Please help with my wording for deposit!

[Beautify YourSelf]

Hey everyone,

I would really like some help on getting a booking fee/deposit policy in place. I am a mobile beauty therapist and I have just moved to a new area and starting my business up again seems to be harder than ever. All I seem to be getting is cancelling clients. Even if they cancel before 48 hours I am struggling to fill the slot.

Would it be harsh to have a non refundable booking fee/deposit policy?

Never needed one before and don’t know really how to word one either.

Many thanks
Alice

 

[BannerPenguin]

You can have one but it depends on IF you can enforce it. IE do they pay you upfront? Then legally if they give you a 'fair' amount of notice you have to give it back. Also it's likely to put some people off booking. It's catch-22.

My dad is a driving instructor and takes the first lesson payment upfront online and then he knows they're serious moving forward. I just made the payment form on a part of his website I did for him.