Did I Handel this right?

[Chazz88]

Hi I run a small beauty salon that is a hairdresser I rent the space off the hair salon owner Today I had a client booked in at 10.45 for a pedicure and wax this treatment takes about an hour and 15 mins to do my client showed up at 11.05 so 20mins late so I explained that unfortunately because she is so late that I will only be able to do some of the treatment myself and my qualified junior therapist will have to do the rest as I have someone booked in at 12 so I don't have enough time to do the treatment before they are due in.

She said she wanted only me to do it and that its not her fault she's late and as she is a regular client I should make an exception, I then explained that although it is not her fault it is not fair for me to make my next client wait 20mins longer for her treatment evan tho she arrived on time and that she is also a loyal regular client.

She then said she would only have the leg wax done then if I couldn't do the pedicure myself I said I'm very sorry but if you refuse to have the pedicure treatment done by the other therapist I will still have to charge the whole amount as I had waisted time waiting for her to come when I could of had other clients booked in earning money instead of just standing their waiting for her. A pedicure costs £35 so evan tho I had been waiting around to do the treatment and given my time up I would have been down £35 for the day

Well she blow her top that I suggested she pay for a treatment she had not had so I explained that she was paying for my time that she had still taken up evan tho she was not their for the treatment and that she had been offered to still have the treatment by the other therapist just not me. Anyways I could not please her so in the end I did the treatment and my other lady's treatment was started by my junior then i took over (tho I don't think it was fair she had a less qualified member of staff as she was on time for her treatment.)

After the lady left she then rang the salon to speak to the owner saying I was rude, DO YOU THINK I WAS WRONG DO YOU THINK I SHOULD HAVE JUST LET IT GO AND LOST OUT ON THE £35. She said she would not be back to use any services hair or beauty so of course the hair side of thinks think iv lost them a client to, which I feel really band about. My lady also blamed my pregnancy and said it must be the baby as I not normally like this but shes not normally late so I haven't had to deal with this before.

I think as she was late she should of expected my kind offer to have it done by my other therapist as it was after all her fault

[Dackyduddles]

I'm a therapist.

Yes you charge for missed apps. I charge 50% up to 24hrs notice. 100% if cancelled on day and no rebook. Rebook I waive the charge if regular or charge 50%.

All apps are back to back. With very little wiggle room. It's a salon not fun! She should have taken the junior. You offered a replacement. (Advertise this!) or rebooked.

I know how you feel but I'm with you op.

[Chazz88]

In this case I'm not too to worried about loosing her as a client as I wouldn't have her back if she tried to rebook as more hassle that worth I just wanted to know if the things she was asking me to do we're infact reasonable. I knew I was going to loose a client when I asked her to pay but I have gone through every other possible option with her to still have her treatment and she refused.

[Chazz88]

Thank you dackyduddles was feeling very ganged up on, could anyone tell me how I quote people on the app as I can't answer specific people as don't know how to quote them. X

[Dackyduddles]

Most here seem to have no idea how a salon works which isn't surprising as why should they? They are on the fun side! So don't take it to heart op. :) best wishes

[LadyBeagleEyes]

It's a salon, not fun
I don't do beauty treatments but I would have thought you go there for an element of pleasure and relaxation.
Therefore fun, as opposed to the dentist, say.
I don't think I'd like your salon very much Dackyduddles.

[notapizzaeater]

But it's not just one client - I have a crap hair do/ meal/ manicure etc I tell lots of people, these people avoid these places, when one of their friends ask they say don't go to xxxxx nota had a bad ...... There - it just snowballs. I would have done the treatments, rushing them and tried to catch up later.

[GibberTheMonkey]

You don't quote people on mn
You write their name and then your answer if you want to reply to them.
Using their initials is ok as long as its obvious

[Dackyduddles]

In a decent salon one client shouldn't actually matter either ;) my suggestion is do a pamper night and send her a voucher for something free. She will come back if she usually likes you.

[LeGavrOrf]

I am really laughing at 'she won't be Bach' and 'don't be wagners'

I had some sympathy with you OP until you started calling people benefit scum - what is wrong with you? there is no need to be aggressive.

I would say that a lot of people on this thread have jobs anyway. Involving the ability to write.

[Dackyduddles]

Lady beagle I mean for us it's not fun it's work. Wedo it for work yes we like it but its business. For clients it fun and we make sure it is calm tranquil and pretty.

[LeGavrOrf]

I do think people should pay for missed appointments though.

