WWTBAM Bored

What would you do in this situation? I had made an appointment for this afternoon for a spa manicure/pedicure at a local swanky place in order to use up a Christmas gift certificate that Jeff had given me last year.

I called this morning to cancel (and to reschedule at a later date) because there's too much to do around here and I want to watch football. The woman who answered the phone told me there's a 24 hour cancellation fee.

? I said (and I wasn't rude or stupid, I know, surprise) "Um, you're kidding? I actually have a conflict and, well...it's a gift certificate." She said they charge 50% of the price (total is $80 for the gift certificate, so $40 is down the drain). It's not like this is emergency room surgery or something.

I said, "Well, I guess send me a bill then." And we both hung up.

Then I thought, they already have my money. I don't want to go there now regardless. So, I either throw away $80 or I go talk to them or I let Jeff have the honors and that might not go so well.

What would you do? It's trivial in the grand scheme of things, I know.

Beebs52 wrote:What would you do in this situation? I had made an appointment for this afternoon for a spa manicure/pedicure at a local swanky place in order to use up a Christmas gift certificate that Jeff had given me last year.

I called this morning to cancel (and to reschedule at a later date) because there's too much to do around here and I want to watch football. The woman who answered the phone told me there's a 24 hour cancellation fee.

? I said (and I wasn't rude or stupid, I know, surprise) "Um, you're kidding? I actually have a conflict and, well...it's a gift certificate." She said they charge 50% of the price (total is $80 for the gift certificate, so $40 is down the drain). It's not like this is emergency room surgery or something.

I said, "Well, I guess send me a bill then." And we both hung up.

Then I thought, they already have my money. I don't want to go there now regardless. So, I either throw away $80 or I go talk to them or I let Jeff have the honors and that might not go so well.

What would you do? It's trivial in the grand scheme of things, I know.

Does the certificate have your name on it or is it just a generic one? If it's generic, just book the next appointment under Mrs. B B King. They should be honored to bathe your tootsies.

I don't think they're real strong in their customer relations department.

What DK said.

Did you have to leave a deposit?

We can get a bunch of folks on the bored to all call and make reservations for next Saturday.

Then you just walk in to the empy salon next Satuday and offer them half-price, take it or leave it.

We'll do the same in about a month and you can get two treatments instead of the one.

DevilKitty100 wrote:

Beebs52 wrote:What would you do in this situation? I had made an appointment for this afternoon for a spa manicure/pedicure at a local swanky place in order to use up a Christmas gift certificate that Jeff had given me last year.

I called this morning to cancel (and to reschedule at a later date) because there's too much to do around here and I want to watch football. The woman who answered the phone told me there's a 24 hour cancellation fee.

? I said (and I wasn't rude or stupid, I know, surprise) "Um, you're kidding? I actually have a conflict and, well...it's a gift certificate." She said they charge 50% of the price (total is $80 for the gift certificate, so $40 is down the drain). It's not like this is emergency room surgery or something.

I said, "Well, I guess send me a bill then." And we both hung up.

Then I thought, they already have my money. I don't want to go there now regardless. So, I either throw away $80 or I go talk to them or I let Jeff have the honors and that might not go so well.

What would you do? It's trivial in the grand scheme of things, I know.

Does the certificate have your name on it or is it just a generic one? If it's generic, just book the next appointment under Mrs. B B King. They should be honored to bathe your tootsies.

I don't think they're real strong in their customer relations department.

It has my name on it, so if I were to go in as Mrs. B.B. King, maybe in disguise, they'd probably cart me off to the loonybin. Or banish me to the cheap nail places. Which are just as good. Oh well. Plus, I'm pretty sure Jeff paid with a credit card.

BackInTex wrote:What DK said.

Did you have to leave a deposit?

We can get a bunch of folks on the bored to all call and make reservations for next Saturday.

Then you just walk in to the empy salon next Satuday and offer them half-price, take it or leave it.

We'll do the same in about a month and you can get two treatments instead of the one.

Wow. This sounds like a plan. And all the smarty snoots at the SALON would be confused. Riot on Market Street! Power to the peoples! And I said this wasn't political!

Beebs52 wrote:

BackInTex wrote:What DK said.

Did you have to leave a deposit?

We can get a bunch of folks on the bored to all call and make reservations for next Saturday.

Then you just walk in to the empy salon next Satuday and offer them half-price, take it or leave it.

We'll do the same in about a month and you can get two treatments instead of the one.

Wow. This sounds like a plan. And all the smarty snoots at the SALON would be confused. Riot on Market Street! Power to the peoples! And I said this wasn't political!

