Shocked that hairdresser cancelled my appt because I was late!

[Adnerb95]

1st time at a new hairdressers this afternoon. Appointment was at 4:15pm for a cut and blow dry. I work 20 mins away, left in plenty of time but there had been an accident and so major traffic delays. I ended up arriving at the salon 8 mins late to be told by the stylist that she wouldn't be able to do my hair now, because she had another client at 5pm"and the turnaround is very tight".

I was almost speechless - never had that response before on the (rare!) occasions over the years when I have been a few minutes late.

It got worse. I was desperate to have a haircut so suggested that we forget the blowdry and I just have a dry cut. "We don't do that" . "Well, why not do a wet cut? That way, there is still plenty of time, since you won't be blow drying my hair, before your next client"

"We don't do that"

.??????????????.

I think this is not only ridiculous but completely unreasonable or is it me?

I have emailed the owner in advance of posting a public review to give her a chance of responding. In the meantime, I have now booked with another salon for a couple of days time (checked their policy - "we wouldn't cancel an appointment unless a client was at least 15 mins late")

Not only do the first salon have a very disgruntled customer who will certainly not recommend them, but they have lost my business for the next 4/5 years, probably. I was looking for a replacement for my lovely hairdresser of the last 7 years who has left for Scotland. So pretty naff commercial decision as well.

It's bullshit.

Sounds like either a poorly run business and they haven't worked out how long to leave between appointments, and are cutting it too fine. Or they are trying to cram people in to insufficient slots.

Either way it's not somewhere I would give my business to.

Sometimes people are late. However well you plan, however much time you leave. Even if you walk everywhere (my friend was walking to meet me one day, she left home 30 mins before we were due to meet, it was a 20min walk. She was 15 mins late because an old man collapsed in front of her and she had to stay with him waiting for an ambulance.

Sometimes things happen and people are late. Traffic can be unexpectedly bad. You might get a puncture. Like my friend you might have to help someone.

Most hairdressers ime run late. I suspect the truth here is they booked too tight a slot, thinking either OP or the next appt would cancel.

45 mins doesn't seem long enough anyway. I go to the hairdressers rarely but it generally takes them an hour or more to wash, cut and blowdry. And I know what i want - how would they manage a 45 min appt with someone who wanted to discuss a couple of styles as to which would work better, or let's say when it was dry decided they weren't quite happy and wanted a bit more off, or it dried with more or less volume, etc. There would have been absolutely no time left. Given their lack of customer service i suspect their response to a situation like that would have been less than great...

YANBU. Eight minutes late is not a reason to turn a client away. Hairsplitting.

I think you dodged a bullet. She sounds like a dick.

GabsAlot "whats that saying if your on time your already late"

Huh? How do you work that out?

Well, sounds like the Mumsnet jury is well and truly out on this one!

Just to clarify -
I was v apologetic
I didn't ring because I was driving and would have had to stop (on this journey not easy, usually involving a detour ) making me even later
I probably won't post a public review - as some PPs have said that is too much and I was reacting out of irritation.
I am normally very punctual, if not early and had already left a margin of error in my journey time.
Other salons offer wet cuts.
I strongly suspect that 45 minutes was already TOO tight and that is not my doing.
My previous hairdressers have always allowed around an hour and I was a new customer so likely to need slightly longer I would have thought.

Interesting that there are a few comments assuming " once late, always late"

Ask my DH - my commitment to being places early drives him nuts!

The venom in some of these messages! Any business who VALUES their customers would've been discretionary about your timekeeping.

Business owners dont have to be discretionary about someone elses timekeeping.

The op was late. Its unfortunate. As pp said its 20% of the appointment.

Loads of salons dont do dry cuts or leave hair unblow-dried.

How they run their business is up to them. They dont have to accept every piece of business that comes their way. If they feel they will have to do a rush a job, they wont want to do it.

Its doesnt matter if other salons offer a wet cut with no blow dry. This one does not. And thats their choice.

