Beauty and hair salons frustrated at growing number of ‘no-shows’
NORTHERN Ireland’s hair and beauty industry is the latest sector to fall victim to ‘no-shows’.
Like the hospitality sector, salons have had to contend with clients failing to appear despite the fact that many experienced jammed phone lines and overflowing email in-boxes in the run-up to reopening on July 6, such was the demand to secure a slot.
With the backlog cleared, salons are now feeling the impact of no-shows, including Ken Mcclure from Kenneth Michael Hair and Beauty in east Belfast.
“So many people were desperate for appointments and for the first month everyone who had made a booking and was on our list turned up,” he said.
“After that we have had quite a few people not turning up for their appointments — roughly half-a-dozen a week at the moment. That’s a lot when you consider that they were for colour treatments, which take quite a bit of time.
“Cancellations you can cope with as at least that’s mannerly and there’s usually a good reason, but people simply not showing up is more of a problem.
“In the main I think what happens is that when people can’t get in for an appointment when they want, such as when we were really busy after reopening in July, they went ahead and made one for a later date.
“Then they may have got an appointment somewhere else and don’t bother to turn up.
“We always take a phone number when we get a booking but invariably it has just rung out or gone to voicemail as they have tended not to be regular clients that we would know.”
Ken, who is also vice president of the Northern Ireland Hairdressers Association, added: “From talking to others in the industry, it’s becoming a problem.
“Having a chair sitting empty for hours is no joke, especially when we are already working at a reduced capacity.”
At nearby Duo Hair and Beauty,
Denise James said she understood the frustration being felt by those in the restaurant sector.
“We have had a number of people who made an appointment and then didn’t turn up,” she said. “They could have rung up so we could offer the slot to someone else. It’s just rude and frustrating, especially since other people were frantically messaging trying to get in and had to be put off until the next week.”
Meanwhile, award-winning stylist Paul Stafford has already introduced a deposit system for those booking an appointment at his Lisburn Road salon.
“People were more than happy to pay in advance and they certainly didn’t miss their appointment with the exception of less than five no-shows,” he said.