Cancellations cancellations!!!!!!!

[worthit]

Hi everyone

Ok who's out there going through the same as me??? cancellations:grr::grr::grr: I've had enough!!!! I've had 3 this week soo far one for a wedding at the end of this month, and she seemed really pleased at the time but has text me to say she assured me it was nothing I had done, :Grope: but it does make you wonder and then turned up at a regular clients last night and she had forgotton is anyone else out there having the same with clients not keeping appointments and if not what are doing? do you charge them if they don't keep the appointment? coz I lost a fair bit of money last night as she FORGOT how do you all keep going and sane for that matter coz it's driving me over the edge :grr:

Please heeeeelp me you guys I'm at my wits end

Thanks

Kate xxxxxxxx

 

[TahitiBeauty]

Hi everyone

Ok who's out there going through the same as me??? cancellations:grr::grr::grr: I've had enough!!!! I've had 3 this week soo far one for a wedding at the end of this month, and she seemed really pleased at the time but has text me to say she assured me it was nothing I had done, :Grope: but it does make you wonder and then turned up at a regular clients last night and she had forgotton is anyone else out there having the same with clients not keeping appointments and if not what are doing? do you charge them if they don't keep the appointment? coz I lost a fair bit of money last night as she FORGOT how do you all keep going and sane for that matter coz it's driving me over the edge :grr:

Please heeeeelp me you guys I'm at my wits end

Thanks

Kate xxxxxxxx

I know the feeling!! large appointments...opps i forgot im going away for the summer and forgot my 4 hour long appoitnment!! so now ther therapist it sitting there twiddling her thumbs....
without a doubt deposit deposit deposit!! any appointment over an hour a 40% deposit, is ideal! most genuine clients who acutally turn up dont mind giving a deposit as they intend to have the treatment! the problem is with regular clients who come in weekly, they may be offended if you ask for a depoist. if they are clients you know and trust would normally call if they cant make it.

Hope this helps, be strong with clients! you are providing a service and they wouldnt 'forget' if it was the doctots!!

Natalie x

 

[blossom]

I think the deposit thing is great in theory, but my regulars (most have been coming for years not months) would be offended I think. Anyway I don't have many probs with my regulars, so I won't be doing the deposit thing. One of them may forget very occasionally, or something urgent will crop up . . . well that's life and as long as they have a good "track record" so to speak, I can forgive them! :hug:

The ones who are doing my head in are new clients. Not ones who have been recommended by an existing client, they are fine. No, at the moment, for me, it's the ones who get you from Thompson Local or Yellow Pages. They book and then just don't come. :smack: :grr::irked:

A few weeks ago a mother and daughter booked out a whole morning with me for a new set each . . . yes, ok, you can bring your baby rolleyes so one or other of them can look after it (I suggested one stay home with baby then swap over but nolol), I had cups out for coffee and everything ready . . . then GUESS WHAT. They never came. I tried to phone them but no reply.

Later that week (the Friday), a lady phoned to say she'd had an awful set of nails applied the night before (they were) & wanted a soak off and new set which I couldn't do till the Monday night. She booked that but had an "occasion" at the weekend, so although I didn't have long before my first appointment of the day, I invited her round there and then and spent twenty minutes re-shaping those nails and refining round the cuticles, a lick of polish and she said they were lovely and would get her through the weekend but was still insistent she wanted them soaked off and replaced on Monday night. In view of that, like the blithering soft headed idiot that I must be, I didn't charge her for the work I'd just done. I felt sorry for her. Anyway you know what I'm going to say, she cancelled the Monday night an hour before she was due to come. :grr: I don't know if I was crosser with her or myself. I learnt from that and it won't be happening again.

So, WorthIt, I have to say I know where you're coming from :hug:and sympathise, they want their arses kicked. I make a note of all no shows and I won't re-book them so in the end it's really their loss.

Sorry I've blabbed on and on :lol: Feel better now though lol. x


Edit: I'm actually considering coming out of Yellow Pages and Thompson because of this problem and just working from referrals. I only have a lineage ad which is free anyway, but I'm wondering if it's more trouble than it's worth.

