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Hey Reader,

Well, I predicted wrong. I thought StyleCraft would release a statement last week, but they didn't. Must be an absolute nightmare for them right now. In the meantime, I don't mind TPOBs commentary. It's pretty funny.

But we're not going to talk about that this week. Let's shift gears.

Are barbers becoming entitled?

There has been a growing social media trend where barbers make memes about charging the no call no show fee / late cancellation fee. From screenshots of conversations to comedic memes, we've seen it all.

Are these posts making anyone else uncomfortable?

The Policy

Commonly known as “No Call, No Show” or “Late Cancellation”. A client books an appointment, does not cancel, and proceeds to not show up. No call, no show. They ghost you.

Late Cancellation is similar, but instead the client does cancel, however, they do so within a time frame that is so close to the appointment that you can’t fill that spot with another client. In either scenarios, you lose money.

The Impact

Let’s say you cut 10 clients per day. On average you make $30/client or $300/day. With 1 No Call, No Show or Late Cancellation, you lose $30/client and now can only make $270/day. That's $150/week or almost $8k in a year. Ouch.

Why you need a card on file

If you want to make charging easy, then you need a credit card on file. But let's be honest, the majority of the industry doesn't do this. And this is where the cringe worthy content begins.

The barber becomes a collections agent. They essentially threaten the client by saying:

This turns into a back and forth that never ends well. We witness the entitled barber emerge.

Let's break down an alternative strategy where you play offense and not cringe worthy defense.

How to Solve the Problem for Good

Your Late Cancellation and No Show Policy is on your website and/or social media.

During the booking process, the policy is clearly communicated with the client.

The client receives an immediate confirmation email/text of their appointment and a reminder email/text of their appointment. (Preferably a 24 hour reminder).

For extra security, you require a credit card on file to book. You may even require a deposit.

If the client does not show up or late cancels, you charge their card on file. Your booking platform might automatically do this for you.

*If you want, you can always refund this.

Since the Booking Policy has been communicated so many times, it is very difficult for the client to miss.

In other words, when the no show or late cancellation happens, the client can not say “I didn’t know about the booking policy.”

Need help mapping this out?

I just introduced you to the 'Client Journey'. The touch points between you and your client before they sit in your chair. The amazing thing about technology is that these touch points can be automated.

The entitled barber has limited touch points. The client books the appointment. They no show. And the next touch point is the barber transforming into the collections agent.

Here's my question: where were your touch points in between?

If you want help mapping this out, reply 'Client Journey' to this email and I'll follow up to book a free 15 minute consultation.

Do you want to be featured?

Last but not least, I'm always on the look out for headlines taking place across the industry and would love to feature you.

So, if you are hosting an event or releasing a new product and you want it to be featured in theGuideline, then this form is for you!

Alright, finished with No.61. See you next week!

Written by: Matthew Mendoza​​
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