Creating an online booking system for your hair salon is almost an essential in these times to manage clients and appointments. It is crucial to have thorough terms and conditions so that you and your customers are as stress-free as possible when making online bookings, changes, and cancellations.
It is always best to have a qualified lawyer draft your terms and conditions for you. However, it doesn’t hurt to know what to look out for! In this article, we will talk about some things to consider for your hair salon’s online booking system term and conditions in Australia.
Booking process
Outlining what happens in creating a booking is important so that your customer knows when an appointment has been successfully booked.
One common area for confusion is where an appointment requires your manual confirmation before being accepted. Always ensure that it is clear in both your advertising and terms and conditions that a booking request is subject to your confirmation!
Your terms and conditions should detail the process of a customer creating their online booking. This includes when and how you will send confirmation about their appointment.
Pricing and payments
Generally, it is preferable to specify in your terms and conditions that pricing can be found on your website on a price list, rather than building it into your terms and conditions. This is to make it easier and more accessible for customers to see your prices and for you to update prices.
It is common to include a right to make changes to pricing at any time. However, pricing changes cannot apply retrospectively if they have already made a booking that you have accepted. Ensure to notify your customers sufficiently of any pricing changes prior to them visiting the salon and check that your terms and conditions allow you to cancel the booking without liability, if necessary.
You should also include when and how the customer is expected to pay. Some online booking systems specify that a deposit needs to be made in order to secure a booking, which can be helpful for last minute customer cancellations. However, most salons require payment after the appointment, in-person so that it is easier for customers to book.
Regardless of how you accept payment, it is important to set out expectations in your terms and conditions, especially as to treatment of any deposits, so that the customer is aware and so that you can ensure smooth payment.
Cancellations and changes to bookings
Outline what will happen in the event that you need to change or cancel an appointment. Think about:
- When will you notify them?
- How will you notify them?
- What time frame can you make changes in?
If your customer is the one to make changes or cancellations, think about:
- How do they notify you about changes or cancellations?
- What timeframe can they make changes or cancellations in?
- Will you charge late change/cancellation fees? Specify what time frame counts as a late change or cancellation, as well as how much the fee may be.
Keep in mind that there are laws against unfair contract terms in Australia, which apply to consumer contracts. This usually includes most small business customer-facing terms and conditions. Ensure that cancellation policies are not too one-sided. Any cancellation fees should be reasonable to reflect your costs/losses due to the cancellation.
What Next?
Online booking systems are a great way to organise your schedule and appointments. However, they need comprehensive terms and conditions to protect your salon from any scheduling or payment confusions. For help with your online booking system’s terms and conditions, contact us for a free, no-obligation chat.
