Daily Closing Procedures

15-20 minutes

Tutorial 17.2: Daily Closing Procedures

Introduction

A thorough closing routine is just as important as opening properly. End-of-day procedures ensure your cash balances, appointments are properly recorded, and you're prepared for the next business day. This guide provides a comprehensive closing checklist to help you wrap up each day efficiently.

Consistent closing procedures protect your business by catching discrepancies early, ensuring all transactions are properly recorded, and preparing the salon for a smooth start the next morning.

Who this is for: Owners, Admins, Managers, and staff members responsible for closing the salon.

What you'll learn:

How to close and reconcile the cash drawer
Marking no-shows and cancellations
Processing any unbilled appointments
Reviewing tomorrow's schedule
Checking outstanding customer balances
End-of-day reporting

Time to complete: 15-20 minutes

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Access to your Luminate account with appropriate permissions
All customers have left the premises
All services for the day have been completed

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Process Any Remaining Transactions

Before closing, ensure all completed services have been billed.

Click Appointments in the sidebar menu
Set the view to Today
Look for appointments with a Completed status that show Unbilled billing status
For each unbilled appointment:
- Click on the appointment to open it
- Click Create Transaction to open the POS
- Process the payment and complete the transaction

Identifying unbilled appointments:

Appointments display their billing status
Look for "Unbilled" indicators on completed appointments
The customer's profile also shows unbilled appointments in their history

Step 2: Mark No-Shows and Late Cancellations

Update any appointments where customers didn't arrive or cancelled at the last minute.

Still in Appointments > Today view
Look for appointments that are still showing as Scheduled but the time has passed
For each no-show:
- Click on the appointment
- In the Status section, click the No Show button
- Add any notes if needed (e.g., "Did not arrive, no contact")
For late cancellations:
- Click on the appointment
- Click the Cancel button (or the Cancel status button)
- Select the cancellation reason
- Note whether to refund any deposits

Tip: Recording no-shows accurately helps identify patterns and customers who frequently miss appointments.

Step 3: Close the Cash Drawer

The cash drawer reconciliation is a critical end-of-day task.

Click Cash Drawers in the sidebar menu
Find your open cash drawer (showing Active status in green)
Review the session statistics:
- Float - Your opening balance
- Sales - Cash payments received during the day
- Payouts - Cash removed for expenses
- Expected - What should be in the drawer
Click Close Drawer
In the dialog:
- You'll see the Opening Float and Expected Closing amounts
- Count the physical cash in your drawer carefully
- Enter the Actual Cash Count
- The system will calculate any variance automatically
The variance indicator shows:
- Balanced (green) - Your count matches the expected amount
- Over (blue) - More cash than expected
- Short (red) - Less cash than expected
If there's a variance, add Notes explaining the discrepancy
Click Close Drawer to complete

Understanding variances:

Small variances (under £1) are common due to rounding
Larger variances should be investigated and documented
Consistent variances may indicate a process issue

Step 4: Review Tomorrow's Schedule

Prepare for the next day by reviewing upcoming appointments.

Click Appointments in the sidebar menu
Navigate to tomorrow's date using the date picker or navigation arrows
Review the schedule for:
- Total appointment count - Is it a busy day?
- Staff coverage - Are all needed staff rostered?
- First appointment time - What time should you open?
- Colour services - Check skin test validity
- New customers - Any first-time visitors to prepare for?
Note any appointments that need preparation:
- Special products to have ready
- Extended time slots for complex services
- VIP customers requiring extra attention

Step 5: Check the Roster for Tomorrow

Confirm staffing is adequate for tomorrow's appointments.

Click Roster in the sidebar menu
Navigate to tomorrow's date
Verify:
- All staff needed for appointments are rostered
- Shift times cover appointment times (with buffer)
- No conflicting approved leave

If you spot a problem:

Contact staff immediately to arrange cover
Consider contacting customers to reschedule if needed
Update the roster accordingly

Step 6: Check Outstanding Balances

Review any customers with unpaid amounts.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Accounts Receivable
Review the list of customers with outstanding balances
Note any balances that:
- Are significantly overdue
- Belong to customers visiting tomorrow
- Need follow-up action

Taking action on outstanding balances:

For customers visiting soon, you can collect the balance during their next visit
For overdue amounts, consider sending a reminder message
For very old debts, discuss write-off options with your manager

Step 7: Record Any Cash Drops or Movements

If you removed cash for safe storage during the day, ensure it's recorded.

