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What do you do about no shows/cancellations?

  • Charge full fee for service

    Votes: 5 8.5%
  • Charge % of fee for service

    Votes: 10 16.9%
  • No Charge but have 'words' with client

    Votes: 44 74.6%

  • Total voters
    59
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Jo Jo

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Joined
Oct 6, 2003
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Location
UK
I think it is important to remind un-reliable customers about their appointment 24 hours in advance.

If the don't show, and then ask to book again, ask them for a deposit. This way, if they don't show up then at least you haven't lost out completley.

But I wouldn't advise asking all customers for a deposit when they book because I think this will just scare them off.
 
i charge a cancellation fee (just £5) for all missed appointments and cancellations unless at least 24 hours notice is given
but there are of course reasons why people cancel or no show sometimes like ill health, etc..... so if they just dont show for no reason...... then i'll charge but it really depends on how often appointments are missed and what the reasons are.
i do have a regular client who does cancel last minute often but she insists on paying for the full appointment........even tho i dont mind just charging the cancellation fee of £5.
If its a new client that doent show then i cant charge unless they rebook so it can be a bit hit and miss- and just one of those things even tho it does wind me up! :!:
plus i can be a right chicken and just not say anything which will get me no where!........lol

Jess
;)
 
I know ya got them over there too. So who is making their living, earning enough to support themselves and they are not running their business from their cell phone. That phone is used to call and confirm the next days appointments. That phone is used to call the waiting list and fill in or re-arrangement the appointment schedule. That cell phone is available for all clients to call me. Then IF a client does a NO SHOW on me,,, it is clearly stated that is ONE, and the TWICE, it doesn't hapen, period.
Now granted, this cell phone usage and all could seem like and could actually be a bit much for anyone who is acutally looking to 'kill some time and not be bored" doing nails. But if nails is your business, where is your cell phone.
 
at my spa, we allow 3 no shows before we request a credit card ##. or if the client is new, and the service is an hour or more, we get a credit ## also. if a client no shows, their card is charged for 1/2 the service fee and the money goes to one of our local charities we work with...oh yeah, we tell the customers our policy ahead of time so they arn't suprised to see "donation" on their credit card bill!
 
We confirm all bookings in the morning of the said appointment........

I have also a cancelation list...........
The clients that I can't fit in go on this list and are asked if they can turn up at short notice....15min notice.............
As we are working in the business centre of the city of London, this is usualy not a problem.............

But unforseen business meetings are and I can't expect ,that they are able to call me, all of the time, as some meetings are just sprung on them at the last minute.....

So I tell all my clients when they book, that I appreciate a call if they can't make their appointment , as we don't have a cancelation fee as such...........

I also tell them, that any appointment 15 minutes late is classed as cancelled and they have to rebook.........It's in their and my interest.......So no rushing for me to get the work done in half the time and no rushing for them and then to find out their seat has been filled by someone else.....................

So if say Lady XYZ doesn't turn up, I give her 15 minutes and then ring a client from my cancelation list and tell her I can fit her in and would she like this appointment.................Well I might lose some money, but hey Lady ABC is happy that I managed to fit her in...........

Any client booking a service that takes 1 hr or more, is asked to leave a deposit of £10.00, I either take the money there and then if they book in person or their credit card details if it's a telephone booking............if they call me early enough say 3 hours before they are due in....I will honour the deposit and carry it over, but no call no refund and they have lost their slot and their £10.00 depost..................

Just make sure that what ever you decide, to tell the clients before hand and then they can't rant and rave and turn up late or not at all and expect their money back...................
Work for me lol and since we have started doing this, hardly any no shows...................
love Ruth xxxxxxx
 
I don't charge a canx fee as chances are they will not pay it and won't bother coming back.

When i first started out i stupidly re-booked a client 5 times, :rolleyes: and it cost me a fortune as each apt i had to book my son into nursery.
Never again.
If a client misses an apt now i ask for payment in advance to secure the re-booked apt.
I did think about asking for a deposit for each client but as someone else said it may scare people off.

I am happy to say i have not had a no show for a while now and hope it stays like that.

It took me a while to harden up to the business world, and even though i love doing nails more than almost anything else, it is my business and it is how i earn my living, you have to be professional about things!!!
 
my salon charges a cancelation fee after 24 hours of the appointment.from 24 hrs to 2 hrs is a 50% charge.after 2 hours to appoitment time -100% charge.
we book all parties with credit card #'s.and we hold all individuals responsible for there appointments . they have to remember that we are not hourly employee's.
would your doctor let you no-show without a charge?our clients have to start respecting our time, i know for a fact all my clients have cell phones.im not saying we are tyrants, we understand emergencies....but you have to stand your ground sometimes.
 
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