 

[MsAqua]

Hi, I haven't done heaps of sets yet. However, when making a booking I ensure I get their mobile number and sms them the night before their appointment and ask them to reply back to me with a yes or no to their appointment! I got the idea from my hairdresser and other appointments I've been to. The sms reminds me of the appointment and when I reply, I'm committed. If they reply and don't show, give them the benefit of the doubt (maybe the car broke down??), phone them to find out what happened, but if it happens again....I wouldn't re-book!

 

[sazzanne]

i just had 3 in a row that didnt turn up, sent a tex to one,and she replyed with ' two nails have come off, dont think i want them back on' ..it had been 4 weeks, so i dont know what she expected. Then the other two simply never showed. ...going to start taking a deposit myself becuase its not fair, we have bills to pay, and i really dont think they realize that!!

Sarah xx

 

[newintown]

I know it's not the same but i work for ann summers as a party planner and we do a 321 plan which means that you contact them 3 weeks, 2 weeks and a week before could you do some thing like that where you contact them a week or so before. I still have some cancellations but not many because forgetfulness.
Do you give out appointment cards that they could pin to the fridge or notice board.

 

[JANEY K]

i sympathise with you girls over late clients,no shows,ect.. it is frustrating but you don't want to loose their custom ..maybe introduce the deposit scheme ..although they might find it an insult..i tend to stick to my loyal regulars & give new clients benefit of the doubt..if they don't turn up it's their loss & mine too but most people know it doesnt cost much in manners to call within 24 hrs for cancellation

 

[worthit]

Thanks all for your replys a great help I just take it all soooo personally I'm trying my hardest to get this business off the ground but as soon as I get a full book it seems they cancel or no show I just get fed up so much so I'm thinking of changing direction but then what would I do I've trained in nails and beauty now so perhaps i should just weather the storm :cry: I just soooo want it to be a success but how is that ever going to happen with people cancelling over and over!!

What do you guys do, do you charge for a no show? in the current climate do you not book them again coz forgot to me, just aint good enough oh god I just don't know what to do for the best.

Any advice gratefully received is th ewriting on the wall for me coz it's happening sooo much to me

Thanks in advance:hug:

Kate xxx

 

[JANEY K]

you could also try the " no show you still pay" method that was on a thread a while back it stated that if a client did'nt show you put something like x ammount of pounds on top of next appointment ..this is your payment for wasting your time or something simular to this.

 

[geeg]

When I had my business in the UK I took everyones name and address and telephone if a booking was done over the phone. I explained that there would be a charge if they did not cancel within 24 hours and that a bill would be sent to them for the full amount of the treatment. This worked well for me and if people do not pay their bills you can go thru small claims court. I only had to do this once.

Later as we got more sophisticated, we took payment by credit card over the phone prior to the appointment for all new bookings ... not many people missed after that.

 

[~cHeRiSh~]

We use Premier software and send a text reminder out 24 hours prior to the appointment and that has cut no-shows by a huge amount. We do have a 50% cancellation fee on all our stationery and have enforced that a few times for clients who repeatedly don't show. A couple didnt come back, but as salon time was being wasted we were kind of glad! But the others paid with no problem and are still coming in. A couple of clients have to pre-pay as they are shocking! Its a tricky one, and some clients dont respect the fact that this is your business and they are actually costing you oney in lost appointments when they dont turn up. :hug:

 

[barbie25]

I am having the same problems...Its so frustrating! I have been so annoyed this week i have felt like crying! One of my clients who came to me last on the 1st of May has since booked in with me 13 times and everytime has either cancelled just before or when she was actually ment to be here. (i know i was so stupid to keep re-booking her but she is a friend of the family and im too much of a soft touch, but not any more lol). Yesterday she didant even cancel, I was sat there waiting and waiting and i thought, Im not doing this anymore, I can do without it and i started thinking of all the money she has lost me as i could be doing someone elses nails!

