Day Spa Cancellation policy

[Emily]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to question some of the seasoned day spa people here on a policy.

I booked in my self and my partner for a 3 hour spa treatment on a saturday. I accidentally left the lights on all night and the car couldnt start. Needless to say we didn't make the treatment.

But they charged my credit card 50% of the treatments! $210!!!!


Is this normal for the day spa industry? Can I just challenge it?

Its not really my fault the card didn't start

[Tanny]

It was your fault you left your lights on! The day spa has 2 therapists sitting around for 6 hours not doing anything.

Certainly the day spa shouldn't be paying for you leaving your car lights on.


Sounds fair to me. Just take your lumps its only fair

[Sumi]

That seems fair emily.

The day spa has to pay their therapists afterall and they are hardly going to get someone walking in off the street on a saturday to book up 2 lots of 3 hours of spa treatments

[Emily]

I guess it seems fair from the day spa's POV.

Its still a lot of money to pay and have nothing at all to show for it.

Afterall I don't get charged a cancellation fee when I miss a doctors appointment

[lolly lisa]

I've been caught out on a similar policy with both restaurants and day spas, I guess you can see it from their point of view but it still hurts to pay so much for something that wasn't really your fault

[claudia]

Doctor I have a question directly for you.

Some of your fellow day spas and medical clinics are donating the cancellation penalty charge directly to charity.

Don't you think this would be a better and fairer policy for Kiora?

The person "paying for nothing" gets to donate their fee directly to one of three worthy medical charities (eg breast cancer *********)

[Nina27]

I think this is a much fairer policy for day spas.

Afterall it often isn't the client's fault they couldn't make it. Donating to charity makes a lot better sense.

It would probably be better if they just didn't charge at all. Its not like the day spa pays YOU when they cancel your appointment because of heat waves or sick beauticians

[doctornev]

Hi Nina,

Kiora is certainly willing to match our competitors in donating cancellation fees to various charities. For people charged a cancellation dollar amount they may choose from one of several charities:

1. The install a larger air-conditioner in the Kiora staff room slush fund.

2. The Kiora Staff xmas party drinking fund

3. The "early retirement in style Doctornev fund".


Admittably the 3rd choice has been devastatingly unpopular.

In all seriousness a booking cancellation policy is in place many diverse industries including entertainment (try and get your footy tickets back), transport (try talking to qantas about getting your no-show plane ticket back), day spas and medical industries.

In businessses which are very popular with limited availability a cancellation is often the fairest way to ensure regular and loyal patients and clients do not have to wait an unfairly long time for an appointment. From direct experience I can say that Kiora's waiting times almost halved since introducing such a policy almost two years ago. This is despite doing more than twice as many procedures.

Most people are good and well meaning but a cancellation policy just motivates perhaps those of us who are slightly more apathetic to cancel with advanced warning so that openings become available in plenty of time to book in other patients.


I hope this helps explain the day spa booking policies and medical spa booking policies commonly in place throghout out industries worldwide.

[Kwan.G]

Its ok doctornev.

If I ever travel way downunder.

And I book into Kiora.

And I unexpectedly cancel.

I will make sure I choose to donate my cancellation fee to your early retirement fund :)

[gantily]

I too promise to donate to the "retire in style doctornev" fund if I am ever rude enough to make a booking and then not show up without warning :)

[grace12]

That seems fair emily.