We are a diabolical bunch. I'm so there.

DevilKitty100 wrote:

Beebs52 wrote:

BackInTex wrote:What DK said.

Did you have to leave a deposit?

We can get a bunch of folks on the bored to all call and make reservations for next Saturday.

Then you just walk in to the empy salon next Satuday and offer them half-price, take it or leave it.

We'll do the same in about a month and you can get two treatments instead of the one.

Wow. This sounds like a plan. And all the smarty snoots at the SALON would be confused. Riot on Market Street! Power to the peoples! And I said this wasn't political!

We are a diabolical bunch. I'm so there.

You guys could come here and we could put our noses against the windows and stare.

Beebs52 wrote:What would you do in this situation? I had made an appointment for this afternoon for a spa manicure/pedicure at a local swanky place in order to use up a Christmas gift certificate that Jeff had given me last year.

I called this morning to cancel (and to reschedule at a later date) because there's too much to do around here and I want to watch football. The woman who answered the phone told me there's a 24 hour cancellation fee.

? I said (and I wasn't rude or stupid, I know, surprise) "Um, you're kidding? I actually have a conflict and, well...it's a gift certificate." She said they charge 50% of the price (total is $80 for the gift certificate, so $40 is down the drain). It's not like this is emergency room surgery or something.

I said, "Well, I guess send me a bill then." And we both hung up.

Then I thought, they already have my money. I don't want to go there now regardless. So, I either throw away $80 or I go talk to them or I let Jeff have the honors and that might not go so well.

What would you do? It's trivial in the grand scheme of things, I know.

This will not go over well, but Beebs, have you thought that perhaps the technician may have declined another appointment because she would be busy with you? Perhaps the salon has to pay the person whether you show up or not.

Emergency cancellations are one thing, but to watch a football game?

I think they are justified. Their time is worth something too.

a1mamacat wrote:

Beebs52 wrote:What would you do in this situation? I had made an appointment for this afternoon for a spa manicure/pedicure at a local swanky place in order to use up a Christmas gift certificate that Jeff had given me last year.

I called this morning to cancel (and to reschedule at a later date) because there's too much to do around here and I want to watch football. The woman who answered the phone told me there's a 24 hour cancellation fee.

? I said (and I wasn't rude or stupid, I know, surprise) "Um, you're kidding? I actually have a conflict and, well...it's a gift certificate." She said they charge 50% of the price (total is $80 for the gift certificate, so $40 is down the drain). It's not like this is emergency room surgery or something.

I said, "Well, I guess send me a bill then." And we both hung up.

Then I thought, they already have my money. I don't want to go there now regardless. So, I either throw away $80 or I go talk to them or I let Jeff have the honors and that might not go so well.

What would you do? It's trivial in the grand scheme of things, I know.

This will not go over well, but Beebs, have you thought that perhaps the technician may have declined another appointment because she would be busy with you? Perhaps the salon has to pay the person whether you show up or not.

Emergency cancellations are one thing, but to watch a football game?

I think they are justified. Their time is worth something too.

Sauce, I understand that--I didn't tell them that the "work" I was doing was around the house or watching a football game. I do understand that their time is valuable, it's just that I guess had I known I wouldn't be so surprised. I've cancelled and rescheduled hair appointments that cost way more than this with no probs, but I think because I was a regular that made a difference. I only made the appointment yesterday so the 24 hour thingie was kinda moot. They had me with two different people for each service so at least it wasn't one technician.

But, you have a point. I'm just surprised that with a service like this, in a salon that has huge business and probably doesn't want for customers, even walkins, that they wouldn't be more amenable to rescheduling.

I was seriously looking forward to this, but the house reeks of dog poop and I can't do this sort of thing during the week because of meetings.

It will all work out.

I just made a decision. I'm going to not mention it to Jeff and just go get a pedicure with the remainder of the certificate sometime whenever I can before it expires.

I made an appointment for Tuesday at noon. That should take care of it.

Thanks for the advice dudes! See, that's why I asked.

Why don't you let ES go in your stead. From what I can see, his tootsies/footsies could use some work.

ulysses5019 wrote:Why don't you let ES go in your stead. From what I can see, his tootsies/footsies could use some work.

They'd come shoot me down if I allowed that. What, are you crazy?

ulysses5019 wrote:Why don't you let ES go in your stead. From what I can see, his tootsies/footsies could use some work.

