- Brits care more about friendly service and reliable appointments than the lowest prices when choosing beauty treatments.
- The highest ranked negatives overall were for service (28.35), atmosphere (23.00), quality (16.29), advice (10.38), and value (7.42).
- Bristol ranks as the UK’s best city for beauty appointments, while Manchester receives the highest level of complaints.
- Analysis of more than 325,000 UK beauty reviews reveals what customers really value before leaving a five-star review, prompting businesses to focus on five core areas for 2027 growth.
New research from global financial technology company SumUp reveals what really matters to customers when booking beauty appointments, and it turns out finding the lowest price isn’t high on the list.
Analysing more than 325,000 UK reviews across barbers, hairdressers, nail salons, makeup artists and skin clinics, the study found that friendly, professional staff and reliable appointment experiences are far more likely to earn positive reviews than value for money.
The findings come at a time when online reviews play an increasingly important role in consumer decisions, with thousands of Brits searching for beauty treatments online each month (1). As AI-powered search increasingly summarises customer reviews before even landing on a website, businesses are under greater pressure to deliver experiences customers are eager to recommend, prompting SumUp to share the key areas to improve for 2027 business growth.
Friendly service beats low prices
Across all beauty categories analysed, customers were far more likely to praise friendly, professional staff than low prices. Staff behaviour appeared in almost 39 out of every 100 positive reviews, while value for money featured in just 2.63. Meanwhile, delays, cancellations and booking issues emerged as the bigger frustrations, showing that reliability is just as important as the service.
The highest ranked negatives overall were for service (28.35), atmosphere (23.00), quality (16.29), advice (10.38), and lastly value at 7.42.
| Business type | Top praised theme* | Top complaint* |
| Barbers | Friendly, welcoming, attentive staff – 30.86 | Waiting, late appointments or booking problems – 21.12 |
| Hairdressers | Friendly, professional stylist – 37.55 | Late appointments or poor scheduling – 31.54 |
| Nail salons | Friendly nail technicians – 51.35 | Rude, unfriendly or unprofessional technicians – 32.21 |
| Makeup artists | Friendly, calming artist – 40.56 | Rude, rushed or careless artists – 26.22 |
| Skin & aesthetics | Reassuring, attentive staff – 51.35 | Appointment delays or cancellations – 37.60 |
* Scored out of 100
The data reveals a clear pattern across the beauty industry: people are far more likely to leave a glowing review after receiving friendly, professional service than after simply receiving good value for money.
Meanwhile, rude interactions, poor communication, and appointment disruptions are among the strongest drivers of negative feedback.
For customers deciding where to book their next appointment, the findings suggest reviews mentioning staff friendliness, professionalism, and reliability may be stronger indicators of a great experience than price alone.
Bristol crowned UK’s best city for beauty appointments
With research revealing significant differences in customer satisfaction across the country
The UK’s most-loved cities for beauty appointments
| Rank | City | Total score, max 100 |
| 1 | Bristol | 95.2 |
| 2 | London | 80.7 |
| 3 | Sheffield | 71.7 |
| 4 | Southampton | 67.6 |
| 5 | Brighton and Hove | 66.2 |
| 6 | Birmingham | 63.4 |
| 6 | Bournemouth | 63.4 |
| 8 | Plymouth | 61.4 |
| 9 | Edinburgh | 60.0 |
| 10 | Reading | 57.9 |
Bristol emerged as the clear winner, achieving an overall score of 95.2 out of 100, more than 15 points ahead of the next highest-ranked city. Customers frequently praised the quality of treatments and experienced staff.
London ranked second with a score of 80.7. The capital received particularly strong feedback for its appointment management and reliability, making it the UK’s highest-scoring city for a smooth, hassle-free customer experience.
Sheffield rounded out the top three, highlighting high quality and results.
Manchester sees the most customer complaints
While many cities received glowing feedback, others showed greater room for improvement.
UK’s most complained-about cities
| Rank | City | Total score, max 100 |
| 1 | Manchester | 79.3 |
| 2 | Birmingham | 73.8 |
| 3 | Nottingham | 69.0 |
| 4 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 66.2 |
| 4 | Norwich | 66.2 |
| 4 | Portsmouth | 66.2 |
| 7 | Leicester | 64.1 |
| 8 | Southampton | 63.4 |
| 9 | Bristol | 62.1 |
| 10 | London | 57.9 |
Manchester recorded the highest overall complaint score at 79.3 out of 100. Concerns around appointment reliability and value for money appeared more frequently here than in any other major city analysed.
The findings suggest that while customers are willing to pay for quality beauty services, their expectations around punctuality, communication and overall customer care remain high.
Manchester also recorded the highest average number of complaints related to delayed, cancelled or rescheduled appointments, with 38.3 mentions on average. For busy consumers fitting appointments around work and family commitments, reliability appears just as important as the treatment itself.
Gabriel Destremaut, Small Business Expert at SumUp comments:
“For beauty business owners, the takeaway isn’t necessarily about offering the cheapest or the fastest service. It’s all about removing friction points that can turn an otherwise positive experience into a negative review. From making it easier to book to being attentive during the treatment, small changes can make a big difference to the overall experience. When the diary runs smoothly, customers are more likely to remember their visit for the right reasons.”
