Being mobile and some customers being late

[TPB]

Have you found yourself in this predicament? I just wondered if you have said a time to a client, and your outside their house, yet they are not there, but are slowly working their way back home to make their appointment.

Its no big deal, it has kind of happened twice to me, not over long period of time, in a matter of 10 mins or so.

Just thought maybe because i usually turn up 5mins early, as i like to be on time, but 10 mins after the appointment i mean they have been late.:o

 

[Pinkbunny28]

Hi

If they are late I woukd just say to them I'm really sorry but as you are late I have to cut your treatment time down by however late they are. Say that you run a busy diary and in order that you are not late yourself you would appreciate that they are on time or schedule a different time with you if need be. Something along those lines anyway! Just be nice about it and say that you understand that things can happen from time to time x

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[endless]

Not really a predicament, it happens, as long as it's not cutting into my next clients time, and they apolagise it's fine

I hate being late for appointments, and like you always try to be early.

The ones that do annoy me, are ones that aren't home atall, and dont bother to cancel their appointment, then expect me to book them in again!! Lol no no!!!

 

[TPB]

Hi

If they are late I woukd just say to them I'm really sorry but as you are late I have to cut your treatment time down by however late they are. Say that you run a busy diary and in order that you are not late yourself you would appreciate that they are on time or schedule a different time with you if need be. Something along those lines anyway! Just be nice about it and say that you understand that things can happen from time to time x

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How could a cut a treatment time down? I did a set of Acrylic's :/ I wasn't that bothered but it is obviously nice if they were home, if you get what i mean.

She is happy with her nails etc and i was pleased with them too. I am gutted i could of cut 20mins off my time and got home early. As i came from my other part time job and went to do the clients nails, i was obviously egar to get stuck in and crack on, but i ended up waiting in my car for 20mins :/ I ain't too dishearten by it all. As i am not slagging anyone off.

I just thought they would be there seeing as i am mobile and was coming to them. I wouldn't dare leave the house for hours between if i knew i had someone coming to me. But maybe that is just me.

 

[TPB]

Not really a predicament, it happens, as long as it's not cutting into my next clients time, and they apolagise it's fine

I hate being late for appointments, and like you always try to be early.

The ones that do annoy me, are ones that aren't home atall, and dont bother to cancel their appointment, then expect me to book them in again!! Lol no no!!!

Yea this girl canceled on me before just as i turned up outside her house, after dropping my mam off to work, i usually book times around certain area's if i am taking my mam to work, but that day i didn't need to drive 10mins the long way around, just to be canceled as i showed up. (She couldn't afford it last time)
But this time i ended up waiting for her.
She's a lovely girl and i class her as a friend so to speak.But uhm, i guess its just something that does happen, i guess if i had clients booked in after i would probably say. But as i am mobile i give myself 30mins traveling time between treatments so i usually don't end up going over, yet where i do that throughout a day it adds up.

It use to take me an hour and half per set, now that hour and half is just traveling time along with a set of acrylic's, so i have managed to get acrylic's done in a 1hr or so now which is good, but i guess it would be nice to fit more clients in a day.

 

[Pinkbunny28]

How could a cut a treatment time down? I did a set of Acrylic's :/ I wasn't that bothered but it is obviously nice if they were home, if you get what i mean.

She is happy with her nails etc and i was pleased with them too. I am gutted i could of cut 20mins off my time and got home early. As i came from my other part time job and went to do the clients nails, i was obviously egar to get stuck in and crack on, but i ended up waiting in my car for 20mins :/ I ain't too dishearten by it all. As i am not slagging anyone off.

I just thought they would be there seeing as i am mobile and was coming to them. I wouldn't dare leave the house for hours between if i knew i had someone coming to me. But maybe that is just me.

Ah ok. Obviously not for l&p! It depends what you're offering but say it was a massage then you could cut it down easily.

I think even if she is your friend you are running a business and she is wasting time so she needs to be told if she wastes your time then you will have no choice but to not do her nails for her.

See how you go but as you get busier you will not have the time to wait around for 20 mins in your car...x

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[TPB]

Ah ok. Obviously not for l&p! It depends what you're offering but say it was a massage then you could cut it down easily.

I think even if she is your friend you are running a business and she is wasting time so she needs to be told if she wastes your time then you will have no choice but to not do her nails for her.

See how you go but as you get busier you will not have the time to wait around for 20 mins in your car...x

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Yea i agree. I see what you mean. Thank you.

 

[Mobile Manicure]

I've only had it happen twice in 11 years. (I'll be eating my words next week!!). First time client wasn't there, I waited in the car 15 mins, tried to call her on mobile, no answer, left note on her door to say I'd been and drove off. 20 minutes later I get a call from her apologising profusely. She completely forgot. She's in her 80's and the loveliest person and paid me an extra £10 on our next appt.

Another time (same client) was running 10 mins late. I thought she'd forgotten again so thought I'd wait 15 mins again but she showed up, said she was stuck in traffic and was panicking thinking I would have left.