I don't think Evil Squirrel is going to be too happy with your tootsie/footsie assessment. Of course, I could be wrong about this.

kayrharris wrote:

ulysses5019 wrote:Why don't you let ES go in your stead. From what I can see, his tootsies/footsies could use some work.

I don't think Evil Squirrel is going to be too happy with your tootsie/footsie assessment. Of course, I could be wrong about this.

I don't think his tootsies qualify as tootsie/footsies. They would be more disaster areas.

Beebs52 wrote:I just made a decision. I'm going to not mention it to Jeff and just go get a pedicure with the remainder of the certificate sometime whenever I can before it expires.

I made an appointment for Tuesday at noon. That should take care of it.

Thanks for the advice dudes! See, that's why I asked.

You will probably see signs that state their policy.

I can get it - especially on a Saturday. They might have turned away appointmenrs because they were booked.

If the cancellation fee is for half the amount of the service, you could just go in and have them do your left foot. Or whichever one needs the most work. Or regift the certificate to a single amputee.

50 percent is a hefty cancellation fee - was it printed on the certificate or did they tell you about the cancellation fee when you made the appointment?

I'm sorry this happened to you. $40 is nothing to sneeze about. I do think maybe you're doing the right thing.

Otherwise, have a good weekend.

When Dr Dick and I were practicing together, we had one of those Mondays. The first patient had an 8:00AM appointment - no show - called her - "I over slept". Next was 8:45 - no show - called him - "My wife forgot to remind me. 9:15 - no show - "Got busy at work." The 10:00AM showed and then the next 2 did not.

All of these people were confirmed on Friday afternoon. We could have moved people from later days or weeks if we had known.

We tried the "charge for no-shows" and it went over like a lead balloon. We lost patients because of it - just having the policy had people get mad.

Actually, there is nothing on the certificate other than the name, number and valid through date. However, I guess if I were a regular at the place I woulda known. But, I'm not because they're too expensive.

I think because they have this policy they must have many cancellations. However, this weekend is homecoming and I hope that the technicians that I forfeited on got picked up (which they probably did).

This is a very large, swanky place, not a mall or strip mall place, (which is actually more efficient now that I think about it, because I've always gotten very nice service there(s)), and they have full services-massage, blah blah blah. As I said, if I'd known about the policy I mighta rethunk this, but the poop awaited. As did the foot ball game.

Now, the giving of the certificate to a one footed person is not a bad idea. Unfortunately, dontcha know, they don't allow that here in The Woodlands.

Thank you. Thank you. I'll be here all night.

Oh! I also realized perhaps I'm not a good candidate for gift certificates like this. I tend to do my own nails on a regular basis, don't like massages anymore and waiting til almost the end of the year may be necessarily a good indication of a change in gift-giving policy on the part of my hub. I shall let him know.

Plus, on the doctor cancellation thing--during the time I was diagnosed with the cancer crap and all, and had to visit the neurosurgeon for the brain crap and all, I visited him two times with an average wait of 2 1/2 hours.

The one morning, the third visit, that I had made an appointment for 7:30 a.m., thinking that I could get in fairly easily and out in time for work, I waited until 9:30 while the waiting room filled up with 30 people. The doctor wasn't there yet.

I went to the desk, picked up my films and said, "See ya." There was no emergency in the offing. He just wasn't there.

I actually have a problem with that more so than the spa thing.

Beebs52 wrote:What would you do in this situation? I had made an appointment for this afternoon for a spa manicure/pedicure at a local swanky place in order to use up a Christmas gift certificate that Jeff had given me last year.

I called this morning to cancel (and to reschedule at a later date) because there's too much to do around here and I want to watch football. The woman who answered the phone told me there's a 24 hour cancellation fee.

? I said (and I wasn't rude or stupid, I know, surprise) "Um, you're kidding? I actually have a conflict and, well...it's a gift certificate." She said they charge 50% of the price (total is $80 for the gift certificate, so $40 is down the drain). It's not like this is emergency room surgery or something.

I said, "Well, I guess send me a bill then." And we both hung up.

Then I thought, they already have my money. I don't want to go there now regardless. So, I either throw away $80 or I go talk to them or I let Jeff have the honors and that might not go so well.

What would you do? It's trivial in the grand scheme of things, I know.

Do you want a doctor's note? I know where Jeff's stamp is.

Did you have to leave the certificate number when you made the appointment? I don't see how they can get any money from you if they didn't.

Did they tell you that there was a cancellation fee when you made your appointment.

PlacentiaSoccerMom wrote:

Beebs52 wrote:What would you do in this situation? I had made an appointment for this afternoon for a spa manicure/pedicure at a local swanky place in order to use up a Christmas gift certificate that Jeff had given me last year.

