cancellation Fee's

[sazarenie]

Hi
I am looking for feed back on whether you charge a cancellation fee for late cancellations in your salons. I have just had a client hit the roof because we tried to charge her £10 cancel fee for cancelling on our answer phone on the friday night for a first thing saturday morning 1hr appointment. She has said she will never come back to the salon again!(do i really want this client i ask myself anyway?) how would you deal with this
Many Thanks in advance for your responses x

 

[Katelisa]

I let them off first time, but make sure they are fully aware that they will be charged if it happens again. My clients are mostly lovely and understanding. Their response is usually 'I don't blame you'.

I charge the full amount, unless I can fill the gap, then I charge the difference.

I also ask reception staff to make all bookings aware of the cancellation policy.

 

[VHunter]

I have a policy and i DO enforce it. I don't have time to waste on no-shows OR those that arrive so late that their appointment must be cancelled and they might as well be a 'no-show'. Of late, I'm busy enough I turn people away. It's unfair to them and to me when someone is a no-show OR a "late cancellation" that's much too late for me to call someone on the waiting list.


There is the rare occasion that I 'waive' it, but it's truly rare. Say for example: My reg client of five years who ALWAYS calls in advance by days and not hours, etc... and then falls sick and it totally slips her mind. Maybe it's her one single "late cancel" in 5yrs... then I wave it.


This is my policy.
Feel free to use it.

Cancellation& Late Arrival Policy: Ongles Chez Victoria reserves the right to charge $20.00 for appointments cancelled or broken without 24 hours advance notice. Ongles Chez Victoria reserves the right to downgrade the service in the event of a late arrival due to time constraints. In the event that the client has arrived so late that there isn’t sufficient time for a service, and as the late arrival is due to the client; the appointment becomes a “Late Cancellation” and he/she is still responsible for the “late cancellation fee”, Failure to make payment for cancelled appointments within less than 24hrs will result in the inability to book future appointments.

 

[laura grant]

hello VHunter i agree but how do you get the money, as we can not hold card info, what do you do xxthankyou in advance

 

[BTYRetreat]

Laura - I got a chip n pin card machine and it gives the option of taking payment without cardholder present so I presume if they phoned and gave you the info as you were putting it into the machine then you wouldn't be holding the info? Obviously I could be wrong but that's what I took it to mean.

 

[Katelisa]

I try to appeal to my clients good nature. I always explain that for every appointment they book, we have turned someone away and could have filled it up if we were given adequate notice. I also tell them if I had of been able to fill the slot I wouldn't have to charge them. It's almost putting the ball in their court for future incidents. they will stop and think before not turning up.