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.

[Kewcumber]

so she is out of pocket - well she's even more out of pocket now that she's lost a customer. Very bad business sense to lose a customer over £10 and a bereavement.

I grew up in a small business and where small businesses survive its almost always because of felxibility and a personalised service to customers that the big boys can't match.

Not much of either in evidence here.

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should

[Noneedtoworryatall]

When my father died suddenly from a heart attack. About two weeks later I got a call from the hospital to say he had an unpaid bill of fifty euro. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

What a terrible thing for them to have done to you.

Sorry for your loss op

[sebsmummy1]

I think you could write a review online telling the facts but leaving the emotion out of it. If the business/person has a Facebook page you could simply write something like;

'Been using Tracey for 2 years, very pleased with how she cut my children's hair. Very disappointed to have been recently charged a cancellation fee of £10 when I couldn't make my appointment due to a sudden family bereavement. I will now be using another hairdresser as a result which seems a shame all round'.

Not too passive aggressive but enough to make the point without histrionics. I wouldn't be surprised if you weren't then offered your money back with a message saying they had no idea of the family circumstances or something.

[NoodleOodle]

I like sebs' message. They have been both cruel and short sighted in their treatment of you.

I'm sorry that you've had to experience such unkindness at what is already a difficult time for you.

[MissDuke]

I like the plan above on the fb page - just the right tone I think! I am so sorry for your loss.

Totes off topic, but I once 'won' a comp for a 'free' photoshoot at a local photographers - if you booked a Saturday or evening session you had to pay £50, if you had to cancel with less than a weeks notice you had to pay a penalty of £100, and you had to pay for any photographs you wanted :-/ I never could work out wheat the actual prize was! With children, there is always a real risk of illness etc meaning having to reschedule!

I have seen this a few times in 'Group On' deals too, I wouldn't buy them for that reason.

However there is no way she can charge if it isn't clearly in her terms and conditions.

[Lioninthesun]

Yes, Seb's message sounds about right. IME people would rather go with someone compassionate than money grabbing. It would make your point and hopefully she won't be so thoughtless if it happens again to another client. It also means if you see her in town you won't have to explain why you haven't been back.

[DontGiveAwayTheHomeworld]

If her business was going to fail because of one cancellation, then I think she has bigger problems. How petty and ridiculous!

[Babyroobs]

That's awful. I took my ds for a hairct and when I got there my hairdresser said 'we had you booked in for yesterday'. She still found time to cut ds's hair and wouldn't have dreamed of charging me for the missed appointment even though it was my mistake for turning up n the wrong day.

[NeedsAsockamnesty]

Some years ago a nursery that I had used for 4 children (2 at the time) and had every intention on continuing to use did something similar to me.

One of the dc got run over and spent several months in hospital the younger dc had to go and stay with family. I phoned them from the hospital to say what had happened and that as I didn't know what was happening could they treat the call as notice to quit I was assured during that call that this was acceptable, I made sure that the terms notice was paid as per the contract.

A year later I got a debt collectors letter for an entire years fees for both children as the notice was meant to be put in writing.

I let them take me to court, the court said I owed nothing and they lost out on any more of my children's fees and the kids of pretty much anybody else who knew me. Ten years on they are still known as the nursery that did that.

When I spoke to them the woman even boasted to me about still charging the parents of a boy who had died.

[SueDoku]

Another one here on the compassionate librarian's bench; so very sorry to hear how you were treated Devere. I worked in libraries for 31 years, and have never known this happen - we would always, always waive fines in such circumstances .
OP you were treated shockingly - I really would post a matter-of-fact comment such as the one that seb suggests on as many online forums as possible. You may prevent the same shit being doled out to someone else...!
My sympathies

[AlpacaPicnic]

Sitting on the appalled librarians bench with everyone else... I genuinely cannot understand how anyone in their right mind would charge library fines in circumstances like that. Occasionally we had people with such large fines due to being hospitalised suddenly that we, as lowly assistants, couldn't waive it without a managers approval. I cannot ever remember such approval not being given.

I think that the fb comment above would be acceptable to post, it is factual without being hysterical or emotional.