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.

If it was only 8 minutes then she's being unreasonable. Last time I went to the hairdressers my hairdresser greeted me and sat me down. She then went back to her customer and did what she needed to for the next 15 minutes without so much as a word to me.

I then asked her if she was running late and she about bit my head off. "I didn't know you were in a hurry".

All she needed to do was apologise when I arrived. She didn't and she's now lost my respect.

You were late. It would result in them not being on time for the next client. Yes maybe a bit surprising to cancel, but the hairdresser obviously thought that she would not be able to do a good job. Do not write a bad review - if you don't like the salon go elsewhere

If it's fine for hairdressers to cancel appointments for being late then they must accept it's perfectly fine for clients to walk out if they are kept waiting too long. It must be give and take.Why is it unacceptable for a client to be late but if a hairdresser keeps you waiting we have to put up and shut up.

I'm a hairdresser I always give my appointments a 15 min window so instead of booking 45 mins in between a cut and blow and the next client I book an hour. That way if it was me and you were 8 mins late it wouldn't have mattered however anyone over 15 mins late unless they called me to say so I wouldn't see them.

Yes sometimes I run 5 mins or so over time it happens sometimes usually with a colour but I don't have my clients sat waiting for more than 10 mins over their time. And I always go over and apologise if I running over.

Perhaps it was a busy day for them and they had to stick to a time but they should give themselves a time window so if anyone is a few mins late it doesn't impact them and make them look rude

I always schedule apts giving myself extra time for unforeseen things such as road accidents, heavy traffic etc. Why should the next client be delayed because you didn't get there on time?

I've never been in a hairdressers where I was seen on time, there was always some delay.

And on Friday, I missed an appointment entirely and had to reschedule. Yet, I left work 50 mins early for a journey that is normally 30 mins max at that time of day. I got caught up in a road traffic jam caused by an accident that blocked the road. Unfortunately, I'd ended up in the queue of traffic just past the previous exit, so like everyone else there I had to sit and wait.

So, I did build a buffer into my journey, but I bet none of you will build in an additional hour to make sure you're on time. Exceptional circumstances do happen, and in the event of an accident, you can stuck beyond a reasonable buffer and OP says she left in plenty of time.

She was ridiculous and she wouldn't have been able to do a good job in a bare 45 minutes even if you were on the dot, so you've probably had a narrow escape from a shit haircut.

This isn't about being 8 minutes late, this is about attitude and the hairdresser being rude, abrupt and unwilling to compromise or offer an alternative solution. If 8 minutes really would have such a bad knock on effect, why not just apologise and say that in a kind manner? I'm really sorry Mrs Adnerb, I've got a tight schedule this afternoon and wouldn't want to rush your hair because of it. Or something. Poor customer service. Anyhow, what hairdresser books back to back without any lee way at all? That's bad planning, you always need contingencies built in for either themselves or their clients.

What a total idiot you sound. You're a hairdresser love, same gig as the rest of us, paying bills and doing the best we can. You're not saving lives, you're not doing back to back cataract ops in remote Sudan

What a bizarre comment. Why shouldn't anyone run their business how they want? Especially in an industry where missed appointments mean no payment, surely it's good sense to minimise risk.

I work for myself, the whole point is picking and choosing my clients; which I do because of how we work together. Lateness would be a deal breaker for me, we wouldn't be a good fit.

8 minutes is ludicrous. What if they had a client with very thick hair? My hair takes 2 minutes to dry but I've a friend whose hair takes at least 15 minutes! My cut takes 10 minutes max but what about someone who wanted bloody layers or a specific blow dry? Do they turn my thick hair friend away?

Surely lateness happens everyday through no fault of their or their clients? If they are booking appointments with such little leeway it's their fault that they can't accommodate inevitable latecomers.

While it does seem like bad business it was perfectly justified.

I used to work in a salon and the stylists were behind all day if one person was late.. BUT I think you saying you'd just have a wet cut instead is a fair offer. The drying and styling easily takes 8 mins. It sounds like she/they have a firm policy to stop people doing it all the time.

I don't think it's a case of mumsnetters never being late, as you say. I have been late, more than 8 minutes (!), for an appointment and have never been turned away. However I would definitely not complain if they did turn me away as I would acknowledge it was my fault. The unreasonableness of your post is your desire to complain.

Remember the OP did not pay for anything. She missed the boat and then walked away.

I'm a hairdresser.

I'm obviously going off your word, because the hairdresser isn't here to defend themself.

You appeared to be apologetic on your arrival which is a bonus. Nothing worse than someone rolling in late and not caring.

