Beauticians can't have found lockdown that hard

[floofycroissant]

Because they won't let me book an appointment?

It's taken me almost 2 weeks to book in for a very simple 30 min treatment. And that's not waiting for my appointment, it's simply to get someone to confirm I can have one.

Contacted 5 different places, tried the phone (no one picks up), Facebook, Instagram and email. Online booking systems were broken, showed no appointments (when there were) or when I finally made one booking was never received by the salon.

I get that there's reduced appointments and high demand, but it really shouldn't be that hard surely.

[princessTiasmum]

All seem to be open here,i managed to get an appointment on the 3rd November, another couldn't fit me in until December,
People are trying to get appointments now in case of another lockdown i was told,but putting regulars first i think
Maybe it depends where you live,
I am in a low covid area

[12309845653ghydrvj]

What an extremely ignorant post OP, suggesting you really have no idea of the situation for others.

Many beauticians are self employed, and will have had little support over lockdown. Usual booking systems are overwhelmed as people try to get appointments, after months of being closed. Staff now have to do extra cleaning. Spaces can accommodate fewer clients, so become less profitable. And staff getting slightly ill means they’re off, and I would bet you a significant number of the workers here have childcare issues too. Some balls will get dropped—a salon will be keen to ensure this is not their “COVID secure” measures or the care of their clients when in the salon. So yes if they’re fully booked the priority may not be responding to people to say “sorry not available.”

Trying to fit in everyone they can, while cleaning and running the business, it’s simply shocking that they can’t always answer a phone or quickly respond to requests

[floofycroissant]

Maybe it's just my area then @princessTiasmum, and I wasn't comparing about wait times, happy to wait. Understand there's a backlog.

It was the simple fact that I couldn't book one at all. Not even months away. And clearly are appointments to book, as when I finally got a response I was seen in less that 48h, it just took two weeks to get an apt confirmed.

[floofycroissant]

Comparing = complaining

[GaryTheDemon]

Oh I disagree! My beautician has gone from a 5 treatment room, 12 members of staff to one treatment room 2 members of staff. They have been shafted by c19!

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Mine was thrilled to open up after months of lost income - she “owns”/runs the salon, and other therapists rent chairs, so she was essentially responsible for all the rent. Luckily her landlord was sympathetic.

She has closed her books to new clients for now though. I go for my eyebrows every three weeks and in July booked right through to Christmas. I bought vouchers during lockdown to support her, so my treatments have been “free”.

[edwinbear]

I had no problem with mine. I go regularly and they called me when they were able to reopen to ask if I wanted to make an appointment.

[alibongo5]

@floofycroissant

Fair enough I am in the wrong. I earned that biscuit.

How can you support indie business if you can't contact them? My correlation *@alibongo5* was that maybe they don't need the business.

Well you see my natural reaction would have been "I can't get hold of them, they're not returning my calls, they must be really run off their feet" not "they obviously didn't find lockdown that hard".

[lyralalala]

@floofycroissant

Maybe it's just my area then *@princessTiasmum*, and I wasn't comparing about wait times, happy to wait. Understand there's a backlog.

It was the simple fact that I couldn't book one at all. Not even months away. And clearly are appointments to book, as when I finally got a response I was seen in less that 48h, it just took two weeks to get an apt confirmed.

More likely you got a cancellation spot

[floofycroissant]

Closing books is totally understandable, but it would make sense to let people know. All the salons I contacted were open for appointments.

[Brighterthansunflowers]

YABU and clearly not that bright

How does being busy while not in lockdown equate to not struggling while in lockdown?

If you had the same attitude when you called them, no wonder they weren’t keen to have you as a customer

[cdtaylornats]

My sister makes wedding dresses and everybody has cancelled - some until 2022. Currently in lockdown so even when customers return it will be months before she sees any money. Fortunately the government grants have kept her afloat.

[TattyDevine]

The salon I go to is on skeleton staff. She's kept her front of house and 2 full time multi skilled and the rest have been made redundant.

