to find this lack of human empathy really upsetting

[hatingthehairdressertoday]

I had appointments booked for my kids to have hair cuts last week. My MIL died unexpectedly last week and I forgot about the appointments. Remembered the next day and called to explain. They were sympathetic on phone and I rebooked for today. DC have haircuts and when I go to pay she says that's £x and £x for last weeks no-show. I say I phoned to explain we had bereavement so completely went out of my mind. Too bad, you have to pay. AIBU to have come home and cried my eyes out over this. Please say I'm not. Have name changed for this.

Name & shame! She was BVVU. She basically charged you extra for going back: as a PP says, you could have simply not shown up. Dreadful attitude. I'm sorry she made you cry.

Agree name and shame.

Wow. What a bad idea.... I'm also freelance but would never charge a client who'd been bereaved!

What a foolish hairdresser. For the sake of a tenner, she has lost your custom and that of your friends and family! When feeling a bit more yourself, I would write and tell her just how much her stupid short sighted ness and lack of compassion has cost her!

I am so sorry for your loss. for you and yours.

Whilst I sympathise hugely I don't think you should name them.
It could ruin someone's livelihood by naming them.

Yes I agree with writing directly to her. Great idea Whatisaweekend.

She will ruin her own livelihood if that's her attitude to paying customers! Customer service is an important part of running a business. I have no sympathy for the hairdresser because she knew the circumstances and still chose to charge the OP.

Sadly some people won't just do the right thing for the sake of it but only if they see the consequences of doing the wrong thing, in this case negative publicity and loss of custom.

Sorry for your loss and sorry that you were treated so disrespectfully.What a wicked thing to do.

Please DON'T name and shame. That never goes well and its really not fair to do it on MN.

BUT YANBU at all and I am sorry for your loss. They could have waived the fee without too much of an issue and they may well have used those appointments for someone else anyway.

My DD had cancer. I got some audio books out for her on Monday. On Tuesday she was taken into hospital and we spent the entire summer in HDU and on the ward with the most horrendous reaction to chemo you could (or couldn't) imagine. She almost died. She suffered terribly and I didn't see my OH or my younger DCs all that time.

When we came out I phoned the library to let them know. They said 'you owe us £10 in fines.
I told them again what had happened because I thought they had misheard me.
Nope. She said 'I don't understand what you want. Are you asking me to freeze the find until you get in? I can do that for a couple of days'.

I eventually got into the library and thought if I explained face to face they would get it.

Nope. They just kept staring at me blankly and asking me for money.
One said 'well you could have phoned us from the hospital'

MY DD was dying for ffs.

It took me a couple of years to get that fine sorted out. Everytime I went in there they asked me for money. Everytime I had to explain to them, even after my DD had died.

Sorry for hijack. I just wanted to say I understood your upset and got a bit carried away.

I go to Saks. They have something on their card saying that if you cancel with less than 24 hours notice and hey can't fill the slot then you may be charged.

However, one Saturday dh got up and was promptly sick. I had an appointment that afternoon. When I phoned to cancel they said "I hope he gets better soon." I wasn't charged.

devere that is dreadful. I am so sorry for your loss.

OP, I am astounded that someone could be so callous. the smallest comfort is thst this type of person must be so fundamentally unhappy to be so vile.

when my mother died (only child to a single parent) I returned to work to find that my boss had reorganised the sections work and my duties now included closing claims for people who had recently died. at that years appraisal, I was told, ' I know your mum died this year, but thats no excuse for the work you've put in'

there are horrible people in this world. I think they are outnumbered by those who have empathy and who are generous and kind.

There is a sign at my children's physio and osteopath clinics to say there will be a charge if less than 24 hours notice given. I think the dentist is the same.

The fact she "only" took £10 makes it worse somehow. Lost business and bad feeling for a tenner.

That's madness! I would've refused. I've cancelled hairdresser appts a couple hours before and they're cool with it. Post a review on yelp or some such site

YANBU.

Very short sighted of her business wise, and totally lacking of empathy. Sorry for your loss

I would never have paid this. Nothing would have made me.

Sorry for your loss.

That's terrible. I have forgotten a hair appointment before, for no reason at all (other than my own absent-mindedness). I didn't make up any excuses, just told them the truth, and they didn't charge me. I then missed a second appointment at the same salon, because my iphone calendar stopped working properly and the appointment disappeared. Again, they didn't charge me. As a result, they still have my custom and I make sure I tip generously!.

Charging someone who has had a bereavement just isn't on. Sorry about your loss. :(

I have had to cancel hair appointments when an unexpected expense have come up and I can't afford it, never been charged.

Op sorry for your loss.

Yanbu op she has lost much more than she gained. If you don't feel up to a confrontation about it send a letter or email expressing your disappointment in her attitude.

So sorry for your loss, the fact its only a tenner somehow makes it worse.
Devere that is disgusting.
Don't be too disheartened, the majority of people have some compassion x

That is absolutely disgusting! She deserves to be named and shamed!

Is it a chain or an independent place? Do they have twitter or fb pages?

Please do name and shame, this is a disgusting way to treat people. They deserve to lose business over this.

I would leave negative reviews on online review sites. People deserve warning that this is how she treats customers when they are at their most vulnerable.