It's the second week of January, and the shop phone has 46 unread chats. Half are "still got slot before CNY?", a few are regulars asking for their usual, and one is a customer who booked last week and can't remember the time.
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February, according to the Ministry of Manpower's public holiday list. Monday 8 February is a holiday for anyone whose rest day falls on the Sunday. For hair salons and beauty studios that means the busiest stretch is the fortnight before, and for tuition and fitness businesses, the weeks either side.
Before the rush:
- Decide your peak slots and rules in December, not in the rush.
- Write the five replies you'll send fifty times, and save them.
- Tell regulars first, then everyone else.
- Confirm every booking the day before, so cancellations can be refilled.
The rush is mostly the same five questions
Peak enquiries feel endless, but they repeat. "Any slot before CNY?" "How much for cut and colour?" "Open on the eve?" "Can I move my appointment?" "Got gift vouchers?" If you answer each one from scratch, you're typing the same paragraph forty times a day while also serving customers.
Write those answers now. In the WhatsApp Business app, save each as a quick reply, a saved message you insert by typing "/", and keep a 中文 version of the ones your customers ask in Chinese.
Decide the peak rules before December ends
Most of the stress in a rush comes from deciding things on the spot. Settle these in December and write them down:
- Your opening hours from mid-January to the eve, and the days you close.
- Which long services you'll limit, such as rebonding or colour, on the busiest days.
- Whether peak bookings need a deposit, and when it's refunded.
- Your cancellation window for the rush, which may be tighter than usual.
Put the rules in your greeting message, on your website and in each booking confirmation. Our guide to reducing no-shows has a four-line policy you can adapt.
Use December's quiet days to get ready
Most service businesses have a lull between Christmas and the first week of January. That's the time to update your price list on the website and Google Business Profile, set your holiday hours in the profile so Google Maps shows them, and check that your booking calendar has the right slot lengths for long services.
It's also the time to agree staff leave. A rush with one stylist away is a different plan from a rush with the full team, and customers will ask whether their usual person is in.
Regulars should hear first
The customers who come back every year are the ones most likely to be annoyed when there's no slot left. Message your regulars with the peak dates before you announce them anywhere else, and only those who've agreed to hear from you. A one-line note ("CNY slots open from today, reply with a preferred day and we'll hold one") fills the calendar with people you know will turn up. Tuition centres can do the same for current parents, offering holiday make-up classes before advertising trial slots.
One person owns the inbox at each hour
When three staff answer the same phone between customers, chats get answered twice or not at all. Give the inbox an owner for each part of the day, and use chat labels so anyone can see what's done: "New", "Waiting for reply" and "Booked" are enough.
For tuition centres, the January pattern is different: parents ask about the new term, fees and timetable changes. A short pinned answer on your website, and a quick reply that links to it, saves the same explanation going out by hand.
Confirm every booking the evening before
In a rush, a no-show hurts twice, because you turned someone else away for that slot. Send a confirmation the evening before and ask for a reply. Anyone who can't make it frees a slot you can offer to the waiting list the same night. Keep that list in a note on the shop phone, with each person's name, the service and the days they can do.
After the rush, look at what you missed
When the holiday is over, scroll back through January. Count the enquiries that got no reply within a few hours, the slots that went empty and the questions you answered most. That list tells you exactly what to prepare for the year-end rush and the next Chinese New Year. Write it down while it's fresh, because by December nobody remembers which week was the worst.
Frequently asked questions
When is Chinese New Year 2027 in Singapore?
Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 February 2027, according to MOM's public holiday list. Monday 8 February is a public holiday for employees whose rest day falls on 7 February.
How early should a salon open CNY bookings?
Early enough to tell regulars before the general announcement. Many owners decide peak hours and rules in December so January bookings follow a plan rather than daily decisions.
Should I take deposits for CNY bookings?
That is your call. If you do, write the amount, when you take it and when it is refunded, and show that rule before the customer books.
How Furoki can help
Furoki Concierge answers the repeat questions from your approved prices and peak rules in English and 中文, books into real slots, and sends the confirmation and day-before reminder for each booking, so the rush doesn't depend on someone typing between customers. Exceptions go to your team with the conversation attached. Website chat is live today, and WhatsApp on your own number is rolling out with our first pilot businesses.
Ask the demo salon for a slot before CNY and see how it handles the rush.