Click Cash Drawers in the sidebar menu
Click History on the closed session (if you need to review)
Verify all movements are correctly recorded:
- Top Up - Cash added to the drawer
- Payout - Cash removed for expenses
- Safe Drop - Cash moved to the safe

Note: All movements should have been recorded during the day. This is just a final verification.

Step 8: Review Daily Performance (Optional)

Take a few minutes to review the day's performance.

Click Dashboard in the sidebar menu
In the Analytics section, click Today to view today's metrics
Review key metrics:
- Total revenue generated
- Number of transactions completed
- Staff performance rankings
- Rebook rate for the day
For more detailed analysis:
- Click Reports > Daily Revenue for transaction breakdown
- Click Reports > Staff Performance for individual stats

Daily Closing Checklist

Use this quick reference checklist each evening:

Task	Location	Time
Process remaining transactions	POS / Appointments	5 min
Mark no-shows and cancellations	Appointments	3 min
Close and reconcile cash drawer	Cash Drawers	5 min
Review tomorrow's appointments	Appointments	3 min
Check tomorrow's roster	Roster	2 min
Check outstanding balances	Reports > Accounts Receivable	2 min
Verify cash movements recorded	Cash Drawers > History	1 min

Total time: approximately 20 minutes

Common Pitfalls

"The cash drawer is short and I don't know why"

Common causes include: incorrect change given, unrecorded payouts, transactions processed as cash but paid by card. Check the movement history for the session. If you can't find the discrepancy, document it clearly in the closing notes.

"I forgot to mark appointments as no-show before closing"

You can still update appointment statuses after the day ends. Go to Appointments, select the past date, and update the status. This ensures accurate reporting and customer history.

"A customer left without paying"

If you notice this at closing, you have options:

Contact the customer to arrange payment
Create a pending transaction for collection at their next visit
Document the situation for your manager

"The system shows unbilled appointments but I know they paid"

Check if the payment was accidentally linked to a different customer or created as a standalone transaction. Look in POS > Transactions for the payment. If found, you may need to link it to the correct appointment.

Tips and Best Practices

Start closing procedures 30 minutes before you need to leave - This prevents rushing and missing important steps.
Count cash twice - Always count your cash drawer at least twice before entering the closing amount. A moment of extra care prevents discrepancies.
Don't ignore small variances - While occasional small differences are normal, patterns of variances should be investigated. They may indicate process issues or training needs.
Communicate issues immediately - If you discover significant problems during closing (missing payments, major variances, etc.), contact your manager before leaving.
Prepare for tomorrow as part of closing - Reviewing tomorrow's schedule while the day is fresh helps you anticipate needs and start the next day smoothly.
Secure all cash properly - Follow your salon's procedures for cash storage. Never leave cash unsecured overnight.
Log out of shared devices - If you use shared computers or tablets, log out of Luminate to protect customer and business data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I find a variance but can't explain it?

Document the variance clearly in the closing notes. Include the amount, the date, and any circumstances that might be relevant (busy day, new staff, etc.). Patterns of unexplained variances should be reviewed with management.

Should I still close the cash drawer if we only had card payments?

Yes. Even if no cash transactions occurred, you should still close the drawer session. Your closing balance should match your opening float exactly. This maintains the audit trail and confirms no cash was handled.

What if I discover a problem after I've already closed the drawer?

You cannot reopen a closed drawer session. Document the issue in your records and inform your manager. If a transaction needs correction, it may need to be handled as an adjustment the next day.

How do I handle appointments that finished after our official closing time?

Complete all transactions before closing the cash drawer, even if it's after hours. You can close the drawer whenever you finish - there's no cut-off time. Just ensure all that day's business is processed.

Should I review tomorrow's schedule if someone else is opening?

If possible, yes. You may notice issues that the opening person wouldn't know about. At minimum, hand over any important notes about tomorrow's appointments to the person opening.

Last Updated: January 2026