The fact is that one person arriving late for an appointment will have a detrimental affect on every other appointment. The fact that you were also a client they hadn't seen before will also have had an affect - with new clients, you need time to talk to them about their hair, what look they hope to achieve and things like that - with a regular customer, they'd probably know what was required in advance,
Leaving a crappy review is not a nice thing to do - you could have called the salon and let them know you were going to be late, then they may have been more accommodating....

had an effect, not affect - doh

You weren't 8 minutes late though, more like 10+. I aim to be at appointments 10 mins early. Rocking up at 4.15 then getting your coat off and introductions made would still make you late IMO.

Why complain? It's not as if they took any money off you. And Fwiw I agree. My hairdresser schedules 45 min slots, won't do dry cuts and doesn't abide lateness - sign of a well run hairdresser in my books.

I'd go to that salon, I hate being late to things and being kept waiting because of people not bothering to keep to times.

That said, it's not a good fit for you OP. You want a hairdresser who suits your life, and will give you leeway. That's what will fit you better.

Op was it quiet a high end salon? I think the reason they wouldnt do a wet cut is because they want to see it finished. If they did a wet cut and you left and where not happy with it. Then told all your friends oh i had my hair done at x have you seen the state of it. It effects their reputation. Ive worked in a hairdressers a long time ago as a junior some hairdressers wont do dry or just wet cuts. Where i worked it was a smaller local buisness. You would of been seen but we regulary had to work much later than we should sometimes even hours as she just pushed people in. So i think it honestly depends on the kind of salon if they would still see you.

I agree with you OP. 8 minutes late is NOT a huge deal, especially given you were willing to compromise and reduce the level of service to make up for it. 30 minutes is more than enough to do a wet cut.

YANBU.

It's unfortunate that you were late but it sounds like it couldn't be helped.

She is an arse for not agreeing to a compromise (i.e. wet cut or dry cut). My hairdresser can do a cut and blow dry in 35 minutes but he IS a COMPLETE PROFESSIONAL.

I'd leave it a few weeks then leave a really poor review. As a potential customer, I'd want to know things like this before making an appointment with a new hairdresser.

In your shoes I would have been disappointed they couldn't squeeze me in, eg by omitting the head massage or blow dry (I find hair cuts can involve a lot of sitting around waiting), but not angry - they don't have an obligation to adjust their schedule because you were late.

Different types of hairdresser for different types of customer. I'd say this isn't the one for you. Whilst they have lost your custom, maybe they have retained the custom of the next client who goes there because they never run late.

Also I'm a bit about people saying you didn't leave early enough.

It can take DH anything from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to get home from work. If there's an accident, it can be gridlock so leaving 10 minutes earlier won't necessarily help.

I do tend to avoid appointments after work as it can be too stressful in terms of trying to get out on time, navigate the traffic, etc.

Sounds very unusual but it was essentially your fault. You should have factored in enough time after work, bearing in mind traffic/accidents or at least tried to call. It would be unreasonable of you to wrote a bad review for something which was your fault.

YABU. You were late, she wanted to do a really good cut but didn't have the time to do so. How would it have looked if you'd walked out with a rushed/ still wet hair cut?
Don't be so entitled OP.

To cancel your appointment for being 8 minutes late is petty. And by the sound of it the attitude left a lot to be desired also. It does sound as if they have a tight turnaround time (not good imo).
I wouldn't bother writing a bad review, but just be glad that you will never give them your business.
Maybe try Toni and Guy? I've always found them to be excellent and on the odd occasion when I have been a few minutes late (due to unforseen circumstances), they have been very sweet and understanding.

Hairdresser sound utterly charmless. I would bother going to a salon that was so perfunctory in its treatment of clients.

FWIW I have had a basic cut and blow dry in 30 minutes before. Perhaps she's a novice hairdresser.

not bother

I disagree. Do you always get seen in time? By GP, consultant, hairdresser? I rarely do.
I've sat in hairdressers and waited many minutes. So I'd be really hacked off if he didn't do me if I was later. Mind you, I'm hardly ever late, generally, and he has been doing my hair for over 10 years.
Unfortunately you were a new client.

But she seemed petty. And wouldn't accommodate at all. It doesn't take 45 minutes. To cut.

Where was my this? Some posh London suburb?

Couldn't you have phoned ahead? Did she try and phone you?