I have started implementing a no-show or untimely cancellation fee and got to enforce it today.
I have a client who thinks that it's ok to no-show any time she wants, cancel 45 minutes after her appt. (the worst!!) and give me a list of excuses when she does. NO MORE of this. I have only recently done this as my boss has been quite hard to get ahold of since December, irregular hours, and I'm busy, but we finally got everything taken care of, a form for clients to sign, and some policies are now in place that had never been in place from the beginning, and she has approved all of it, thankfully.
Anyway, today this client calls HOURS after her missed appointment. She was at work when she called and told the receptionists about the death of her sis-in-law (she didn't seem too upset to me when I called her back), bla bla bla. I was ready for the story when I called her back and let her talk herself into a bubble for a second, asked her if she wanted to rebook. She did. Ok, "You'll just have to pay $20 by debit/credit card for untimely cancellations and no-shows," to which she replied she didn't have either, but she'll "come by tomorrow," to pay it. I explained that it would go toward her dog's groom but that if she no-showed or cancelled w/out 24 hrs. notice, her appt. would not be held, and she would lose the $20. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why she would bother---there are two shops near me, one north, one south, same side of the road, easy to find...why ME?????? I'm really hard on this lady, compared to some who would just let her get away with it. I called her on it before but she lied and said she HAD called the receptionists---but I couldn't prove she hadn't, that is why I've kept such a close eye on her. I'd be embarrassed and looking for another shop if I were her, so why me? It's usually just a shavedown, not some fancy cut that only "I" can do!
I feel like I've finally gotten some "control" over this problem. In reality, I only have 2 chronic no-showers, she is one of them, the other claims he has cancer, but I am not sure whether I believe him or not---but as soon as he signs my new form, and he gets hit in the wallet, he'll straighten up a bit I think. I can understand it sometimes, but this guy is out of control. It's mostly his sleeping-in problem if you ask me! Anyway, this guy said he used to follow the former groomer around to every shop she worked at, and then started using my services and they have never had a groom look so nice. How can I deny him coming to my shop?
Tammy in Utah
I have a client who thinks that it's ok to no-show any time she wants, cancel 45 minutes after her appt. (the worst!!) and give me a list of excuses when she does. NO MORE of this. I have only recently done this as my boss has been quite hard to get ahold of since December, irregular hours, and I'm busy, but we finally got everything taken care of, a form for clients to sign, and some policies are now in place that had never been in place from the beginning, and she has approved all of it, thankfully.
Anyway, today this client calls HOURS after her missed appointment. She was at work when she called and told the receptionists about the death of her sis-in-law (she didn't seem too upset to me when I called her back), bla bla bla. I was ready for the story when I called her back and let her talk herself into a bubble for a second, asked her if she wanted to rebook. She did. Ok, "You'll just have to pay $20 by debit/credit card for untimely cancellations and no-shows," to which she replied she didn't have either, but she'll "come by tomorrow," to pay it. I explained that it would go toward her dog's groom but that if she no-showed or cancelled w/out 24 hrs. notice, her appt. would not be held, and she would lose the $20. I can't, for the life of me, figure out why she would bother---there are two shops near me, one north, one south, same side of the road, easy to find...why ME?????? I'm really hard on this lady, compared to some who would just let her get away with it. I called her on it before but she lied and said she HAD called the receptionists---but I couldn't prove she hadn't, that is why I've kept such a close eye on her. I'd be embarrassed and looking for another shop if I were her, so why me? It's usually just a shavedown, not some fancy cut that only "I" can do!
I feel like I've finally gotten some "control" over this problem. In reality, I only have 2 chronic no-showers, she is one of them, the other claims he has cancer, but I am not sure whether I believe him or not---but as soon as he signs my new form, and he gets hit in the wallet, he'll straighten up a bit I think. I can understand it sometimes, but this guy is out of control. It's mostly his sleeping-in problem if you ask me! Anyway, this guy said he used to follow the former groomer around to every shop she worked at, and then started using my services and they have never had a groom look so nice. How can I deny him coming to my shop?

Tammy in Utah
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