What do you do when a client’s payment is declined?
IStockPHOTO.COMIStockPHOTO.COM
The Situation: “We require a credit card for everyone who books an appointment, and will charge for no-shows,” says Cara L. Solomon, principal at Body Restoration Spa in Philadelphia. “There have been times when we were given a bad credit card and we were not able to collect our service fee (typically this involves an invalid three-digit security code provided to us).”
The Solution: “We note in our computerized system that the client is not allowed to return to our facility,” explains Solomon. “However, we take these types of situations on a case-by-case basis. We due our due diligence and research the client’s history to determine if this was a matter of carelessness or forgetfulness, and if they were a first-time guest or a long-time client. We’ve had people call to re-book and we’ve had to inform them they are not allowed to return due to their declined credit history at our facility. If they try to argue, I politely suggest that they visit another spa.”
Got a Sticky Situation to share? Email [email protected].
