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.

I can see why they did it but I can also see why you're feeling out out - I would too. When you're being charged that much for a hair cut there must be some slack in the figures to allow for discretion when it's a one off not a regular occurance. I'd also say that with £20 tips each time it won't be long before they have lost out when you're less generous the next few times (if you go back of course... I'm not sure I would).... personally I think its short sighted of the hairdresser and (assuming) it was the first time you'd cancelled they were BU

I think you are getting a hard time here. It was very short sighted of them and if I were to go back I would no longer tip, buy extra products or services (to help them out) or recommend them. I would also be tempted to make the point at my next appointment. If it is easy to find a new stylist then I probably won't go back but would be inclined to email why. Were you aware of the cancellation policy before ringing to cancel? If not it would be tempting to do an online review to draw people's attention to it - I know that I would draft such a review but in reality not post it.
I hope your husband remembers to cancel his appointment with them 25 hours beforehand!

If you go that regularly, you can clearly afford to pay 50% even at expensive Surrey prices (!) especially with all your "generous tips". You clearly expect special treatment because of this.

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.

But OP is just one of many valued customers. What happens if 10% of those valued customers have to cancel? 20%? At what point do you decide that, actually, I can't afford to do this and need to start charging cancellation fees?

It's easier to have a blanket "24h cancellation policy" than it is to play it on a case by case basis. I'm also self employed and the number of people who think it's okay to message me last minute to cancel is ridiculous.

I charge upfront now and if they cancel outside of my cancellation period, then I'll either refund or put the money towards their next appointment, but it also means if they cancel with less than 24h to go, I don't miss out on the money from their booking.

Given you are a very good regular customer, I would have been miffed too.
I think they could have allowed discretion, I've had to cancel at short notice before due to illness and my hairdressers have not charged for short notice cancellation but I know of other services that do, particularly children's tutors ,horse riding etc. It always feels a bit crao particularly if you go every week and it's an emergency but I can see that they can't fill last minute spaces and it affects their income. However a hairdressers is more likely to fill a last minute cancellation I'd say. Can you arrange a taxi? Would be better than losing 50% and I wouldn't be as generous with tips in future!

How did they charge you? Do they keep your card details on file and then put a payment through without your PIN? This sounds super dodgy to me. I’d report that to my bank, and then find a new salon that rewards loyalty.

It was an unfortunate set of circumstances and I can see both sides. £60 is a lot to lose for nothing, but if that is the policy of the salon, perhaps that’s what the receptionist was told to do. There’s a notice in the one I’ve been to, stating their cancellation policy, so you know that if you cancel at short notice, you’ll pay.

OP has to decide now whether the stylist she’s used to and presumably trusts to do her hair, outweighs the hassle of finding another salon and getting her hair done the way she likes it.

Everyone knows it’s been difficult over the last eighteen months and I think it’s short sighted to impose the cancellation fee if someone is genuinely unwell, because that’s beyond their control. Not so much if there are reasons that, in theory, could be overcome. If the appointment was in the morning, or early afternoon, it’s possible it could be filled. The last appointment of the day- probably not.

Although I see the hairdresser's perspective I totally get where you are coming from. I have been going to the same hairdresser for years who has the same policy. I've only had to cancel once on the day and she didn't charge me. At my next appointment she said she never charges long standing, loyal customers who have re booked in so in your shoes I would go elsewhere.

A poster say 'sorry, your post implies...' but clearly the person hadn't read the thread. 'Why don't people read what the issue is before posting. Buses come infrequently, taxis almost non existent. How can you deduce from that that the OP 'cant be bothered' to use these

Yes @midsomermurderess but also this morning a poster asked the OP if she can arrange a taxi. For an appointment yesterday. That'd be some trick!

@AlphabetStew

Yes *@midsomermurderess* but also this morning a poster asked the OP if she can arrange a taxi. For an appointment yesterday. That'd be some trick!

I know! That’s why I’ve stopped answering…

I'm with the OP on this, while also understanding the hairdresser's PoV. I live in very similar circumstances when it comes to transport, though I would be able to get a taxi, and can't afford to pay what she does at the salon.

If I were regularly paying well over £100 and tipping very generously, I would also hope for/expect a little leeway, and would certainly not return to this salon. And if I had recommended it to others, I might just slip this fact into conversation in the future.

I hope you can find another stylist to suit, OP.

