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Schedule a tour nowHow To Handle Last Minute Cancellations
Posted on: May 10, 2016
Sooner or later, all skin care professionals will encounter difficult situations with clients. As a massage therapist or esthetician, you’ll probably have to deal with challenges that could compromise your work including chronically late clients, and handling last minute cancellations with clients who don’t show up at all. Given the hands-on nature of work performed by an esthetician or massage therapist, the relationship between you and your clientele is fragile. Since your work has a direct impact on the someone’s appearance, there’s also a high level of customer expectation-spoken and unspoken. Certainly, it’s bound to get emotional if things don’t go according to plan.
The Small Things
Your job is your bread and butter and that means you'll need to set limits to protect your business. How can you manage those sticky situations will depend on whether the client is a first-time visitor or if you have a longstanding relationship with them.
Tips on Scheduling Clients
What can you do when the going gets tough? There are many tips on scheduling clients you can try, but the best way is to follow your instinct. For example, a returning client is a loyal client, so you want to make sure they're happy. Obviously, it's best to allow one missed appointment, but if they make a habit out of it, they might be taking you for granted. Lay the ground rules from the beginning by implementing a 24-hour cancellation policy. In this way, there are no hidden surprises for your customers if they forget to cancel or simply don't show up. In addition, when handling last-minute cancellations, be upfront with customers. Let them know that as much as you appreciate their business, time is money. If they cancel at the last minute more than once, then they will be charged in full for that time slot. If they are worthy customers, they will understand wholeheartedly.
