why do clients not turn up

[ste]

well i had one lady once not turn up then about 1 year later pop up and told me how her freind had bin at colage so bin doing waxing 4her didnt like it done at home anymore so came back to me said i had done her daughters waxing a few weeks ago so i said oh yes she was booked in yesterday she said oh was she ill ring her, so got her phone out and rang her, she said oh she FORGOT not sorry she forgot. so did her waxing nd she re booked 6 weeks later NO SHOW it must just b me

 

[hollie22]

hi all, im am really fed up lately with clients booking and then not turing up:grr: why do thay do this ! do any of you guys take numbers and make calls if they dont come, i know you cant make them come or pay for the missed appointment but why dont thay just call !, oct is a bad time in my salon as it is can do without this too, did a lady yesterday at 2 30 next lady at 4 DIDNT COME and my little girl was of school ill could have bin with her:hug: i love my job but some times do have better things to do with my time. sorry for going on but this gets me down

I have also had a real problem with no shows. A few weeks back I had somebody call me who had been to a nss in town and her nails were really bad, so i squeesd her in, i booked her in on the friday for the monday, she didn't turn up and when i tried to call her she just cancelled my calls. then the next day Another lady rang me that morning to book in for a full set of acrylic with permanent white tip for 2 hours time, I rang her when she was 20 mins late she also cancelled my calls, i tired a few times then i rang with held, she answerd and I asked her were she was, she said sh was on her way and would be there in a few mins!!! She never turned up!!!!!!!!!

What I do now is make sure I take a contact telephone number for every one and check oftern that they havent changed thier numbers and if they are a new client I will take there post code when booking. HTH xxx

 

[amirose]

Nicki-Marie Not wanting to make you feekl bad but its a relief to hear this happens to someone else!!!
Its happened to me a couple of times they come for a couple of appointments tell me they are really pleased then dont show up leaving you seriously paranoid!!! Thinking is it me did i say something wrong is it my work ahhhhhhhhh lol!!!
People that have been a couple of times then do this definatley leave me feeling the worst :sad:

 

[kerry33]

In the salon i worked in we always took mobile contact numbers if possible and then we would text them the night before to remind them.It worked really well and cut down the number of no show we had.Also if it was a long booking we would always ask for 50% deposit,especially if it was a half day or a day treatment.

 

[nailzoo]

they don't turn up because they are inconsiderate bitches ......

and that' how I feel about them unless they pay me for their missed appointments, their money buys my silence and my negative thoughts on them......

I take a deposit on all walk-ins and any local phone bookings (i explain this to them on the phone).

Clients who dont show for an appointment is the equivelent of them taking the money out of my pocket.

I have a cancellation policy of 50% first offense (just to let them know i'm serious), then 100% thereafter (and mine only have to give 3 hours notice), i think 24 hours for a nail appointment is ridiculous (thats my opinion), it is only nails, (not trivialising it) but many things come along that are more important ...... it's the phonecall that makes the difference.

If they don't abide by my rules or cancellation policy, they are more than welcome to go and see Sweaty Betty at the Lumpy Bump Nail Company up the road.

 

[*Garfield*]

I have had a few no shows as well recently, it must be the time of year:green: I always take numbers, and I usually txt the night before to 'remind' new or forgetful clients but some people are just pig ignorant and you will always get some that just dont bother letting you know, its the nature of the business we are in Im afraid Hope things look up for you hun.:hug:

 

[Nicki-Marie]

Nicki-Marie Not wanting to make you feekl bad but its a relief to hear this happens to someone else!!!
Its happened to me a couple of times they come for a couple of appointments tell me they are really pleased then dont show up leaving you seriously paranoid!!! Thinking is it me did i say something wrong is it my work ahhhhhhhhh lol!!!
People that have been a couple of times then do this definatley leave me feeling the worst :sad:

Aww hun. Im sure its definately not you they have a problem with. In these situations i try and remain positive as i know i offer a professional service and brilliant treatments, so twist it a bit and kind of just think ... ahh well its them thats missing out! (although yes technically im missing out on money, which is a bit of a swine!)
More often than not, they go to other salons and return to you months down the line. If they dont come back, well they've saved you a bit of bother! xx

 

[Katelisa]

I take a deposit for any treatment longer than 30 mins.

and 50% charge if they dont turn up to the appointment or dont give me 12 hours notice if they want to cancel.

Its been workin pretty well actually!!

very few no shows the last few months since i stared doing it!

 

[Sassy Hassy]

The thing that peeves me is when people phone at 10am for an appointment later on in the same day and then don't turn up? Now what's that about! :smack:

 

[nailsharon]

The thing that peeves me is when people phone at 10am for an appointment later on in the same day and then don't turn up? Now what's that about! :smack:

here here i second that ,i had a client phoning me up first thing in the morning desparate for a full tan set everything up and guess what ?? im still waiting:zzz:

 

[hippy-chick]

we offer a ring and remind service were we ring them up the day before to cofirm the appointment .

I think thats a lovely way to put it! Its almost like you are offering a fantastic service but ensuring that you get an answer if they are needing to cancel.
I know that my husband's dentist rings the day before and leaves a message on the answerphone.

I think the problem with most clients is that they assume that you are on a wage, so it doesn't affect you if they don't turn up.
As a holistic therapist, I have a sign up that reminds them that I am self-employed and that a cancellation policy is enforced. I have one lady that regularly forgets, but she always pays the next time. I do text her in the morning now, and it has halved her non-attendace.
I do bill people if they do it more than once and so far, in one year of business, have lost one client through it, although she did pay up when I sent her a bill.