I now always ring her the night before to confirm. I do that with all new clients until I can figure out whether they need a call or not.

I had one new one once who opened the door at 1pm in her dressing gown and bed head saying she forgot, had a dreadful hangover, can I come back in an hour. "um, NO!!" I was gobsmacked and stormed off. In hindsight I should have asked her for payment but I think she might have been trouble with a capital "T".

 

[Carly@Manic]

Yeah I've had a few, mostly when they are 'friends'. I turned up for an appt to an empty house & waited 20 mins or so, no phone call, no text & no answer when I called. I got a text about 4 hours later saying that she'd call me to explain. I'm still waiting for that call!!

 

[justnailart]

Yep, I got to a client's house, knocked but got no answer. I phoned but it went to answer phone. Her boyfriend turned up & said Oh, she's gone to work. :what: I said I'd be billing her for my wasted time, which I did by email, and, surprisingly, I haven't heard from her since! Very annoying!

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[TPB]

I've only had it happen twice in 11 years. (I'll be eating my words next week!!). First time client wasn't there, I waited in the car 15 mins, tried to call her on mobile, no answer, left note on her door to say I'd been and drove off. 20 minutes later I get a call from her apologising profusely. She completely forgot. She's in her 80's and the loveliest person and paid me an extra £10 on our next appt.

Another time (same client) was running 10 mins late. I thought she'd forgotten again so thought I'd wait 15 mins again but she showed up, said she was stuck in traffic and was panicking thinking I would have left.

I now always ring her the night before to confirm. I do that with all new clients until I can figure out whether they need a call or not.

I had one new one once who opened the door at 1pm in her dressing gown and bed head saying she forgot, had a dreadful hangover, can I come back in an hour. "um, NO!!" I was gobsmacked and stormed off. In hindsight I should have asked her for payment but I think she might have been trouble with a capital "T".

I text them the night before to double check, and then that day when i am on my way. :sad: shocking some people are.

Yeah I've had a few, mostly when they are 'friends'. I turned up for an appt to an empty house & waited 20 mins or so, no phone call, no text & no answer when I called. I got a text about 4 hours later saying that she'd call me to explain. I'm still waiting for that call!!

:|

Yep, I got to a client's house, knocked but got no answer. I phoned but it went to answer phone. Her boyfriend turned up & said Oh, she's gone to work. :what: I said I'd be billing her for my wasted time, which I did by email, and, surprisingly, I haven't heard from her since! Very annoying!

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It does take the mick, i don't think some realize its your time etc. I have a 24hr cancellation policy, its the same with any business but the fact we have to arrange our whole day around each person, why shouldn't we charge a cancellation fee. I have of £5.

 

[EmJ]

I've never had someone be a complete no show while I'm waiting on their doorstep but if I think someone's going to be an unreliable client then I try and phase them out! The last thing you want when you're busy is someone to be messing around when you have more people to get to

 

[TPB]

I've never had someone be a complete no show while I'm waiting on their doorstep but if I think someone's going to be an unreliable client then I try and phase them out! The last thing you want when you're busy is someone to be messing around when you have more people to get to

Yep. Also another question, do you find yourself talking too much while doing clients nails, i just don't shut up and i do get them to talk too, but i always seem to end up talking about life stories or events that have happened to me etc, i know these people from school some of my clients, so i guess its not that bad as i have history, but i always end up talking about cost of things or money or my life stories :/

 

[babychops]

If I go to a clients house and get no answer, I go back to my car, try to phone them, if no answer I will go back and knock again. If still no answer I put my business card through the door and write on it that i called at whatever time. I wouldn't wait 15-20 minutes for them, they will have to re-book x

 

[TPB]

Yea makes sense but the fact you traveled that way already it's costed fuel and time.

 

[babychops]

I'm quite lucky because all my clients are very local and it only takes me a few minutes travel time. I have only had one client not answer the door, I always text my clients just to say "is 11 still ok for you today". Just to remind them that I'm coming x

 

[TPB]

Yea I usually contact them the night before and then call them when I am outside.

 

[Lady Murasaki]

I call text the night before and I also take a deposit too.

 

[TPB]

I call text the night before and I also take a deposit too.

How do you take a deposit? I am mobile, if i traveled to get a deposit, it is usually take up with fuel and time going to get the deposit if they booked through my facebook or text?

I do have a cancellation fee, however how do you make this clear without scaring clients off? I had a girl booked in today, tried texting her and no reply, i messaged her on facebook last night and she said she hadn't been paid.

I just don't get how to work a way around it all and not getting screwed over, if that makes sense, i just guess it has to be trail and error..

I guess today didn't go to wasted, i posted my business cards everywhere and got a booking out of it so far All good.

 

[Lady Murasaki]

Im mobile too and I take the deposit via BACS or over the phone as I have a card machine.

If paying via BACS I ask clients to put their name and treatment date as a reference.

I also make it clear in writing via email that all deposits are non refundable and non transferable.