No Show Client

[Layla-Louise]

Its been two weeks since the opening of my salon everything was going ok as to be expected the clients that know about my salon from open evening have all turned up on time & remembered their appointment.
All apart from one last wednesday who was book in for a brow shape and is someone who actually knows a family member of mine texted her to say she wanted to rearrange her appointment and cancel it. So i told my family member that if she phoned the salon then the receptionist get rearrange/confirm the appointment for her at the time/day she wanted.
I waited for her on wednesday as she was my last apppointment of the day at 5:30pm as i was finishing at 6pm & she didnt turn up at all nor did i recieve a phonecall to cancel it
She saw my family member and didnt mention it if she re-books again it would be the 3rd time shes rearranging what would you do?
i feel that if she wants to book in for anthing more than an hour that i require a deposit from her as she failed to show up to her last appointment.
on my pricelist i do have that cancels missed or broken within less than 24hours will incur a 50% charge but i kno its not realistic & people wont pay.
However i dont think its fair that some people can mess you about like this especially if someone else wanted the apppointment.
Previously where i use to work my employer use to phone the client up but i just feel why should we chase them up it looks abit desperate and your wasting a phone bill too.

any suggestions what i can do if she does ever phone me or if im in a similar situation like this again
thankyou

 

[VHunter]

Regrettably, no shows are part of the business.

I personally have a rule: if you no show on your first appointment without even a phone call TO me.
THEN I do not rebook you.

Sorry if that seems harsh, but my time is valuable to me.

If it's a regular client, I find out the why. Sometimes life gets in the way of living and we all goof at one time or another. I do make exceptions.
IF it's someone that makes a habit of it (cancelling late like 1hr before, and no-showing), then 3 strikes and you're out.

I have clients that DO respect me and DO want my time and wait for cancellations. If that cancellation comes too late and those on the waiting list miss out, then it's not fair to anyone.

sorry no magic answers...
:hug:

 

[Kim Lawless]

I had a brow wax today who din't show. She booked 6 weeks ago. Anyway, I gave it 10 mins and called her mobile and left a nice message saying 'Hi Sue. You had an appointment at 11 and I'm just checking to see if you're on your way. Hope that everything is fine with you. Hope to see you soon.' 10 mins later she calls me....'Hi Kim, so sorry I missed my appointment but I've been moving house today and it slipped my mind'. (I totally understood as these things happen). However, she then says, 'But I'm next door to you in Costa Coffee so can I pop in now?' I reply, 'No, I'm sorry Sue, I don't do 'Walk Ins', I run a very tight diary and work by appointment only and you've missed your slot I'm afraid'.

I know it sounds arsey but I don't care. A piddly £8 eyebrow wax and she thinks she can mess me about. I've got to say that I never get this with my male clients and some of them drive 2.5hrs each way just to get to me.

I treat my clients like royalty and with the utmost respect, so I don't think it's too much to ask for them let me know if they're not going to turn up.

With your lady, the next time she books, why not ask her to make sure she lets you know if she can't make it. She'll know what you're getting at. xxxx

 

[Layla-Louise]

no i think your right after all time=money
and you have others like you said that are waiting for your time its selfish
i did say to my family member about taking a deposit next time she books & she was lkke you can't do that especially when you've just set up she can bad mouth you to others
i wasnt going to be nasty about it just explain that i did wait for her and she didnt show up so this is why i need a deposit i think i should go on as i mean 2 otherwise people will walk all over you do u agree then?

 

[Susie H]

When I had a table at the tattooist I found that once I did the same as them and started taking a deposit, I stopped getting no shows.
And its easy to do, they phone and you take a credit/debit card detail for a deposit. the ones who say they don't have one, just say you can't take a phone booking from them and you'll book them in when they come to the salon with their deposit.
After the treatment, you ask them if they want to transfer the deposit to their next appointment. it saves all that anger and frustration.

 

[Joannesnails]

I know how you feel and know how dissheartening it can be i think this week ive had the worst week for cancels and non showers such as thursday i had two ladies booked in one had booked in 2 months ago for this appointment and the other booked a few days before. Anyhow neither of them turnt up the first girl popped up on messanger 30 minutes before and said ill be there at 4.30 i said ok see you then Hour later no show and phone was off! Second lady i rang at 5pm and said are you still ok for 6pm she said yes ill be there was she there? No And it rattled my cage terribly i start to think my luck is just so bad, anyway the next day friday had another booking did the lady turn up...No:irked:

It does make me sometimes want to throw the towel in but why let people who do not have the decency to let you know, ruin your ahcievements.

So from now on if someone just doesnt show up and doenst let me know there not allowed to book again as i have some lovely reliable clients to attend to

 

[Layla-Louise]

i know that no shows are unfortunately common but its just rude that people nowadays don't have the decency to make one phonecall if they are late or can't make it, it's as if they think they are the only clients that attend your salon especially that lady that wanting to walk in late for her appointment like you said appointments are run on a tight schedule & they pick the time/day they want so theres no reason for them not to show up
I just don't know whether i should phone clients if it gets to the 10-15 minute stage because they might come after that and think its ok to do so
when it isnt because it sets u back in time throughout the day
and you waste your phonebill on them

 

[VHunter]

It's too funny that that I posted to this thread... and then whammo, I get hit with not one, but TWO no-shows
:irked::lol:

One was a newbie client, a friend of another client. ALSO my district mgr for Avon. Not only did she not show, I left a phone message the next day and she hasn't returned my call.
Guess what? SHE'S OFF my list and not getting rebooked.

As for no#2... I'm a dunderhead and should have thought more when I booked her... She's young ( a pal of a VERY regular client that sends LOTS of referrals). She celebrated her b-day the night before. I KNEW she was doing that.. and I didn't stop and think.
Guess what? She was hung over and sick as a dog. Now the appointment was for 3 in the afternoon, and she honestly did think she could make it.
she did call (5 min before she was due)
She said she'd call back when she was more functional. She was VERY apologetic and said she could come, but... didn't know how well she'd be able to sit at the table, if it was a problem for me.

I haven't yet decided on her..... At least she called, and well, I'd probably be hung over if I went out drinking too, since I never drink.
I don't know... I'm swinging 50/50 on this one, whether or not I'll rebook her.

It's tough... deciding.. tough being the ******.
Don't want to be messed around, but "sometimes life gets in the way of living" and all that.. we all screw up.

It's all about judgement, and if you think the client is disrespecting you and taking you for a ride OR if they honestly slipped up.

hth's

 

[hippy-chick]

its on all of my literature and I also tell new clients verbally that I expect 24 hours notice or they will be charged.

Unfortunately, this doesn't mean a thing to a new client that hasn't been before - I have no details to contact them!

I ring them 15 minutes after their appointment and tell them that I am waiting for them.

I give ALL clients one strike. then they are not welcome at my place.

I have charged long standing clients full price. If they apologise for not turning up, I don't just say "OH don't worry about it, etc etc" I make it clear that I was waiting for them and they didn't turn up!

2 weeks ago I had 1 client booked in for a 30 minute Indian head massage. I travelled 10 miles to get there. she didn't turn up. She re-made her appointment and left an apology. When I saw her, she had a gift voucher that was about 15 months old (ffs) and apologised again. I clearly told her that I had made a round trip of 20 miles. She offered to pay, eventhough she had an expired gift voucher. I compromised and suggested upgrading her 30 minute treatment to a 60 minute treatment and charged her for the 30 minutes ie £15.

don't know whether I will see her again, but, if she does come, I think she will behave.

I have 2 regular clients that regularly forget so I ring or text them just before their appointment. If they turn up late, they still pay full price and get what's left of their treatment time.