I called this morning to cancel (and to reschedule at a later date) because there's too much to do around here and I want to watch football. The woman who answered the phone told me there's a 24 hour cancellation fee.

? I said (and I wasn't rude or stupid, I know, surprise) "Um, you're kidding? I actually have a conflict and, well...it's a gift certificate." She said they charge 50% of the price (total is $80 for the gift certificate, so $40 is down the drain). It's not like this is emergency room surgery or something.

I said, "Well, I guess send me a bill then." And we both hung up.

Then I thought, they already have my money. I don't want to go there now regardless. So, I either throw away $80 or I go talk to them or I let Jeff have the honors and that might not go so well.

What would you do? It's trivial in the grand scheme of things, I know.

Do you want a doctor's note? I know where Jeff's stamp is.

Did you have to leave the certificate number when you made the appointment? I don't see how they can get any money from you if they didn't.

Did they tell you that there was a cancellation fee when you made your appointment.

They did take my certicate number and did not mention a cancellation policy.

I would like to reserve your Jeff's note possibility for future occurrences, thank you.

Probably most everything has been said, but I thought I would weigh in with personal experience.

I teach figure skating to people of all ages, but primarily kids. Most of them are on a weekly schedule to come at the same time, but they all have truckloads of other activities so need to reschedule/trade/cancel quite a bit. I'm okay with that as long as I have enough notice because there is another bunch of kids on my fill-in list waiting for the spots. Plus the rink has a 24-hour cancellation policy as well.

I'm a bit more lenient as long as I have enough time to fill the spot. This is a good portion of my income, and I can't afford to treat it like a hobby so I expect the students/parents not to either when it comes to showing up. They get one "grace lesson" to cancel last minute and not be charged. After that, if I can't fill the spot because it was less than 24 hours' notice, they are charged for the lesson. Last year I only had two actually use their grace lesson and only charged one person for a no-show. I later "fired" that family because they continually stood me up, costing me income and other skaters a lesson.

So I would have to side with the salon on this one, although a "grace" cancellation would be good customer service. If they didn't fill the spot, it would be lost income for the technicians and weird gaps remaining in their schedule.

Winnamill wrote:Probably most everything has been said, but I thought I would weigh in with personal experience.

I teach figure skating to people of all ages, but primarily kids. Most of them are on a weekly schedule to come at the same time, but they all have truckloads of other activities so need to reschedule/trade/cancel quite a bit. I'm okay with that as long as I have enough notice because there is another bunch of kids on my fill-in list waiting for the spots. Plus the rink has a 24-hour cancellation policy as well.

I'm a bit more lenient as long as I have enough time to fill the spot. This is a good portion of my income, and I can't afford to treat it like a hobby so I expect the students/parents not to either when it comes to showing up. They get one "grace lesson" to cancel last minute and not be charged. After that, if I can't fill the spot because it was less than 24 hours' notice, they are charged for the lesson. Last year I only had two actually use their grace lesson and only charged one person for a no-show. I later "fired" that family because they continually stood me up, costing me income and other skaters a lesson.

So I would have to side with the salon on this one, although a "grace" cancellation would be good customer service. If they didn't fill the spot, it would be lost income for the technicians and weird gaps remaining in their schedule.

I do agree with you, and others, who've said this. I just find it interesting that I, as a consumer, don't get the same grace period when I'm cancelled upon. Not that this salon has cancelled on me at all, so that doesn't come into play. But, I've had plenty of hair peeps, doctors, dentists, you name it, cancel and reschedule on me, many times, with no 50% rebate on their services. Also, this is not a small, family run concern, which would perhaps change my response a bit. It's a massive business that caters to a large customer base. Again, not that that has any bearing on the inconvenience to the technicians. So, I made my appointment for Tuesday to use the rest of my certificate.

Beebs52 wrote:Plus, on the doctor cancellation thing--during the time I was diagnosed with the cancer crap and all, and had to visit the neurosurgeon for the brain crap and all, I visited him two times with an average wait of 2 1/2 hours.

The one morning, the third visit, that I had made an appointment for 7:30 a.m., thinking that I could get in fairly easily and out in time for work, I waited until 9:30 while the waiting room filled up with 30 people. The doctor wasn't there yet.

I went to the desk, picked up my films and said, "See ya." There was no emergency in the offing. He just wasn't there.

I actually have a problem with that more so than the spa thing.

It is rude and inconsiderate.

I would have fired the guy.