Should I start requiring a nonrefundable deposit for special-time appointments?

Answer

As a nail tech and salon owner, I can totally understand your dilemma. I have no-show and last- minute cancellation policies printed on my menus and appointment cards, just so I can refer to them if I need to. But in reality, if I try to uphold them, the customers just don’t come back — either they are embarrassed or angry. So, yes, most of the time you lose clients when you enforce these policies.

Instituting a deposit is hard when you have never had one, but I think you need to. I find a small white lie helps to alleviate any hard feelings. I would say something like, “My new software (or my salon owner) requires a deposit for my appointments now. Would that be OK?” Just be careful you don’t NOT charge a friend of hers. You could say it’s just for early or after-hours appointments, since those are the high-demand time slots. I try to give everyone one “oopsie,” but after that, no-shows are unacceptable, especially in this day and age of cell phones. For Pete’s sake, call or text and cancel!  

—  Traci Dungan is co-owner of ProFiles Salon in Fort Myers, Fla., and Profiles Backstage, a salon consulting business (www.profilesbackstage.com).

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