Cancellation policy - advice

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ejboyle

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Advise about Cancellation policy

What do you have in place? Why?

How do you put it in place i.e. get money off people for cancelling last min?

Thanks

Emily xx
 
I take a 'booking fee' (50% of the treatment cost) at time of booking - that way I already have half of their money should they cancel within 24 hours. I do this online via my website, but if you don't have a website you could take it via PayPal or bank transfer. This has reduced my last minute cancellations greatly and since in place I've had zero no shows. I make it very clear that clients should not book with me unless they are happy with my cancellation policy.
 
We charge clients 50% if they cancel with less than 24 hours notice. Our clients offer to pay it. If they don't they don't come back.
It rarely happens fortunately x
 
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Do any of you find that people are annoyed at having to dig out their credit cards and give details just to book an appointment? We don't do online bookings and especially for repeat clients, find it a bit hard to ask for a deposit- as if we don't trust them. Is it just us or is this a common problem?
@squidgernetball you have some of the nicest sounding clients ever!
 
Do any of you find that people are annoyed at having to dig out their credit cards and give details just to book an appointment? We don't do online bookings and especially for repeat clients, find it a bit hard to ask for a deposit- as if we don't trust them. Is it just us or is this a common problem?
@squidgernetball you have some of the nicest sounding clients ever!
@riva they're just well trained. I've had one book online after not turning up 6 months before. We noted it all on our booking system at the time. She booked online and I emailed her and told her she owed £60 from her appt 6 months before and I wanted advance payment in case she didn't turn up again. She refused and said I'd got it wrong. I hadn't. I said 'I'm sorry our recollections are different but I have everything noted from last October. I'll delete your appointment now'
I then tell my other clients. They don't want to fall foul of us so they turn up, cancel on time or offer to pay.

I don't take deposits. I don't need to. 98% of my clients are superb x
 
I have a cancellation policy in place and hand a copy out inside my brochure to every new client and with every updated price list. It is also clearly stated in my treatment room, on my website and Facebook page. I think just having one makes people think twice before they muck you about.

In cases of genuine illness or personal crisis I do not charge but I do make a note on their records in case it keeps happening.

I state:

Cancellation within 24 hours of your booking – 25% of cost of treatments booked
Cancellation within 12 hours of your booking – 50% of cost of treatments booked
Cancellation within 1 hour of your booking – 75% of cost of treatments booked

No further appointments can be made until fees settled.

Basically I use this policy to get rid of unwanted clients who have no respect for my time and mess me about on appointments.

The reality is that I tell them of the charge, they say they won't pay and never darken my door again.
No - i don't get their money but I do get rid of them.
I keep records of my correspondence with them in case of any problems further down the line.

If the unwanted client was particularly rude / aggressive, then I block their phone number, email address & Facebook profile.

I am too old to put up with time wasters - I'll just stick with my lovely ones thank you!
 
Thank you everyone. Given me plenty to think of.when a few of you say you do online bookings what apps or software so you use to do this? Xx
 
Thank you everyone. Given me plenty to think of.when a few of you say you do online bookings what apps or software so you use to do this? Xx
With ovatu you can charge a booking fee (not a deposit as they are legally refundable) or the full amount. You can charge on some treatments or all of them, it's totally flexible. You need your ts and cs in place obviously x
 

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