Late to nails appointment

[Cherry346]

• Had a nails appt today with my usual manicurist (of around 4 years). I was running very slightly late (a few minutes) as I'd been held up at my child's nativity. I messaged and said "really sorry I'm going to be slightly late, on my way now" (husband dropping me off). Manicurist replied saying "if you're more than 5 mins late you can't have your appointment". I replied and said I'm just round the corner but I understand if you need to cut the appt short so you're not late for the next client. I ran in, 5-6 mins late, profusely apologised, but all the staff were giving me daggers. Manicurist then lectured me about how busy she is and how she couldn't get behind. I again apologised and said I totally understand and that she could cut the appt short if my allotted time (1hr 15) expired and I'd just accept however far she'd got with my nails (to be honest it usually only takes an hour anyway). I spent the next hour getting the full on silent treatment and monosyllabic answers every time I asked about Xmas plans etc (we usually have a good chat and catch up). She also spent time during my appt sending personal WhatsApps and voice notes, as if trying to make some kind of point. I left feeling really awful and actually quite badly treated. I've never previously been late to an appt and have given the manicurist free professional advice in the past relating to issues she was having with the salon. I don't expect special treatment but surely this was an overreaction? To be clear, I fully understand that people arriving late to appts can be very frustrating for businesses but we were talking a matter of minutes and I'd said I would be happy for the appt to be cut short if the time ran out. I don't feel like I want to return but also feel I need to explain why I'm going to go elsewhere given I'm a longstanding client (average spend £80pm). AIBU?

Had just the same amount few months ago. Different reasons for running late but legitimate nonetheless.
I fully appreciate it's not helpful for them to have their calendar skewed like that, but there must be more customer friendly ways of managing the situation.

I never returned, as it was, she completed my nails well on time so her afternoon and next appointment weren't affected.

thanks. Is it fine to say "I can't take you" when you've already paid £40 and was only 5 minutes late? That seems unreasonable to me. 15 minutes yes, but not 5.

Thanks, she finished my nails 20-25 minutes ahead of when appt was due to finish, so there really was no harm done. And it would have been sooner had she not been whatsappihg etc!

She sounds like a right twat to be fair. Leave a review, never go there again and let her to her childish twatty ways.

I get my nails done every month. Always make an appointment & I've never been seen on time. This goes for different salons over a period of years, never received an apology for being kept waiting 20+ mins, be cause they have squeezed someone else in. You are a long standing customer, after being treated like that I'd probably look to go somewhere else.

I had the same thing at the hairdresser, apologised profusely and said I didn’t mind leaving with wet hair if she didn’t have time to blow dry it. She was shitty with me the whole appointment and let me go home with wet hair even though she would have had time to blow dry it she was just making a point. I complained to the manager as Id been a client a long time and I got a bouquet of flowers as an apology and the girl got a bollocking.

I had made an online appointment for a nail appointment via Treatwell. I was 10 minutes early for the appointment, the salon owner said unfortunately the nail technician was supposedly 10 minutes behind on her current customer and would I mind waiting - said I didn't. Think the technician had barely started on the customer nails as it was definitely more than 10 minutes I had to wait. The owner said that because I had made the appointment on the treatwell app they (treatwell) weren't able to distinguish between the times etc. Eventually got them done about 20-30 mins after I was due to be seen

She's like that because it's Christmas and it's busy.
You'll probably get a text off her in January wondering where you are.

I wouldn't have been able to restrain myself from making a passive aggressive "Oh good, you managed to make up the time. Even with me being late we still finished nearly half an hour early, I'm glad, I would just hate to think of you being late for your lunch/to go home/other customers."

I wonder how she'd explain that given you apparently caused her such an incredible inconvenience!

Of course the whole reason slots are often slightly longer than needed is to account for lateness etc in the first place, but to be honest she doesn't seem the most switched on anyway if she's over estimating timescales by that much - if every single appointment finishes that early she could be fitting in 2-3 extra people a day!

I do wonder sometimes if some businesses just don't actually want customers, they're so utterly useless! Even if you are annoyed (and in this scenario I don't even think she is justified to be for a delay so minor), surely the first rule of basic professionalism is that you just moaning about them when they've left to your colleagues/partner like everyone else, don't take it out on someone you want to give you repeat business and who at all other times and in all other aspects is an ideal customer!

For some reason or the other, she doesn't want to do work for you. You must have annoyed her in some way and she doesn't want to come out with it to you. Cut loose or confront.

That’s why she was disappointed you turned up, she was hoping to pocket the money and have a break.

Sounds like she was already in a bad mood and took it out on you. Don’t go back, but do leave a negative review if you can.

Find another manicurist

Did you tip her? I wouldn’t have

I think you’ve got your answer as to why she was pissed. You obviously arrived at the cut off point time-wise where she thought she didn’t have to do your nails and still get paid. Don’t go back

She was incredibly rude and unprofessional. I’d leave them negative feedback and never go back.

With the different jobs I've had over the years, if someone is a bit late and full of apologises, my instinctive reaction is to say please don't worry, calm down, you're clearly rushed!

The same for me, if I caught anything a bit fine due to genuine reasons, fortunately most have been understanding. It's not like I've forgotten and rolled out of bed, like you, it's just life!

She was rude and unprofessional, yanbu.

Totally agree with all of the above, thank you. I was so tempted to make a passive aggressive comment but given her behaviour (mirrored by colleagues) I was actually quite scared they'd become really confrontational (and I definitely don't have the head space for that at the moment!)- flashbacks to high school mean girl behaviour 😅

Thank you , totally agree that would have been a reasonable reaction 😊

Welcome, it's just common sense and a bit of empathy and understanding. Not generalising but I do find younger generations can lack a bit of this?

I had a similar issue with the colourist at my long-standing hairdressers (where I routinely pay £200+ every 8 weeks for full bleach, tone and cut).

Called before my appointment time to say I was stuck in traffic, apologised, might be ten minutes late, was that ok? Yes. Fine. Colourist hasn’t arrived at the salon yet (first appointment of the day).

Arrived 10 minutes late as expected, apologised again and was told it’s fine, no problem. He went to mix the bleach and I realised I’d left my phone in my car (in hands free cradle so was worried about it getting nicked while I was in the hairdressers for 3 hours). Asked receptionist “is it ok if I run to my car and grab my phone?”. Yes, he’ll be a while mixing the bleach.

Literally run to the car, gone about a minute, if that, and he cancelled my appointment. I waited nearly an hour the appointment before because he was running late but he couldn’t let me off for ten minutes?? First and only time I was ever late and I haven’t been back since…..

Possibly but they're the same age as me (around 40).

Change your manicurist. Take your business elsewhere. That's disgusting treatment

You are generalising though. I'm of the "younger generation" and I have plenty of common sense, empathy and understanding. Are you now going to make a comment about the fact that OP has no said they're her age - around 40? Maybe you can generalise the almost middle aged 🙄

I shouldn't have said that, sorry. I meant just when we're young we tend to be more self absorbed and understanding develops more with age. Xx