It's 9:47 AM.

Your 11:00 lash fill just cancelled. That's $120 gone—unless you can fill it.

You have 73 minutes. Here's what to do.

The first 5 minutes: your VIP list

You should have a mental (or actual) list of clients who:

Asked for an earlier time but couldn't get one
Live or work nearby
Have flexible schedules
Love last-minute openings

Text them first. Not a mass blast—a personal message.

"Hey [Name]! Had a cancellation at 11 today. I know you wanted to get in sooner—want it?"

The next 10 minutes: your waitlist

A proper booking system keeps a waitlist automatically.

When someone can't book their preferred time, they go on the waitlist. When a slot opens, they get notified.

This should happen without you doing anything. If you're manually tracking this in your head, you're losing slots.

The 15-30 minute window: social media

Post a story. Keep it simple:

"Last-minute opening today at 11am! DM me to grab it."

Add a countdown sticker or poll. Make it feel urgent (because it is).

Pro tip: If you do this consistently, your followers will start watching for these posts. Some clients specifically prefer last-minute deals.

What NOT to do

❌ Panic discount — Offering 50% off trains clients to wait for cancellations

❌ Mass text blast — Feels spammy, annoys people who can't make it

❌ Nothing — The slot stays empty, you lose the revenue

The prevention game

Filling cancellations is reactive. The real win is reducing them.

Confirmation requests

Send a message 24-48 hours before:

"Hi [Name]! Just confirming your lash appointment tomorrow at 2pm. Reply YES to confirm or call us if you need to reschedule."

Clients who confirm are 80% less likely to no-show or late-cancel.

Cancellation policies

Have one. Communicate it clearly. Enforce it (at least sometimes).

"Cancellations within 24 hours may be charged 50% of the service fee."

You don't have to charge every time. But having the policy makes people think twice.

Deposits for new clients

New clients have no relationship with you yet. A small deposit ($20-30) filters out people who aren't serious.

The automated approach

Here's what smart lash artists set up:

Automated reminders go out 48 hours and 24 hours before
Confirmation requests require a response
Waitlist notifications fire automatically when slots open
Cancellation policies are shown during booking

You shouldn't be chasing clients or manually filling gaps. The system should do it.

Track your cancellation rate

Do you know your actual cancellation rate?

If it's above 10%, you have a system problem. If it's above 15%, you're bleeding money.

Track it monthly. Look for patterns:

Same day of the week?
Same time slots?
Same clients?

Patterns tell you where to focus.

The silver lining

Cancellations aren't all bad.

A cancelled slot can become:

A break you desperately needed
Time to catch up on admin
An opportunity to delight a waitlist client
A chance to post content

The goal isn't zero cancellations (impossible). It's having a system that handles them gracefully.

Your cancellation game plan

Build a VIP/flexible client list
Maintain an automated waitlist
Use social media for last-minute openings
Send confirmation requests
Have a clear cancellation policy
Track your rate monthly

Don't let cancellations control your income

Every empty slot is lost revenue you can't recover.

The right systems turn cancellations from emergencies into minor inconveniences.

👉 Vinci 26 includes automated reminders, waitlist management, and confirmation requests—so cancellations fill themselves.

Build something that's truly yours.

Filling Last-Minute Cancellations: A Tactical Guide