Clients who don't honour their appointments be warned! The same consumer act that protects your rights also protects the service provider. Too many clients think it is acceptable to cancel late or not show up at all for their appointments! This behaviour that has been a trend in recent years has come under the search light and in the light of "loss of income" on the service provider side, it has become clear that stricter cancelation policies are necessary to prevent a serious loss of revenue.
If you fail to cancel your appointment at a medical Doctor, or you don't show up for your appointment, rest assured you will receive a bill for the full amount due in the mail. Why should it be different at any other service provider? That's the point... according to the expert in this article, a reasonable cancelation fee is well within the service providers right, provided that the cancellation policy is provided at the time of the appointment... please note that ALL my appointments are confirmed via email containing my business terms and conditions, and by making an appointment with me you agree to the terms and conditions of Hair by Gideonslight at Salon Allure, whether you read the terms and conditions or not!
But what if you had a valid excuse? Unless it was for medical reasons (and you must be able to prove it with a medical certificate) you will be expected to reschedule your original appointment within 60 days from the cancellation date, and you will have to honour your appointment to avoid getting a bill with the appropriate cancellation fee; according to Peter Cumberlege, a legislative consultant to Fedhasa and administrator of Hospitality Stats-on-Line, explains that Section 17 (1) to (5) of the CPA dealing with the consumer's right to cancel advance reservation, booking or order will apply to all hospitality establishments as well as personal service providers, other than those covered by a franchise agreement. "It deals with the right of a consumer to cancel a reservation or booking, the right of a service provider to request a reasonable deposit and the right of a service provider to impose a reasonable charge for cancellation."
The closer to the appointment time that you cancel within the preceding 24 hours to your appointment, the harder it will be for the service provider to find a replacement booking for your appointment slot, the higher the penalty percentage can go. You can be liable for the entire bill of the full service you booked for in the instance that you cancel within the final hour or on the time that you were expected to arrive. Failing to show up without any communication from your side will result in a full penalty.
It may be hard for consumers to comprehend the stress it is to work for commission or to be self employed in any service industry, especially if they earn a stable salary with bonuses regardless of actual hours worked. When clients don't honour their appointments because they simply get cold feet or change their minds, they literally "steal" indirectly from the service provider. It is not always possible to fill the gap to compensate for the loss of income, especially in the final hour before the time.
So, dear consumer, be warned. Please honour your appointment or cancel 24 hours prior to your appointment or be willing to pay up when you receive a "Late Cancellation Penalty Fee" invoice!
For the sake of clarity, Hair by Gideonslight at Salon Allure will share his reviewed cancellation policy here for your perusal.
"👉❗ By making an appointment you automatically agree to the following terms and conditions.
👉Failing to cancel your appointment at least 24 hours before the time, or not honoring your appointment will result in penalties. You can be held responsible for the full value of your booking. The closer to the actual appointment time you cancel will determine the percentage of the cancellation fee payable.
👉Please arrive 10 minutes early for your appointment. Clients that are more than 15 minutes late may have to be rescheduled."
Written by: Gideonslight
Read the whole article here:
http://www.monkeyland.co.za/consumer-protection-act-what-is-reasonable-cancellation-fee_article_op_view_id_1485
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