Blush Beauty Bar Policies
I need to cancel my appointment last minute – what’s the big deal?
Recently I’ve noticed a hot topic amongst all of us self-employed service providers (be it an aesthetician, a hair stylist, even those who are self employed in the medical fields) is the awkward conversation we sometimes have to have with clients when it comes to our cancellation policies. We are usually very fortunate and we have a high number of clients who will let us know when they can’t make it to their next appointment, and most times they give us enough time to fill that space which is always so appreciated. We do however, encounter the clients who at the last minute need to cancel an appointment with such short notice it leaves us with a gap in our day and a reduced income for the week.
Being a busy mother of three, I can totally understand that sometimes sh*t happens. Sometimes it is just so out of our control that we have no other option but to cancel that appointment we’ve been looking forward to all week and most times it kills us to cancel as much as it annoys the service provider. That one time you had to cancel last minute would undoubtedly annoy your service provider, but if it was your first time I can almost guarantee he or she is not going to hold it against you! When you hear us talking about cancellations and you hear the irritation in our voices, we most likely are not talking about these types of cancellations. The ones that annoy us, are the ones that happen every other time an appointment is booked. I have spoken with service providers who have had at least three clients whom when they book an appointment, it’s hit or miss whether they will even show up! So why do we even bother booking them in the first place? Because we just don’t want to offend someone, because if we do, will that hurt our business? Will he/she explain to others why they can no longer get an appointment, or will they just run our name through the mud because they are angry or embarrassed? So, we take the risk!
Being self employed, we are most definitely taking a gamble with our incomes. We rely on our clients to show up so that we can perform the service, and this is how we make our money. When a client doesn’t show up, that is the risk we take. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ability to say, “On this day, I need to leave early because my daughter has an event I just can’t miss!” I don’t have to ask a boss for time off, or take any sick or family time, I just don’t book myself. BUT – with that comes risks and I knew this going into the industry. I guess what we don’t take into consideration, is when we have to explain to a client why we can no longer book them without a deposit on the appointment or explain our cancelation policies and how uncomfortable this conversation can be for us.
This is why I wanted to write this blog post, to put into perspective why you will most likely see more and more service providers in Miramichi put into place stricter cancellation policies. So that hopefully, in the future, if someone who has read this post has to cancel an appointment will think, “I am most likely not going to be able to make that appointment – I will call now and reschedule so they can fit someone else in!” This is my goal, not just for Blush Beauty Bar Inc, but for all service providers! The point I’m trying to make? Please don’t be offended if your informed of a cancellation policy or asked for a deposit to hold the appointment! Please don’t be offended if we feel the need to remind you a couple of times before your appointment – life is busy we’re just trying to help!
If you can’t make your appointment – give us a call and let us know! Calling and informing us is always better than just not showing up! And remember – our time is super valuable to us, it is how we make a living, all we ask is for respect of our time and our work.