24 Hour Cancellation Policy

[SpeckledlyHen]

Just wondered what others thoughts were on this. I had a hair appointment booked for this evening. It was for cut/colour/blowdry.
My husband had an emergency and had to take my car this morning (his is in the garage getting repaired) so I rang the hairdressers first thing this morning to rearrange my appointment to either tomorrow or Monday/Tuesday. This is a small village salon, everyone knows everyone and my husband also goes there.

I left a message on the ansaphone and no-one answered. Someone rang me back and said that it was company policy to charge 50% of the cost. I said I would try and see if I could get there. For context, we live rurally so no public transport (well there is a bus about 4 times a day) and I have rarely been able to get a taxi here even when booking a week in advance! Anyhow, I realised it would be really tricky and awkward to get there so I rang them back and told them I really could not make it due to not having transport. They charged me 50%.

My issue is that I have been going to this salon since it opened - approx 5 years or so. I go every 6-7 weeks and pay about £130-£150 - I buy their products and when they opened up after covid gave them large tips each time to try and make up the shortfall they had lost due to not working. The only other time I cancelled was in a dire emergency (was hospitalised).

Whilst I know what the policy is I do think sometimes these things should be discretionary. I know the receptionist did go and check with the stylist and still decided to charge me. Granted it may not have been her choice to use discretion.

I dunno, I just feel really aggrieved by it and now thinking of going elsewhere, I think it is a bit short sighted of them - I would have gone in within a day or two so they still would have got my money. Now I really don't feel like going back at all to be honest.

She is employed. However management are not there at the moment and she is acting on their behalf.

I can’t speak for your hairdresser but speaking for myself and other stylists I know - we see our clients as friends and clients. Definitely not as £££££

But like every job- you go to work to get paid.

If we didn’t charge every client who didn’t show then we wouldn’t make enough to earn a living.

Having your hair done at the salon is a luxury. If you feel hard done by for a business implementing policies that they want every client to adhere to - it’s best you don’t go. Or like you said - maybe find another stylist.

@PheasantsNest

If the policy is 24 hours notice why do you think you are so special that it doesn't apply to you. You could have got a taxi.

She already said a few times, she couldn't

It’s probably the excuse you were given - that it was the stylists decision. But I can assure you it’s typically standard practice that if your employed and you work for a business and have a manager - the business will have policies and protocol’s that may be out of your hands.

If she is employed and the rules of the business are they charge 50% of the cost of treatment if you don’t cancel/ reschedule at least 24hr before your booking - that’s the rules of the business. Nothing to do with the staff who work there.

If you have an issue then I suggest speaking to the manager of the business. Nothing to do with the stylist who is simply doing her job.

@CtrlU

I can’t speak for your hairdresser but speaking for myself and other stylists I know - we see our clients as friends and clients. Definitely not as £££££

But like every job- you go to work to get paid.

If we didn’t charge every client who didn’t show then we wouldn’t make enough to earn a living.

Having your hair done at the salon is a luxury. If you feel hard done by for a business implementing policies that they want every client to adhere to - it’s best you don’t go. Or like you said - maybe find another stylist.

I thought I was a friend and client. I phoned first thing. Explained my awkward and difficult situation. Have been hugely loyal and supportive, was going to reschedule for the next day or the earliest they could fit me in.

They decided to charge me.

IF i had phoned the night before at 6.00pm with no explanation I would not have been charged and it would have been the end of it because that was within their 24 hour policy. I could have done this whilst they were closed and left a message and adhered to the "rules".

I phoned in the morning first thing. The rules were different admittedly but the outcome for them was still the same. They charged me as their right to do so but now because of this have lost my future commitment as a client. I know you probably get let down by clients but can you honestly not see the difference between a regular with a genuine reason versus a fly by night flake?

Your not getting the point. It doesn’t matter weather you spoke to the stylist or not. It doesn’t matter about being friends or not. That’s the rules of her job so that’s the rules she has to follow and adhere to.

If you see yourself as a friend and like the stylist so much the ask for her to do your hair privately. Therefor maybe next time she may give you some leeway as she will be in control of your booking.
When you book at the SALON for your treatment - the salon rules are what you agree to.

It’s a shame you feel that way but if you can’t see my point then I really can’t see your’s.

Cheerio

your inability to accept that you’re wrong is infuriating. as is your use of ‘ansaphone’ 😬. and how much you tipped in the past is irrelevant

I get the point entirely. As you’ve suggested I have now got an alternative arrangement. With a new stylist. Loyalty it seems works both ways.

@healmebaby sorry! Am I irritating you. 😂 answerphone.

This is absolutely no help at all now but could you get a taxi to collect you from the village where the hairdresser is? And then book them for the return trip?

@healmebaby - thank you for pointing out how wrong I am. I never realised. I’m so mortified for treating this salon so badly I will not bother them again and go somewhere else.

Hairdressers are self employed. Their income is based around you showing up for an appointment. By all means reschedule, but they've them missed out on a possible other client so more money. It's not rocket science. They have policies for a reason.