So i sent her a txt (I tried ringing but no answer...funny that!) Exsplaining that i wont be able to them anymore, I wasent horroble (not in my nature to be) but i was firm. I did have to laugh though because the last time she rang to book in she kind of had a go at me beacause her nails were so bad, I was thinking, Hold on a minute you last came to me nearly 10 weeks ago, its a miracle you still have any on! lol

One of my friends called to change her appointment time because she was doing her housework, I thought well you wouldant book an appointment at the docs and exspect him to move it back for you 2 hours when he has other people to see! Sometimes i think people dont take what i do seriously and thats its "just for fun" and yes to me it is fun but its also my job and pays the bills and puts food on the table!


Oh well these things are sent to try us and we just have to keep thinking positive, I just think of all my other lovely clients and i wouldant want them to turn up for their infills and be greeted with a miserable nail tech, so ill just keep smiling and ignore the time wasters!

sorry for the rant lol xxx

 

[Bagpuss]

you tend to get messed about more with family and friends than with "real" clients....thank fully not many of my family/friends can have nails due to work and things...:lol:

Its not fair cos for each time they cancel you could have booked someone else in....they do need to be told that. Try not being so assessable when they book....sound busier than you are and don't say yes to their first preference...maybe they will then start to take you more seriously.

 

[angel fingers]

if you have clients that repeatedly cancel or no show, you could offer them appointments subject to late availability. so if they want their nails done they ring on the day and if you have a spare slot you do them. it saves booking yourself up, turning other people down and being left penniless.

 

[jojosnails]

We use Premier software and send a text reminder out 24 hours prior to the appointment and that has cut no-shows by a huge amount.

I was going to suggest a similar thing, why not give every client a ring the day before their appointment (or as above, a text) just to remind them, at least then if they have forgotten/need to rearrange, you're not wasting your time on an appointment you don't end up carrying out!

 

[Claire Hibbert]

Hi there

The automatic text or email reminder is a great idea and definitely works. To send an email reminder costs you nothing but an automatic text will cost around 10p which is nothing compared to someone not turning up and wasting your time and material costs when setting up for them. What is great about automatic texts and emails are that you select the option when you book their appointment so you don't have to remember to call, text or email them the software does it for you. Good luck.

Claire
icomplete | the new way to make small business work

 

[Martin Duffy]

I've worked in salons where the policy was a % deposit for appointments over a certain value & another where they took card details to confirm the booking with an explanation they would be charged if they didn't turn up. Now I have my own place I personally don't do either as I have very few no-shows. If someone doesn't turn-up & it's their first time I say "I normally charge when 24 hours notice isn't given, but as it's your first time I'll waive the cancellation fee if you rebook now". It gives them the impression you're serious & generally they don't do it again!

 

[redsadie]

I've had the same problem just in the past 2 weeks (not with nails atm though). Last saturday I had 3 tans booked in and only one turned up! I phoned the other 2 about 10 minutes after their appointment time and suprise, suprise, went to answerphone. One texted me later in the week to apologise as she had slammed her fingers in the door of the car and it had deadlocked on them (ouch! was true, she came in to see me today) and the other hasn't bothered to contact me at all but I saw her in the salon window (I was passing on thursday evening) and found out she hadn't even apologised!

Today I only had 3 people actually booked in for waxing and tinting and again, only one actually turned up :irked: (the one who broke her fingers last week), again I called the other two but again, no reply. Good job I have a room in a salon and people decide to have stuff done on a spur of the moment (not all the time mind).

When I do see these people again, I will give them the benefit of the doubt once, but will say to them I need a 50% deposit for their next appointment, as it does say on the back of my literature about cancellations and missed appointment fees.

xx

 

[sarah04]

my hairdresser gives me a phone about an hour before my appointment to make sure everythings still on and to double check what it is i want done it may cost a couple of pence and a few mins of your time but i think it maybe something that should be given a go
x x

 

[PANTA1265]

Here is how i am dealing with cancellations.
Once appointment is booked i confirm in writting with a letter to my client.
At the bottom of the letter i stating clearly the cancellation fees.
The date before the appointment i call my clients to confirm the appointment.

If there is a cancellation i polite remind them the cancellation fee.

Cheers