Deposit and Cancellation Policies
I accidentally marked my hair appointment in my calendar for the day after it was supposed to be scheduled, so I was very surprised to receive a notification for a charge of $250 the day before I thought my appointment was. In that moment I had unknowingly missed my appointment, so they charged my card for the full treatment.
Was I upset that I just wasted $250? Yes. Was I frustrated that I had to schedule another appointment and pay again? Of course. Was I embarrassed that I just wasted my hairstylist’s time? Absolutely! Was I expecting her to forgo the charge, because I’ve been a long time client? Never. She blocked out time in her schedule to see me, expected to make $250 (plus tip), ordered supplies in preparation, got up early, drove to the salon, set up her station, and… a no show. She invested a significant amount of time and energy even before our appointment, but luckily she was compensated in full thanks to her cancellation policy.
Deposits and cancellation policies allow providers to be compensated for our time at the risk that a client won’t show on the scheduled date we’ve already been meticulously investing in. Some people are very skeptical/against providers requiring deposits and having cancellation policies, but they aren’t a new practice and are very standard across many businesses (i.e. restaurants, hotels, photographers, artists, contractors, hair salons).
Providers are already putting in a significant amount of work for clients before our date. We invest a lot of time and effort into organising dates into our already busy schedules, getting dolled up (hair, makeup, wax, outfits, nails), booking/preparing an incall, traveling to an outcall, all to create an amazing experience for a client.
When a provider requests a deposit or cancellation fee know that they values their time and yours, and by accepting their terms they acknowledge that the respect is reciprocated. Providers have different deposit and cancellation policies, so please read them thoroughly and prepare to compensate your provider accordingly should you need to cancel your date.