To feel a bit miffed?

[ScoobyAndScrappy]

I wonder if I have a right to feel annoyed.
I booked a beauty treatment last month (the same one that I have booked with this salon every month for the last three years). It costs £70. You have to pay half the cost up front as a deposit ie £35 in case you don't show or you cancel within 24 hours.
Last Friday I was unwell and rang up on the morning of my appointment to cancel (I had a chest infection and didn't think the therapist who is also the owner of the salon would appreciate me bringing in my illness and potentially infecting her and passing it on to her three children!)
I am now better and was able to have the treatment this morning. I was charged the full price of the treatment.

I understand why but is it fair that I have been cancelled by the same owner/therapist three times in the last three years (within an hour/same day due to her sickness/her sick DC) I also have young children and am self employed so have lost money due to her cancelling ie wages and childcare.
I have never had to cancel or rearrange an appointment in three years.
It seems very unfair that it only works one way or is this usual practise?
Should I have said something at the time and if so, what?

If you weren’t able to attend the appointment then she lost money through no fault of her own.
So yes you lose your deposit. Or if she has a free slot she moves you and the deposit but doesn’t have to. That’s why businesses take deposits as they can’t lose income when customers book a slot someone else could have used, and you agreed to her terms.
Separate matter if she or her child is ill, that’s on her to make up her income as a small business but you’d hope she’d accommodate your availability. If she’s unreliable you go elsewhere.

It's a shame, I run a similar business and we have a 48 hour cancellation period and I do the same, so the charge is correct. But with a good customer such as yourself, if you politely contacted me and asked I'd waiver it in view of your long term track record :)

Thank you.
I understand what you mean.
Surely it's no 'fault of my own' though when she cancelled me at very short notice (three times!) and I lost money though.
I just can't see that it is fair to only work one way

You’re paying for the space. If she’s not available there should be no charge. If you are unable to attend then yes she should charge as otherwise she would have sold that space to another person. 50% seems fair as she’s not incurring the cost of the product if you don’t attend.

Thank you.
I thought she would have used discretion too (because she is the salon owner obviously I wouldn't expect this kind of autonomy from a therapist).

Well I wouldn't be impressed at all considering she has cancelled several time at short notice. Perhaps you should be a lot less accommodating and look for someone else.
I certainly would.

You’re not really losing money when she cancels an appointment, if you’re choosing to make salon appointments during a time you could be working and at a time you will need paid childcare that is your choice but obviously then you run the risk of losing out if it’s cancelled. Presumably if you couldn’t afford to take time off work you wouldn’t prioritise a salon appointment over working, it’s different for the salon owner who probably can’t afford for customers to regularly cancel appointments at short notice and even with the deposit she’s still losing money compared to if she’d carried out the treatment and received full pay.

If you really are worried about losing money due to having an appointment instead of working then go at another time, most people have to attend appointments outside of their working hours. Go when you’re not scheduled to work and you won’t lose anything if it’s cancelled.

So she's not charging you when she cancels, but you lost money because you arranged not to work/childcare at that time? - presumably not at the same time? Unfortunately it doesn't work like that - you need to arrange appointments at a better time.

This particular salon only opens in the day and not the evening so I can only go there if I book time off work as I work in the daytime but point taken.
Maybe I will have to look elsewhere and see if I can make evening appointments instead.

Thank you for your advice.

It’s her policy so I wouldn’t expect anything different although it would have been nice for you she would have been out of pocket unless she filled your other slot.

I think it's normal policy but obviously the salon has discretion to waive the fee for long term reliable customers. As that didn't happen here and you have been let down several times by the therapist, I would look into finding another salon.

Thanks all.