British consumers care more about friendly service and reliable appointments than finding the lowest prices when choosing beauty treatments, according to new research from global financial technology company SumUp.
An analysis of more than 325,000 UK reviews across barbers, hairdressers, nail salons, makeup artists, and skin clinics found that friendly, professional staff and dependable appointment experiences were significantly more likely to generate positive feedback than value for money.
The findings come as online reviews play an increasingly important role in consumer decisions, with thousands of people searching for beauty treatments online each month. As AI powered search increasingly summarises customer reviews before users even visit a website, businesses face greater pressure to deliver experiences that customers are willing to recommend.
Bristol crowned UK capital for customer satisfaction
The study revealed significant differences in customer satisfaction across the UK. Bristol emerged as the highest rated city for beauty appointments, achieving an overall score of 95.2 out of 100. It was more than 15 points ahead of London, which ranked 2nd with 80.7 and received praise for smooth appointment management. Sheffield completed the top three with 71.7.
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 |
Manchester records highest level of customer complaints
While many locations received glowing feedback, others showed greater room for improvement. Manchester recorded the highest overall complaint score at 79.3 out of 100, with concerns about appointment reliability and value for money appearing more frequently than elsewhere. It also had the highest average number of complaints about delayed, cancelled, or rescheduled appointments, with 38.3 mentions.
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 |
Friendly service consistently beats low prices
Across all categories, staff behaviour featured in almost 39% of positive reviews, while value for money appeared in just 2.63%.
The main drivers of customer feedback by sector were
| 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) |
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.”