If you live rurally and share a car, you should have thought about getting there beforehand.

While I appreciate that the beauty industry bedn hard hit this year and need to protect profits to stay afloat I do find this short sighted particularly for regular clients. My salon announced this policy around March time and the result has simply been that I haven't booked.
If I get told to isolate, test positive or school closes I won't be able to give 24 hours notice, and since my time off work would be unpaid its not a risk I would take. I appreciate none of these are the salons problem but in a time of last minute changes and isolations there needs to be a bit of give and take.

I imagine that a fair amount of people just won't pay when asked. Did the salon make this policy clear when booking? Some salons near me now take a nonrefundable deposit when making the booking at least they're being clear about the situation. Too late now but it would have been interesting to have phoned nearer the time to say you could make it after all, and find out if they'd managed to fill the appointment. A late appointment on a Friday must be quite popular.

@EnglishGirlApproximately

I get the point your making and I’m unsure about the salons where you live but my policy and the policy of other stylists I know are reasonable.

If you have covid or have been asked to isolate then you would need to of course cancel your appointment (even if it’s the same time your due in) and of course you need to isolate. If you can show you have had a positive covid test then of course you won’t be charged. If you can show me proof you have been told to isolate then again - you won’t be charged.

If you’ve cancelled a few hours before your appointment because you have car problems or an appointment (which you would have most likely pre booked) then of course you will be charged.

When I book a table at the restaurant and come to find I can’t attend my reservation time then the restaurant will still charge me the booking fee and possibly a fee for not showing up.

When I book a holiday and pay the deposit and even make payments towards my fare then the week before my holiday - I decide I’m not going. Or sonething has come up and I can no longer go. I would still be charged.

Why is it different if it’s the hair salon ?

I have had some clients who have questioned the cancellation charges and booking fee’s also but honestly those clients are clients who probably were not shows previously or simply don’t take their hair/ beauty treatment bookings seriously.
I will also say that a lot of clients will always look to cancel / rearrange hair or beauty treatments up until they are reminded of the cancellation fee. Then all of a sudden they can make the appointment time or can certainly try to (like the OP when she tried to arrange for a taxi to take her to the salon instead).

All I can say is thats how the business works. If you don’t like it then don’t go 🤷🏼‍♀️

I have always maintained from the get go that I understand a cancellation policy. I am not and have never been a flake. I also understand the loss of earnings. I simply tried to rebook. The morning after a 12 hour shift in the 24 hour policy. In other words if I had phoned and left a message at 6.00pm versus 8.00am I would not have been charged. My loyalty to the business counts for nothing it seems. This business would rather have my £60 today, rather than my £130 tomorrow or Monday and the next £130 for the next god knows how many years to come. It’s short sighted.

I would have hung up and not given my details honestly. If that’s how they treat long-standing customers who have helped them out why would I want to go back there?

@peboh we don’t share a car though? Did you read any of the post? Or did you just wade in with a totally invalid opinion.. 🤷‍♀️

It’s annoying, and I think they were short sighted. I’d go elsewhere or, if you like the way they do your hair, go and stop tipping. Will at least recoup your costs.

@CtrlU I totally understand how business works. I work in the travel industry for a company thats had no income for 18 months and we still manage give and take with our clients as these are not normal times. Just today I authorised refunds for two clients travelling tomorrow as they had been contacted my test and trace and yesterday I moved three bookings to next year for people who are nervous to travel right now. They are customers who asked for help so i helped them as i want the repeat business. Reputation is important in the long run.

My salon doesn't make an exception for covid, it's a blanket rule so if you're contacted to isolate an hour before your appointment tough, you have to pay. The owner announced a few weeks ago that it was too much hassle running a salon and she was going back to mobile and closing down so I guess it wasn't a successful policy.
I'm generally in favour of deposits and have no issue with policies like this (tbh I'd welcome it at the GP for example), but if its a regular customer wanting to rearrange and getting no leeway at all its short sighted.

If the stylist is employed she probably wouldn’t have the authority to waive the fee, that would surely only be the manager/owner?

To be honest I actually get your point. I would rather not risk losing a valued customer over half the cost especially as the last appointment of the day.
I would have asked you to come in at the next available date and left it at that.
At the end of the day they've lost more money than they lost with appointment as they've lose a customer that spends money there a lot not just a random person.

I would have been a bit annoyed by the late cancel but I would have tried to give great customer service atleast to my big spenders so to speak

Tbh if you like them I would just not tip until I had made back the 50%. I would tell them why though.

Honestly, I would email them to explain the situation, point out that while you accept their cancellation policy, you understand that it’s discretionary and since you’re a regular customer, they’d have seen from their records that you’re usually reliable and a loyal customer. Mention that the fact that they decided to charge you for the missed appointment has made you question whether or not to come back to them. Is there anything they can do? Can’t hurt, right?

I run a similar business and as long as you rebooked would not have charged you. I only charge people who don't turn up or won't reschedule. I'd find another salon that rewarded my loyalty and long term business.