The exact message to send a lapsed salon client

You notice a familiar name in your client list — someone who used to come in every six weeks like clockwork. It's been 60 days. Then 75. Now 90. Life got busy for them, or maybe they tried somewhere new, or they just forgot. Either way, they haven't ghosted you on purpose — they've just drifted.

The good news: a single well-timed message brings a lot of them back. The bad news: most salon owners either send nothing (too awkward) or send a generic "We miss you!" blast that gets ignored. Here's how to do it right.

1. Send it at day 60, not day 90

Timing is everything. At 60 days, the gap is noticeable but not embarrassing — for them or for you. By 90 days, clients start to feel a little guilty about not coming back, which actually makes them less likely to respond. Strike while the drift is fresh.

Set a simple rule: anyone who hasn't booked within 60 days of their last appointment gets a message. You can track this manually in a spreadsheet, flag it in your booking software, or let an AI handle the monitoring for you.

2. Use their name and reference their last service

Generic messages get deleted. Specific messages get replies. The single biggest upgrade you can make to a re-engagement message is dropping in a detail that proves you remember them.

Here's a template that works:

"Hey [Name] 👋 It's been a little while! Last time you were in, we did [service — e.g. your balayage touch-up] and it looked amazing. Just wanted to check in and see if you'd like to get booked in before things fill up. What dates work for you?"

That's it. No discount needed. No essay. Just a human note that shows you paid attention.

3. Add a soft reason to act now

You don't need to panic-sell. But giving clients a gentle nudge — a real one — helps them make the decision they were already half thinking about.

A few honest angles that work well:

• Seasonal timing: "Summer colour season is filling up fast — wanted to give you first pick of dates."
• A new service: "We just added a new keratin treatment I think you'd love based on what we've talked about."
• Maintenance window: "Your [colour/cut] is probably ready for a refresh right about now!"

Keep it true. If you're not actually booking up, don't say you are — clients can smell a fake countdown from a mile away.

4. Make replying effortless

The message should end with a question that's easy to answer. "Want to book in?" is okay. "What days work best for you this week or next?" is better — it skips the yes/no gate and moves straight to scheduling.

If you're messaging on WhatsApp, even better. Clients can reply in two seconds between meetings. No login, no app to download, no friction. The easier you make it to respond, the more responses you get.

5. Follow up once if you hear nothing

If there's no reply after five to seven days, one follow-up is completely fine. Keep it light:

"Hey [Name], just wanted to make sure this didn't get buried! Happy to help you find a time that works — no pressure at all 😊"

After that, let it go. You've done your job. Some clients come back in three months, some in a year. The ones who got a warm, personal message from you will remember it — and they'll come back before they go anywhere else.

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Reaching out to 60-day lapsed clients is one of those tasks that feels personal but is actually very repeatable. You can teach a Sidekyk exactly how you like to message clients — your tone, your service names, your typical booking windows — and then let it monitor your client list and send those re-engagement messages via WhatsApp without you having to think about it. Head to sidekyk.ai to see how it works, or just start a WhatsApp chat and tell your Sidekyk what you need.