you. It's no surprise they now expect the same level of accessibility when booking or changing their personal-care appointments. The traditional 9-to-5 business model for handling appointment requests just doesn't cut it anymore. 

Our 2025 data shows that a significant number of consumers (81% of regulars) need to manage their appointments outside of typical business hours at times. Life is busy, and people often remember to book their next haircut or facial late at night or on a weekend. When they're ready to book, they want to do it immediately. Forcing them to wait until your front desk is open causes friction that can lead them to look elsewhere.  

Brian’s experience corroborates our latest survey findings that nearly three out of four salon and spa regulars (73%) would be more loyal to businesses with easier booking and communication. 

The value consumers place on 24/7 access is growing, making it a baseline expectation. Beauty and wellness businesses that offer round-the-clock booking options are better positioned to meet this demand and capture appointments that would otherwise be missed. 

Every point of friction in your booking process is a potential lost client. Think about it: If someone can't easily reach you or if they find your online system confusing, how likely are they to keep trying? The answer is not very.  

In fact, our latest survey reveals that a staggering 69% of salon and spa customers have skipped booking an appointment altogether simply because it was too difficult to get through to someone or book online. For salon and spa regulars, this jumps to 71%. That's 7 out of 10 potential clients walking away.

For medspas, the figure rises again to 79% (nearly 8 out of 10 clients seeking other alternatives). 

This isn't just about a single missed appointment, however; it's about a cumulative loss of revenue and a steady erosion of client loyalty. When customers face limited booking hours or clunky processes, they don't just give up on that one booking – they may give up on your business entirely.  

Every barrier, from a call that goes to voicemail to a website that isn't mobile-friendly, directly contributes to lost income and lower appointment utilization rates. Today’s clients have little patience for inconvenience, and they will quickly move on to a provider that makes their life easier. 

Luckily, there are simple ways for businesses to make appointment booking and rescheduling frictionless.  

Even with the rise of digital tools, voice calls remain a crucial channel for clients. According to our 2025 survey, 77% of salon and spa regulars still believe calling is the easiest way to change an existing appointment. Not surprising, given that for more complex or urgent requests, people value the directness of a phone call. This reliance on the phone comes with a catch: client patience with traditional phone-based service is wearing thin. 

The same clients who prefer calling get frustrated by limited phone availability, long wait times, and the inability to get a quick response. Dissatisfaction from those frustrations can be a real buzzkill for guests looking to schedule appointments for self-care. 

Our 2024 survey data showed that 52% of spa customers will hang up or abandon their attempt to call after three minutes on hold. This puts businesses in a tricky position. You can't abandon the phone, but you also can't afford to have your team tied up answering calls all day, especially when it leads to a poor client experience. The solution lies in finding a balance.  

A modern call answering service or a hybrid approach can ensure every inquiry is handled promptly without overwhelming your staff, meeting clients' preference for phone communication without the associated frustrations. 

The idea of an AI receptionist might have seemed futuristic a few years ago, but client comfort with automation is growing rapidly.  

The key takeaway from our survey is that beauty and wellness clients are increasingly willing to interact with an AI system, as long as it delivers a friendly, accurate experience. They want a response that feels helpful and human-like, even if it’s automated. In short, the quality of the interaction matters more than whether it's with a human or an AI. 

Clients prioritize warmth, accuracy, and reliability, attributes that the best AI receptionists are designed to deliver. This trend does vary by industry. For instance, medspa regulars show a higher acceptance of AI receptionists overall (71%) compared to salon clients (55%).  

There's also a generational split – and this finding might surprise you – middle-aged clients (30 to 60 year olds) are leading AI adoption in salons and spas.  

An AI phone receptionist or AI virtual receptionist can handle after-hours calls, book appointments instantly, and answer common questions, helping provide a consistently positive experience. 

The best AI receptionist for your salon or spa will be one that is customizable. Questions to ask as you assess your options: Can you turn it off during business hours and on at other times? Can you turn it on only during business hours to enable human handoffs? Can you keep it on 24/7 to avoid missed calls round the clock? Does it “remember” a client’s visit and purchase history to personalize the booking experience? 

As with any new technology, trying out an AI receptionist can help you decide if it’s the right solution for your business. 

The days of viewing appointment management as a simple administrative task are over. Your booking system is now a powerful driver of client loyalty. The ease with which clients can book, reschedule, or communicate with your business directly impacts whether they choose to come back.  

Our data makes this connection explicit: salon and spa regulars are significantly more likely to remain loyal to a business that makes booking easy. Nearly three in four (73%) say they’d be more loyal to businesses with easier booking and communication options, with nearly four out of 10 saying they’d be much more loyal. 

Furthermore, clients are actively seeking out businesses that offer better accessibility. A large percentage of consumers (81%) call outside normal hours to manage appointments at least sometimes. This means your appointment system is not just a tool for retaining current clients; it's also a necessary (and powerful) asset for attracting new ones.  

By investing in a system that provides 24/7 access and a frictionless experience, you send a clear message that you value your clients' time and convenience. In the competitive beauty and wellness market of 2026, that message could end up being your most significant advantage. 

Efficiency is non-negotiable: Year-on-year, clients’ patience for delays and inefficiency came through in the surveys. In 2024, 45% of beauty and wellness clients called out wait times before in-person service as their number one frustration. More than half said they would hang up if kept on hold for more than three minutes. With each passing year, the expectation for near-instant gratification grows.  

As we look toward the new year, it's clear the future belongs to businesses that blend tech-enabled convenience with a warm, human touch. The trends point toward even more advanced solutions, such as predictive personalization that anticipates a client's needs, seamless integration with loyalty programs, and smarter appointment reminders that reduce no-shows. 

The central theme is that appointment management is no longer a back-office operation. It has become a strategic lever for growth, impacting everything from client acquisition and retention to staff productivity and overall revenue. Businesses that treat it as such will be the ones to succeed in the coming year. 

To keep up with the heightened demand for efficiency, optimize every touchpoint, from digital self-service to real-time response day and night. This can be a tall order for salons and spas where staff are already stretched thin. Where do we go from here?  

All-in-one software with a built-in booking system can ease the burden. An AI receptionist can also help your front desk keep up with evolving client preferences. Available 24/7, AI virtual receptionists do a great job of capturing missed calls both when staff are busy and when your shop is closed for the day.