It's still easy enough to get an appointment though whereas before I had to book far in advance to get my preferred spot.

They are very quiet and I fear for their future. But they answer the phone!

[EveryDayIsADuvetDay]

no problem getting appointments here - but close to city of London; most local salons are usually busy with office workers who are currently WFM - and presumably if getting treatments have transferred to local salons, making those busier.

[CommanderBurnham]

I work in an appointment booking industry and we are only booking a month in advance. We have so many going off isolating etc that to commit to anymore means we don't have any rebooking capacity.

I'd put a shout out on a Facebook group asking if anyone has any appointments

I'm sure you'll find someone

[LonelyFromCorona]

Be kind

[ilovesooty]

@alltoomuchrightnow

What a stupid thing to say. My friend has lost her high street salon due to Covid

Our local beautician had to give up the business and and make her assistant redundant.

[Mimishimi]

I've had over £10,000 worth of cancellations. It's been a crap year.

[SionnachRua]

Ah yeah I'm sure the beauticians are all conspiring to ignore you OP. Probably rolling around in their piles of money as they do so. Those bastards.

Or maybe they're run off their feet and struggling to get their business back up and running (probably with minimal staff) and deal with a deluge of appointments? But then you wouldn't be the victim so we better brush that thought aside quickly.

[IncandescentSilver]

YANBU, because you can only give your own exierience. Some small business owners will be keener to work than others. Some will have taken the small business grant and closed shop. Driving through the city in the middle of the day yesterday, I saw quite a lot of shutters down over beauty businesses.

Anyway, I used an online booking system to book a service the other day. I would gave thought it provided the business with automatic alerts/updates. But no, no confirmation, so I phoned, no answer. The next day I received an email sayi g they hadn't seen my booking in time, no suggestion to rebook. Very off putting and I won't attempt to use them again.

[AmICrazyorWhat2]

Different service but my hair stylist has just closed her books to new clients as she can’t fit everyone in with all the cleaning requirements and spacing between clients. I feel so bad for her as she and her colleague opened their own salon a year ago
( I started going to her when she worked elsewhere) so they’re trying to pay all the bills with fewer clients.☹️ Luckily their landlord’s been great. I always book weeks ahead anyway as she’s popular.

Sorry you had trouble getting an appointment, OP, it’s frustrating, but that’s the reality right now.

[BoomBoomsCousin]

Some beauticians may not want new customers taking slots they want to give to loyal, long term customers. I doubt most are super savvy about how to adjust their online booking systems to get what they need from them and they probably don't have much time to respond to messages so prioritise their most loyal customers. Also, with all the uncertainty they may not want to book more than a few weeks out. All of which leaves potential new clients at the bottom of the pile for their attention.

With, probably, fewer beauticians out there I can see why it could be very hard to get an appointment at the moment. I would expect it will settle down but it will probably be hard until the new year at least. Would be good if they had better communication but many small businesses are poor at this and when everything is changing and they are, most likely, rushed of their feet, something's going to give.

[Opinionator]

Perhaps they have too few staff due to redundancies, and are struggling to fit everyone in? Please don't generalise! I'm sure there are Beauticians who have seen this post and are livid. Not only have their livelihoods gone to sh*t, but now someone is moaning on Mumsnet saying that "Beauticians didn't suffer during lockdown". Personally, I would be seething if I were them. They're trying their best.

[Opinionator]

@Brighterthansunflowers

YABU and clearly not that bright

How does being busy while not in lockdown equate to not struggling while in lockdown?

If you had the same attitude when you called them, no wonder they weren’t keen to have you as a customer

Absolutely no need to bully people online!! 😡 please do not tell people they're "not that bright", especially whilst you hide behind your computer for goodness sake! You have no idea what a person might be going through, do NOT put people down and make them feel bad about themselves!

[SuperCaliFragalistic]

YANBU as clearly your experience shows that in your area this is the case. I think your post was designed to be goady though so, for that, YABU.