Small businesses and self employed practitioners of all kinds often have this policy because the appointment is held for you, and if you cancel, they'll lose money. It's partly there to discourage short notice cancellations as people would otherwise just not turn up or cancel without thinking. A lot of restaurants are struggling with this too because people book tables and then just don't turn up so it can't be given to others. With less than 24 hours notice It's unlikely a hair salon could fill the appointment, and even if you rebook, they've still lost money for the original appointment.

It's understandable but very short sighted of them to do this. Retuning business is good to have especially in a village where everyone knows each other
I'd make another appointment and say something then

It's understandable but very short sighted of them to do this. Retuning business is good to have especially in a village where everyone knows each other

While I agree with you, many small businesses won't survive if they keep allowing people to cancel with no cost to the client.

Returning clients are obviously a good thing, but at what point do you go from cancellations being "one of those things" to something that's having a really negative impact on your business? After one cancellation? Two? Three? Does it depend on the value of the service that's being cancelled? etc etc.

I think threads like this make it clear that some people have no idea what it's like being self-employed. If someone cancels on me the morning of an appointment, the likelihood of me filling that spot is practically zero.

How many times should I have to deal with the loss of income from my "valued clients" before I charge for it?

I absolutely get that it's frustrating but it's the way things are going to be now as businesses struggle to stay afloat and customers become more entitled and prone to just not turn up for things they've booked (not you OP, just in general).

I work in travel and in good times we used a lot of discretion when it came to late cancellations or changes even when they came at an actual supplier cost to us. Now we just cannot afford to do it. We had 18 months with next to no income plus handing back hundreds of thousands of pounds in refunds, and now we've struggled back from on our arse to on our knees we live in fear of further travel restrictions kicking us back to square one.

Every penny that can possibly be in our bank account needs to be there and we are currently operating on our terms and conditions down to the last full stop and across the board.

I understand loyalty and customer retention, we're a small company in a small community too, but as PPs have said where do you draw the line when ALL of your customers are loyal regulars? Particularly I'd imagine in a small village business word of mouth means if you make an exception for one, others will get wind of it and expect the same. The next best way to keep your customers loyal is show them that you're treating everyone the same way and not display favouritism.

@Mistymountain

I agree with you - as you're such a regular customer, they should have cut you some slack, in the interests of customer relations. I'd probably go elsewhere for a few months and if you go back to them no more very generous tips

Agree with this. And if you decide to keep going don't tip them any more. They sound very short-sighted. The goodwill of a good customer is worth far more than this fine they've given you.

Agree with this. And if you decide to keep going don't tip them any more. They sound very short-sighted. The goodwill of a good customer is worth far more than this fine they've given you.

As has been said numerous times, where do you draw the line? Do you allow five loyal customers to cancel with no penalty? Ten? Fifteen? All of them?

At which point does it go from a goodwill gesture to a loss maker?

Most small businesses have been hit hugely over the past eighteen months - they can't afford to offer goodwill gestures to every single loyal customer who decides to cancel on them last minute.

@How2Help

I also can’t believe these replies! Discretion includes taking into account things like previous loyalty and reliability.

You are not being unreasonable, and I would go elsewhere.

I agree with this. @SpeckledlyHen I’d be inclined to find another hairdresser tbh.

Take your custom elsewhere OP.

Charging you 50% is very reasonable. They can't replace you with a different customer so they are sharing the loss with you 50:50.

You would lose a lot less if you paid for a taxi instead.

I own a salon and I have the same policy.

The slot is reserved for the client, we're lucky to have a waiting list of people able to take a last minute appointment, and no client means no wage.

How many of you would go to work, fully prepared to do your job, to then be told that there's nothing for you to do so you won't be paid for that time?

It wasn't the cost of the taxi that was the issue it is that to all intents and purposes there are no taxis, and very few, one imagines not convenient in terms of time, buses.

@midsomermurderess

It wasn't the cost of the taxi that was the issue it is that to all intents and purposes there are no taxis, and very few, one imagines not convenient in terms of time, buses.

And the fact that OP admittedly did not even try to get a taxi. Since she knew from 9am that she wouldn't be able to attend a mid-afternoon appointment then surely most people would have confirmed their assumption that one definitely wouldn't be available with a quick call to check, before shelling out £75 on cancellation fees?

She didn't try to get a taxi for the reasons she set out.