Acceptable Facebook message?

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Grace_Hair

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Due to the amount of 'no shows' and last minute cancellations recently. The cancellation and missed appointment policy at The Hair Lounge is changing from December 1st 2015.

Cancellations must be called through AT LEAST 24 hours before your appointment time. Emails, Facebook messages or text messages will not be accepted.

Any 'no shows' or cancellations without 24 hours notice will now be required to pay 20% deposit to secure their future appointment.

To book an appointment, after a missed appointment, it will need to made over the phone, or in person. Online booking will not be approved until deposit has been paid.

If you would like a reminder for your appointments, please provide your mobile number, or email address.

Thank you to those who keep their appointments and those who give notice of changing their appointment.
 
I would recommend not disclosing why you're updating your policy.

A simple, "Hello everyone! We're excited to say that we're growing, and due to our increased number of appointments, The Hair Lounge early cancellation policy will be updating December 1st, 2015."

This sounds more friendly, creates the impression you are popular with your customers, and that you're in demand.

I don't know if Kitomba allows you to display your no show and early cancellation policy before your clients book, and if you can collect card details up front, then manually approve the appointment requests. If they don't offer it, it's something that might be worth considering another option.

I'm currently developing a website and appointment booking system, and you've given me a great idea for creating a rule based system for no show customers: automatically require manual approval by the scheduler of an appointment booked online if the customer has missed an appointment.

Thank you for the idea!
 
Why won't you accept email Facebook etc to cancel?
 
Why won't you accept email Facebook etc to cancel?

Because it's very easy for people to say, 'well I did email!' Even if they didn't?!
 
I would recommend not disclosing why you're updating your policy.

A simple, "Hello everyone! We're excited to say that we're growing, and due to our increased number of appointments, The Hair Lounge early cancellation policy will be updating December 1st, 2015."

This sounds more friendly, creates the impression you are popular with your customers, and that you're in demand.

I don't know if Kitomba allows you to display your no show and early cancellation policy before your clients book, and if you can collect card details up front, then manually approve the appointment requests. If they don't offer it, it's something that might be worth considering another option.

I'm currently developing a website and appointment booking system, and you've given me a great idea for creating a rule based system for no show customers: automatically require manual approval by the scheduler of an appointment booked online if the customer has missed an appointment.

Thank you for the idea!

I do have to confirm every appointment. But have no option to put card details in. And to be honest, I wouldn't be keen on putting someone's else card details in a software. I'd be worried about my DCI PSS (?)

It does pee me off that with Kitomba I can't see how many/who my no shows were. [emoji107]
 
The idea is that customers should be able to pay for their appointments online during the booking process. This will save you time and money, but if you can't take the customer's credit card online the customer may have no reason to show up.

I do have to confirm every appointment. But have no option to put card details in. And to be honest, I wouldn't be keen on putting someone's else card details in a software. I'd be worried about my DCI PSS (?)

For the most part, PCI compliance is easy. As long as you enter the card details directly into the processing system (secure website or card terminal), disclose you're doing such on the appropriate forms (PCI SAQ Questionnaire), and maintain adequate records of who processes the payments (e.g. unique PIN on the credit card terminal for each employee), then it shouldn't be a problem.

Depending on your credit card processing company, you may be charged more to take cards over the phone vs. in-person.

We use Stripe.com as our preferred payment processor to power our website and booking platform for business owners. Stripe.com has a flat rate regardless if a customer pays online, on-the-phone, or in-person. We found Stripe.com is one of the most secure and developer friendly payment processors available. When your customer enters their card details it goes directly to Stripe.com, and isn't seen by anyone else, including you or our platform.

It does pee me off that with Kitomba I can't see how many/who my no shows were. [emoji107]

A couple months ago, I developed customer order history and notes. In addition, I developed the ability for customers to cancel their own appointments. It never occurred to me allow the business owner to create rules for auto-confirming appointments set by the customers online. I could see rules like, "Let me take the card info but manually confirm the: first five-appointments a customer makes, or if the customer has had a no-show within the past-two months" could be very useful for high-volume businesses.
 
Hi Tori,

Dealing with last minute cancellations is even more of a pain at this time of year when you could have filled each slot 3 times over. :rolleyes:

You can only enforce your revised policy if clients are made fully aware of it at the time of booking, so even though you are introducing it from 1st December, anyone who has booked a December appointment before it was announced cannot be bound by it but you can certainly require a deposit from them for future bookings.

I think it works best if a policy is very simple and easily understood by clients. If they think you're being heavy handed, they might be put off booking in the first place.
 
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No, I realise that, and for the most part, it's regulars who have already booked. Which I've found, aren't the ones who cancel last minute etc.
 
ImageUploadedBySalonGeek1448124847.804958.jpg
 
There's copywrite on Verves designs.

Or are you saying to get Verve, or someone similar, to design one?
 
There's copywrite on Verves designs.

Or are you saying to get Verve, or someone similar, to design one?
He gave this out as a freebie today :)
 

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