Turning clients away....

[kimi1101]

now iv had the salon for 8 months, people are starting to get to know me and request me specifically if they call for an appointment, which is good. they are recommending friends to come to me which is great.

but its now getting to the point i can only do so many people in one day. I just had someone on the phone desperate for an appt wed afternoon, but i couldnt get her in, and now she said oh ill just leave it. what can i do? I offer the mornings, or another day, but some people just dont book if i cant do the specific time they want. and they wont book with anyone else. (but are apparently happy to go elsewhere?)

i know im prob looking for a miracle here...i dont know what i expect you to say. its just frustrating having no one in the morning then an influx in the afternoon.

hmmm.

 

[persianista]

Nothing you can do. They will be back.

If you wanted an appointment with someone and they couldnt give the exact time you demanded, would you stomp off in a huff, and go to the person nobody else wants? No?

They may do once, but if they perceive you as in demand, bet your bottom dollar they will be more organised next time and book further in advance!

Really, relax about it x

 

[cabinkel]

I have the same problem, although not in hair appmts.
I do have another local lasher who i refer clients on to, but if she cant fit them either we both lose out. I was starting to get a girl primed to work with me, but she didnt work out. Its made me nervous now to try someone else!

 

[angelina221]

It's just one of those things i'm afraid. I turn clients away all the time but they always come back. It's annoying when you have spaces the next day though! Some clients can get a bit funny but like Dawn said, they make sure they book in advance the next time!

 

[tigi]

as said, they come back and usually they begin to understand that they need to organise themselves a little more. We usually explain that we are currently filling up xx amount of days in advance and that if they can at all give us that many days notice we will do all we can to help. also, we offer to them on a cancellation list....... we make no promises but they will often accept it.

tigi

 

[Helen v]

client do learn.... eventually! I have2 lovely clients who would always ring up last minute and want an appointment each within the hour. Several time i had to turn these clients away and yes they did go to another salon, which at the time i was quite upset...but then low and behold i get a phone call a few days in advance and i managed to find a mutually convenient time. They now ALWAYS book in advance.
My advice don't get to stressed about it, i got a real failure complex on the run up to Christmas with these clients being like the icing on my cake of stress, you can only do what you can do and sometime i do think that clients can think that we are only there to serve them when they want and that we cant possibly be busy with anyone else.

 

[kylieb]

I think we will always have the oragnised clients that will rebook at every treatment and then the clients that want an appointment like RIGHT NOW. I try to warn them that if they dont book at the end of their appointment then they may not be able to get an appointment. Simple as that. If they choose not to then they have no right to moan when they cant get one. It is annoying but it's just one of those things. As long as your busy then this is all good! xxx

 

[bexster]

dont feel bad... its good your busy , i dont feel bad when i turn people away all you can do is take their number and call them if anyone cancels..
ive got all my regulars to book up to xmas this year so i know that they have one before any new clients that i receive, my late nights and sats are all gone in the run up to xmas

and i do warn people about it so their not disappointed when it come round.. its their responsibility to book in not yours.. as long as you tell them its best to book in advance then the pressure is off,

i also list all the sats and late nights that have gone on face book so my clients can look there first and organise themselves before they ring..

and taking numbers really works too, cus u know they all drop like flys at xmas with being ill etc..
xx

 

[bexster]

and i really annoys me, when they lean over the reception to look at the book!!!!!!!!

like you must be lying and they can magic up an appointment... would they do that at the docs or dentist!!!!!!! i dont think so... cheeky bxxgers...

 

[totalbirdbrain]

and i really annoys me, when they lean over the reception to look at the book!!!!!!!!

like you must be lying and they can magic up an appointment... would they do that at the docs or dentist!!!!!!! i dont think so... cheeky bxxgers...

Lol thank god its not just us!!! If they start doing that I hold the book up and make a point of them not being able to see in...and if they question it (have had the odd one) I just mention Data Protection

It is annoying when you have to turn people away, and as someone mentioned before, it used to bother me and I'd worry etc...you hope that they think 'oh crikey they must be busy' (which is good) and then get their act together in the future.

 

[persianista]

I had a walk in man shout at me yesterday cos I was closing up and wouldnt stay open and do his hair!!!!
Clearly never went to charm school. By the time he had finished shouting that he had an important meeting the next day, and he was gonna tell my boss(?) I was lazy, he was NEVER gonna get a haircut from me!

 

[totalbirdbrain]

I had a walk in man shout at me yesterday cos I was closing up and wouldnt stay open and do his hair!!!!
Clearly never went to charm school. By the time he had finished shouting that he had an important meeting the next day, and he was gonna tell my boss(?) I was lazy, he was NEVER gonna get a haircut from me!

Or you get the comment of 'dont you want to make a bit of extra money....can you afford to turn it down'? How rude!

I stayed late on Friday to fit someone in but had to be home by a particular time as I had a builder coming round, someone had left me a note asking if I could squeeze them in before I went home, then turned up at the desk asking the same question and was most put out that I wouldnt stay on. It's the old 'oh it will only take 5 minutes'....no it doesnt and I have a life too!!! Although shouldnt grumble due to economic situation but its not right for people to throw that at you either!

 

[kimi1101]

i once had someone ask me to squeeze them in right now...i explained i could do it in 45 mins and they actually said "do you even know how to work the appointment diary? surely i can be squeezed in?!"

my boss actually had to ask the woman to leave. did she really think speaking to me was gonna get an appointment? erm......no.

been really busy today, had a colour correction go fantastically well...and the woman i turned away is coming tomorrow. i must learn to take it as a compliment.

thanks everyone xx

 

[skankinchar]

what i don't get is the look that some people give you when you have to explain that no you can't fit them in right now! classic!

 

[Gina Ballerina]

I get my weekend and evening clients to book a few appts in advance. My appointment/loyalty cards have spaces for 5 appts so I book 5 in at the time. Also my saturdays usually run 2 or 3 weeks full in advance so they have to be booked. Nearly all of my regulars book in advance.
Im advising everyone that they need to as summers a coming!

When I go on holiday I tell my clients to make sure they've booked the appt before and after as Ill be super busy having just been away (not always true but it ensures I come back to lots of appts)

I sometimes squeeze people in for little appts like ebwx but always wish I hadnt as Ill run late.

When you turn people away try not to worry and feel a tiny bit smug that you're doing ok.

Oh and run a cancellation list.

xx

 

[Trinity]

When you are fully booked, and you've offered alternative dates which don't fit the clients other commitments, then there is only one thing left to do and that is make sure they can come back at a later time and take any of the alternative appointments you've offered without losing 'face'.

I always end the conversation with something like 'OK, I'm really disappointed we can't find a slot for works, if anything changes in your diary make sure you call me and we'll try to work something out'

This gives them the opportunity to call back after thinking about it, or indeed swapping stuff around if they wanted to, and say they want to book without feeling bad/embarrassed/stupid/etc.

If they're rude like some of the people others have mentioned then it's their loss, how rude to check peoples diary over the desk, etc.