To consider challenging paying this?

[Tatty3]

Long term customer of a local Hairdressers. Been going since it opened, for last 10 years.

My hairdresser is the owner and mentioned a few months ago that they were thinking about bringing in a deposit for every appt as people were cancelling last minute.

I booked again a month or so for this weekend. No mention of paying a deposit.

I've had an accident this morning and have had to get stitches in the top of my head which i cant get wet. I've messaged today to cancel, really apologetic with a proposed alternative time in a few weeks.

The hairdresser is asking me to pay because I didn't give 48 hours notice.

Would you pay? I want to support my hairdresser but if I pay now and don't get the service, I'm going to have to save up for a few months before I can afford to go again and I am in need of a cut. Also, this is a one off extreme situation. Then again that doesn't help her financial situation?

@Christmasiscominghohoho
Why are you calling someone a “nightmare”?Talk about bullying behaviour!

You know that when you point your finger at someone, three fingers are pointing back at you?

Oh that's a shame op.
I'm sure you'll find someone else though

Why are you calling someone a “nightmare”?Talk about bullying behaviour!

Calling someone a nightmare for repeatedly cancelling appointments isn't bullying.

Reminds me a bit of when one of my favourite restaurants introduced a really punitive booking system a few months ago. £15 per head with a nine day cancellation no refunds policy.

Up to that point I'd gone every time they rotated the 6 weekly menu and often arranged tables for 4-6 people.

But life happens, and I wasn't prepared to lose that amount of money- particularly as it's a popular restaurant in the city centre that turns away lots of walk ins. So I simply stopped booking. A couple of months later, they changed their booking system back again to the no deposit one they had before, but by this time I'd decided to try other restaurants instead.

For the sake of one appointment cost, your hairdresser has lost a lifelong customer. She should have something in place like say a £10-20 deposit depending on the cost of the treatment, but to expect the whole cost of cancelled highlights is just too much.

No I wouldn't. Find a new hairdresser. You are a regular customer and this was outside your control. She will lose her regulars this way. There will be others who can do a good job.

Hairdresser being silly and lost a long term customer due to her inflexible approach

Not claiming its bullying but again, I haven't cancelled anything. I've rearranged two appts, one with 5 days notice, one with 2. Both due to covid, evidence provided. The hairdresser also cancelled two appts due to covid related reasons.

I now have stitches holding my head together and so tried to rearrange my appt for a few weeks down the line.

What was her attitude on the phone OP? Did you end up giving her any money?