But unfortunately you was late, it doesn't matter if it was 5 minutes or 25 minutes. You was still late.

To some it was only 8 minutes which doesn't seem a big deal, but in the industry it actually is. The client after you could have been a colour. So if she had allowed you to carry on the appointment, her next client would have been sat waiting, which is making the hairdresser run later.

I'm quite shocked at people assuming it would have been a shit job just because they don't think the hairdresser didn't book you a big enough slot. You don't know the hairdresser, or her capabilities. And we only have OP saying she was 8 minutes late, I'm sure if the hairdresser replied it would have been more than 8 minutes. You see it on Yelp all the time, business received a shitty review and business owner responds with facts and makes the OP look silly.

It's really annoying though when you turn up to the hairdressers and you have to wait for ages as they are delayed. I look forward to getting my hair cut and blown. It's the only time it looks really nice and it is time out from the DC. One of the reasons why I changed salons was I went a few times and he said he was running late and could he just quickly dry it off. The bill was only discounted by a tiny bit. It still cost £60.

Perhaps hairdressers should say to late people that they can still have the cut but the assistant needs to wash it and dry it as they can't be late for the next appointment.

45 minutes for a cut and blow dry for a new client is ridiculously short so I can see why she wouldn't take you if she had less than 37 minutes to do a consultation, wash, cut and blow dry it.
The cut wouldn't be up to much either!

You asked her to do half a job on you, I'm not surprised that a professional wasn't happy to do that.

Surely it's up to the customer whether they want a blow dry or not. A wet cut is hardly 'half a job'.

I strongly suspect that 45 minutes was already TOO tight and that is not my doing.

THIS ^

surely she would need to chat to you for a few minutes to find out what you wanted, your lifestyle, look at your hair etc etc. You can't do that, wash, cut, dry, trim/thin, finish etc in 45 bloody minutes. I think you had a lucky escape from a rushed haircut imo.

I think in this instance OP YANBU as you were only eight minutes late, and the reasons for being late were not your fault. However I can see why it would be annoying for the salon. Did they offer to rearrange your appointment for another time, or with another stylist? As IMO that would be the professional thing to do.

I'd just chalk it up to expereince and take your custom elsewhere. They've lost out not you.

I suspect that is wasn't 8 mins. However I used to go to a very high end hairdressers in London. Think Kate Middleton type place. They did a number of IT girls (whatever that is!) and models. I sat there for 40 mins once. My hairdresser saw someone famous coming in and started chatting to them completely ignoring me. I had my appointment and never went again!

TBH - these days I would make a formal complaint

I don't think YABU. I think you should leave an honest review in order to warn others of their strict timing policy.

You were late. You maybe should have called. I bet they have had numerous new clients who don't bother turning up and they probably assumed you were another one.

They always finish my haircut after drying it. I have difficult hair. I went to a new hairdresser two weeks ago and he had to finish it dry. I understand the hairdresser refusing not to dry it.

I don't really understand her cancelling the appointment for being 8 minutes late. I often have to wait up to 10 minutes to be seen because they are running late. They shouldn't have booked her in if they were so tight for time that 8 minutes made such a huge difference. I always expect that if I am going to any appointment that the chances are extremely high that I may be waiting for a bit to be seen. It's just what happens when you are going to a place dealing with people. Things run late.

If she had to get back for her children etc then she should not have booked OP in if time was that tight.

The hairdresser is at fault for giving herself such a tight schedule. I hate lateness with a passion and I'm early for everything but shit happens and the hairdresser was not very organised at all.

Sounds like they don't need your custom anyway so go ahead and write a review. Doubt they will care, may remember you as the woman who turned up late and made a fuss because she couldn't get her own way.

I can't believe the posters who've stated that the OP should've rung ahead to warn the hairdresser. How the hell could she when she was bloody driving?

And she couldn't forsee the problems 're the traffic before she got in her car! Don't people know that its an offence to use your phone behind the wheel? Ffs

Also, as myself and other posters have already pointed out. 45 mins for a cut and blow dry is a rush job! A poster previously commented that her hairdresser is a PROFESSIONAL and does her hair completely in 35 mins. My answer to that is he is NOT being professional, he is rushing your haircut!!! And probably charging you an arm and a leg for the privilege!

I've cut many people's hairs after they've been to a 'high end professional salon' and I've been aghast at some of these 'professional' cuts. Believe me, you'd be excused for thinking the hairdresser had used a knife and fork! ... seriously.

The OP has had a lucky escape from someone willing to do her hair from start to finish in only 45mins.