 

[bexi]

Hey

I completly agree with everyones comments - I just couldnt not show up to an appointment. The ones that really get me are the ones who when you ring just so oh sorry never mind - NEVER MIND i feel like shouting WOTEVER U EVIL EVIL PERSON!!! hehe!!!

Although saying that I had one lady who has her hair done every week and she started having her eyebrows waxed, she came twice and then one week rang me - my phone was on divert to my mobile and I could see a LANDLINE ringing and she said ''hi I'm just in the car but the traffic is really really bad I'm not going to make your appointment but I'll be there for my hair!!!!'' I mean can you believe it?!
Anyway she's now a regular client again - the before incident happened about 2 months ago - and she spends not much but comes regularly and if I'd dug my heels in I wouldnt have her so you know they can reform!!!

Becki xx

 

[eroom]

We had a lady booked today for a hair appointment at 11oclock, at 11:10 we phoned her to see what was happening, as she hadn't turned up or called, only to be told that her ex hadn't turned up for the little boy and couldn't make the oppointment, no sorry or anything...........anyway 20mins later a member of staff only saw her bloody shopping around the corner, not a baby in sight.
We don't ask why they can't make the appointment, we only ask that they phone and let us no that they are not coming.

 

[ste]

hi me again, sorry to keep going on but do any of you guys think this will work, take credit or debit card info when appointment is made then if client do'nt turn up process 50% of bill i will tell them this when booking and only for treatments over say £10 or 30 mins. or do you think this will put clients off ?

 

[hippy-chick]

I worked at a spa that did that, they took credit card details on booking and sent out a confirmation letter. it stated that if you didn't give 48 hour notice of cancellation, the money would be automatically taken out of the account.

 

[ste]

unkucky for me i am not a spa just a one man band, :lol: think i will just try the text for now i have calmed down a bit. thank you all :green:

 

[lilacm]

I think it puts people off. We take a 50% deposit for packages and treatments over £50 but some of the other salons around do it for smaller treatments and have lost clients over this (I know because the clients have come to us instead and moaned about it!).

I think it depends on if it a new or regular client, new clients will probably be okay but if you ask Mrs Jones for her card details when she has been coming for a few years i think you can cause offence.

Also i am not sure that you are allowed to keep people's credit card details due to the data protection act without them signing a consent form etc.

I don't understand it though. I never forget appointments i make and would feel awful if i did!

Let me know how you get on if you start trying it though.

 

[EMMA AT ELITE]

Hi guys
It is so annoying and really rude when clients dont show, I understand how you all feel.
After 4 years of working for myself, i have finanlly added a polite message on the back of the leaflets;
A 50% DEPOSIT IS REQUIRED FOR ALL TREATMENTS OVER £20. 24HOURS CANCELLATION NOTICE IS REQUIRED FOR ALL TREATMENTS, OTHERWISE DEPOSIT WILL BE LOST.
This was well and truelly overdue and needed, I think it gets to the point.
People have to pay if they dont turn up at the dentist, and think we should be no different!

Here are a few ideas that some of you might want to try, i find them useful;

1. text all clients the day before with reminder
2. call day before
3. email clients, as most are on the computers all day!
4. put up a notice on reception saying a 50% cancellation fee is now required, due to increase in amount of clients failing to show for appointments.

Goodluck to all you therapist out there and hopefully one or all these ideas help you out.
xx:hug:xx​

 

[Louise Manby]

Hi, in my salon I HAVE to take deposits (Im in Greece and during summer months the tourists will most definately not turn up for appointments after they have booked unless I take deposits). I only take 10 euros but this is enough to make them turn up.
I also have an appointment card which has
* date, time etc
* Deposit taken
* and NO REFUNDS on deposits unless 48rs hours
notice given
If people ever question it then we just let them know how much it affects business with so many people not turning up. They understand. If they dont then they are usually the ones who probably know they wont turn up!
With local/regular customers I dont take deposits but if they have 'not showed' even once I just make a point of saying 'are you sure you will come at this time?' when they next book in. They get the hint!

This'll make you laugh.
I had one group of girls in for pedicures once and one of the girls who was first, her appointment was at 1pm, turned up with the rest of the girls when they were to have their appointments.REALLY late. So I told her her appointment was at 1pm and she started moaning that no it wasnt, blah, blah, its at 4pm, I cant believe this blah, blah and started blaming my boyfriend who booked the appointment from my other shop, saying that he didnt know what he was doing. So I asked for her appointment card and sure enough it said 4pm. I was bemused but said ok, sorry, our mistake, I'll try to fit you in. So we started on the other girls who were strangley looking sheepish, when one of my staff got up and had a look at the appointment card. 'Lou come here a minute' she said 'take a look at the time on that'. When I did I saw that she had found a red pen and made the 1 into a 4!!!!
Bloody cheek! So.... we got her back by not saying anything for the 3 hours she was waiting for her pedicure, then right at the last minute told her what we had found and said if you had come in and appologised for being late/not waking up in time then we would have had no prob, but to do that and to insult our intelligence and insinuate my boyfriend is stupid and doesnt know what he's doing AND to speak to me like a piece of *(poo)* then she could find someone else to do her feet! Ha, oh how we grinned. She left soon after and her friends appologised saying that they'd had enough of her.
WHAT A CHEEK! i still cant believe the audacity of that girl.

 

[sj1973]

this is soooo annoying when people dont turn up.....my hubby has to take 50% deposit now in his tattoo studio because people did not turn up and i am thinking about it with nails.....i think if they dont want to go phone up at least so you can book someone else in xxxx