Are scheduled appointments merely a "suggestion"???

Honestly I just need to have a little vent about this thing that makes me go “hmmm…” Service based businesses who are a blend of scheduled appointments and walk in appointments.

Why is this a thing???

It rarely works advantageously for either party; neither the shop owner or the consumer get what they’re after. The business owner usually is doing this with the idea that by not turning anybody away they’re not disappointing a potential new customer. While simultaneously accepting scheduled, blocked off time for regular customers, they believe their providing “security” to their bread and butter clients by giving said customer the notion that their time is “secure.”

Not so. Well at least it wasn’t the case today when I very clearly booked three manicures and three pedicures for 2:30pm. I knew that today was a busy day for me. Packing not only myself and two dogs up to fly back to Toronto tomorrow until the end of the year, but Dominique as well. She’s heading back to Toronto because she got an amazing job opportunity that is too good to pass up there. Needless to say there is a lot to organize. Which is why I thought ahead to book these appointments here in Cali, since I won’t have time before our first TIFF commitment Tuesday.

So imagine my surprise when the technician, who always does my pedicures, who was also supposed to do my manicure was like; “Okay, thank you, see you next time.”

I, with a great deal of surprise in my voice questioned her; “Ummmm what about my manicure?”

“Oh no you don’t have a manicure, only a pedicure.” Smile, smile, nod, nod, pat my foot.

“Well that’s not accurate, I definitely booked three of each service for today at 2:30.” My frustration evident.

Those of you who don’t know me “in this way” would have no idea that my family calls me; “Travel Shantilly.” It’s not that I’m not an excellent traveler, it’s that I’m wound a bit tight leading up to when I travel. Usually because there is just so much to get done, and I’m only one person. So when I meticulously dot all my i’s and cross all my t’s by thinking ahead and booking appointments I don’t appreciate when somebody plays dumb and suggests that I didn’t do just that.

Her response to the dilemma, which was a dilemma only because the salon had four technicians working. We’re three, meaning there was only one floater available to take any walk ins. Of which they allowed six. Four techs. Three people already being serviced and six walks in. The math already doesn’t add up, then add to that mess that they already had four other appointments on the book. It was a complete and utter shit show. It was such an unworkable mess that her solution to the problem was for me to; “come back tomorrow at 4:30.”

Excuse me.

Ahhhh that doesn’t work, since I’m on a plane tomorrow. Also do people really do that? Come in one day for a pedicure and then come the next day for a manicure?!? Really??? Who has that sort of time??? I want to meet the person who does, because my friends I most certainly don’t. Like ever. Wish I did. I keep dreaming about the day when that happens for me. But sadly it definitely wasn’t today. Which meant I had to put my foot down and let her know that I spoke to a woman who spoke perfectly good English on the phone, and she checked and double checked which services I was booking, for how many people and for what time. There was ZERO MISCOMMUNICATION.

Which is why I persisted that and made sure that I got the services I booked for; because nothing annoys me more than good old fashioned greed. It’s not my problem you only have four technicians on today. It’s not my problem you took all these appointments, mine included. It’s also not my problem that you said yes to every single walk in that came through your doors the entire time I sat there, when you were already in a pinch of providing all the services to the people who were already in your spa. I have a friend who owns a beauty boutique that provides manicures and pedicures, among other services, and without fail every single time I’ve been there somebody has tried to walk in a get a treatment. To which my friend, 9 times out of 10 has had to say; “I’m sorry we cannot, we’re fully committed today, but if you’d like to take our card and book in the future…”

Why does he do that? He does that because a) he wants every single person who comes through that door to get a high quality service and b) wants every single person he has through that door to come back because they were treated like they mattered. Their time and their money mattered. If you take every single customer out of fear/desperation, or I don’t know greed you’re going to usually end up leaving a whole string of dissatisfied customers trailing behind.

Remember business owners, it’s not always quantity that pays the bills, more often than not it is quality that gets the job done!