[Tinyfeetbiggob]

Agree with Dacky - if you are too accommodating word gets around - wasted time because someone is late and hasn't bothered to let you know adds up surprisingly quickly over a week/month/year which corresponding translates into lost money you won't get Bach if you don't have some sort of cancellation policy.

If she'd started the next appointment later if I was the next client ( who was presumably punctual ) I'd be very annoyed at having to hang around and having my time wasted because someone else is incapable of being on time so probably wouldn't come back - I know which of the two customers I'd rather have : )

[Chazz88]

I'm sorry I was very angry when I wrote that about benefits as no one was taking my post seriously taking about completely different stuff and ignoring my question completely. As tho my job was worthless as I was just a therapist but it is the way I make money and better that not making any for myself.x

[Chazz88]

Thank you tiny feet. X

[NicknameIncomplete]

I havent read all of the posts.

I just wanted to say that i have heard of salons and hairdressers charging for missed appointments. Have even seen ones charging if u cancel within 24 hours of ur appointment.

I think u should have done the one treatment and told her if she was late again you would make her pay in full for any treatments booked in.

Sometimes u have to take a hit when u run a business.

[EthelredOnAGoodDay]

This thread has had me in stitches.

OP, I do feel for you, but I've been to a variety of hair and beauty salons over the last 15 years or so and sometimes they're running late and sometimes you have to wait, but most people tend to be reasonable about it. Could the junior not have started work on the second lady until you could take over (I may have missed this...) I think getting into a slanging match or heated discussion with customers is never a good idea. I occasionallyhave to deal with some absolute arseholes in my line of work, but alas, that's the joy of working with the general public!

I do agree with others that benefit bashing comment was very odd and unnecessary as it bore no relevance to your issue or the responses to it, plus it was also ill-directed as most people on here probably do work!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

I run a business that is appointment based and due to size this is something I have to consider on a regular basis. I always consider how long the person has been a client, how regularly they use my service and also their position in the local community.
There are some people who I would just see and accept running late with apologies to other clients and others I would stand my ground with. When you stand your ground you will get flak and I always consider that this is part and parcel of being a business owner - you can't please everyone all of the time. I never lose sleep over it.
It's all about the ongoing value of that client.

[Chazz88]

Ethelredonagoodday

The junior did start my next lady in the end, but my point was that the lady that was late didn't want the junior so why should the lady that was on time have to have her. Also the junior is still in training and wasn't actually trained to do the other lady's treatment I just showed her one part of it quick to keep things moving till I could take over.

My benefit bashing post was said in the heat of the moment but it did seam a lot of people were bashing my job when some of them properly don't work as if they did work they wouldn't of said some of the stupid comments they said

[Chazz88]

Lone cat with kitten- my next client that I was in the end late for and had to have the junior therapist start her treatment was actually a more regular and higher spending client than the one that was late. I explained to her but she could have been annoyed I made her late.

I think now that I should have just said no to doing the treatment and let her go without paying but she wouldn't be happy regardless as she wanted me to do the treatment so she still wouldn't of been back, just at the time it seamed unfair for her to put me in a position to loose money when I had set up for her treatment got the room ready waited and waited then not earn any money all because she was late and would not compromise on therapist.

[JenaiMorris]

I think the OP's right, actually.

A nice compromise might have been to offer to do the other treatment later in the day, but offering the services of the junior was plenty fair enough.

Of course I understand this because I am not on benefits

[PseudoBadger]

You don't sound very Prokofiev I'm afraid. You Mussorgsky your appointments better.

[Dackyduddles]

Chazz everyone assumes a therapist is ditzy. Regardless of whether self employed or salon. Nobody looks beyond the art of painting nails. I know you have sat numerous exams practically and theory based in order to perform the tasks you do. (I'm one too incase anyone wonders) I know these cost a fortune. I know how hard it is balancing clients. I understand the difficulties of managing costs and equipment and profits and staff issues.

Unfortunately some never look past the make up and outfit. Because I assume if you could you would do something else.... It's a bit snobby at times and down right rude at others. You asked a sensible business question originally. Went a bit weird when you plainly felt picked on but picked up after.

Don't sweat it. Nobody means it really. It's just words on a screen. Sticks n stones eh? Have a wonderful night. X

[Dackyduddles]

Don't forget u run your own business. That's pretty bloody marvellous in anyone's book no matter what your subject. Many would like to do similar in something they love.

Rarely see unhappy therapists or hairdressers. :)

[lougle]

Dackyduddles usually if someone asks 'did I handle this right' (let's ignore the spelling error), then they actually want to know if they handled a situation correctly.

If 30-40 people say 'No, you made a mistake' the right thing to do is to accept that and learn from it. Not simply tell people they are wrong.