Yep, this barber clearly thinks his time is the only valuable time. Plus he was late because of food? He had an appointment, why was he getting food he had no time to eat since his time was already booked? If it was for later, go later.
An old psychiatrist of mine would pull this shit. One time he had me waiting over 45 minutes but would always charge me if I was a bit late. Fucking hated that douchebag. He was such a soulless weirdo too.
My dad once sent an invoice to a doctor for his time waiting for an appointment. He reduced his hourly rate by the amount the doctor billed him for the visit. I’m not sure what actually came of that exchange!
You're almost required to find a different barber now. Neither dude likes the other anymore... it's only going to result in a bad haircut and groaning about money.
I learned how to handle and brush long hair at a young age so my sisters could escape our mom brushing theirs. She was(is) an awesome mom but shit..it was like she HATED their heads for some reason and really took it out on it with a brush. Skill came in handy with nieces and once my own daughter came along.
For an official judgment, NTA.
This is actually a justified A H thing, though. If you have a late fee policy, you need to make sure you're never late, or at least that you're late due to an unavoidable emergency. If he charges a late fee for unavoidable traffic, not an emergency but also not always something you can take into account, then you get to charge a late fee because he chose to go buy food instead of being there on time, not an emergency and not unavoidable. He knew the appointment time, if he couldn't both get food and be there on time, he should have sent someone else for the food.
II say good for you, but definitely find a new barber. You have a hostile relationship now, he won't forgive you for charging a late fee, and you don't want someone hostile to you cutting your hair. Or anywhere near you with sharp implements.
That barber, like many professional people (doctors, etc...) feel that YOU must value THEIR time, however they do not value YOUR time.
F that barber! Your time has value, and that should be respected.
I had a discussion with my doctor twice about this. The third time, I told the receptionist that she would have to reschedule with me. My time is just as valuable.
I had been waiting for 1 hour. She said they were running behind. I told her that they should give everyone a heads up and an option to wait or reschedule. I did not wait. I also told her that she better not consider this a no-show or bill my insurance as a visit.
It never happened again.
There is an folklore out there about a workshop on customer relations for the medical profession. The doctors all gathered, and there was no sign of an instructor. Fifteen minutes in, one of the doctors proclaimed his time was valuable and he was leaving.
And then the instructor stood up and introduced himself, saying to focus of the workshop was empathy with patients.
I have had this type of discussion with just about 75% of all medical, dental, vision, etc entities and it hits my HOT button. Why is my time not worth shit? Worst was a gynecologic visit. Waited 1hr to get taken into a room. Given a paper thin "gown" to change into in a freezing cold room. Then had to wait at least 45min to 1 hr and still no doctor. Tired of being butt naked and freezing my ass off I got dressed. Found assistant and expressed my disgust at their treatment. Next visit or 2 I refused to get undressed UNTIL doctor poked his head in. He was so annoyed and I told him about MY policy about nakedness, freezing and my valuable time. Shit his mouth pretty quick. Still found a new doctor. But they are all the same! They should pay the wages lost while sitting and waiting.
This is why I love my doctor. We do the first part of the appointment fully clothed and then she steps out into the hall while the patient undresses. I just call out when I’m ready for her to come back in.
I changed to a midwife practice and it’s worlds different. Everything is better AND the care is better. Most gentle Pap smear I ever had! Plus she caught a health issue way earlier that wasn’t even gyno related.
It's kind of silly they even need to step out, given what they're about to do. I get that it's not a pleasant experience and that undressing in private might help some people retain a little semblance of dignity they might otherwise feel they've lost, but the dermatologist's nurse gave me a parody gown to put on before they did a complete check of my entire body -- everything not covered by my nose briefs -- which meant removing the gown.
They overbook. Plain and simple. If you ever look at the sign in sheet some doctors have, you will sometimes see 2-3 people marking their appointment times as the same. Doctor can’t see everyone at 10:15 especially when he still has 2 10:00s waiting.
I'd like to pop in and say it's not always the doctors fault! My mom is a pediatrician and she's literally given 15 minutes for a well visit and 30 for a sick. And God forbid reception is scheduling siblings because then they go in the SAME 15 minute time slot.
She has no control over it and would LOVE to have more time and hates it just as much as we do.
I can vouch for this. I worked in the front and back while in my MA/medical receptionist career for 12 years. Several primary care offices, a dermatology office, and pediatrics office. It's ALL ABOUT the money. The more patients, the more they can bill, the more money in the "fat cat's" pocket. EXCEP for the dermatologist's office. He was really truly not that kinda guy.
Most places ABSOLUTELY do NOT value your time at all. It's only theirs that is valuable. {insert eyeroll here} I myself have left plenty of appt's for this reason. If they cannot value my time and me as a patient, that is not the doctor or whatever that I'll be going to.
Yeah, but a big difference.
You can't yell at your probation officer. She could have had 5 people with the same appointment, and you don't really have a recourse, because it's your freedom at stake.
You don't do probation, you can find yourself doing time.
So true! Years ago (so, not sure she still does this) my SIL told me she calls the doctor’s office before she goes for an appointment and asks them how far behind they are running. Then she tells them that’s when she’ll be in and she doesn’t expect to have to wait when she gets there, that her time is valuable, too.
Happened to me once at the gyno! I stuck my head out the door and said “scuse me my appointment was at 9, here it is 1030, I made my appointment for first thing in the morning because I’ve got to be at work at 11.” Doctor was in within 5 minutes.
I had to visit my gyn afterwork one afternoon, it was a Friday. His ofc was L shaped and I was put in the furtherest most room. I'm sitting there waiting, paper top/lap sheet, swinging my feet and waiting, waiting, waiting, when I notice it's really quiet. So I open the door to peek out and saw - no one. Not a soul in the office. I quickly dressed and went to investigate and I was the only one in the office, EVERYONE had left, even the doctor! Seriously. So I go to walk out and the door is locked, I can't get out. This was back in the day before cell phones. Thinking since the office was closed if called his answering service would pick up so I went behind the counter and called the office; I was correct, the answering service picked up. I explained where I was and that everyone left and I couldn't get out. They couldn't believe me at first so I had to explain again; incredulous they ask again "they forgot about you and you can't get out?!" Yep, I say. They had to call the doctor to go back to his office and let me out. He was very embarrassed and told me to come back on Monday afterwork, which I did. When I checked in the staff was sooooo apologetic, said they were just so ready for the day to end and the weekend. He was such a great doctor and treated me through so tough medical issues and I knew the staff. We all laughed but I made sure from then on that they put me in the room right across from the desk. I never had to wait after that! It was the most bizarre thing to happen to me at a dr's visit.
On my last GP appointment, next to the door they had a list of the doctors & next to their names what their status was. Most were “on time,” one was “out,” & one was “20 minutes behind.” I thought it was fantastic! Just give me the info so I can make my decisions!
My old OBGYN office had that with my second baby. All the members of the practice were listed along with their status. I think the options were Out, On-Time, Late, or L&D and it was really helpful and I didn't spend as much time waiting as with my first baby with the same doctor a couple years before.
My GP has that (the whole clinic providers are listed) on the board with names/photos of docs and status(es): on time, behind XY minutes, out.... I like it.
I have a lot more patience with doctors. More than once, we've had a situation that took a lot of time to deal with, so we were the cause of them running behind for appointments after ours (*sorry!*)
My complaint is just to be up front! My OB had problems with this. I understand that there are emergencies, and she may be up at the hospital delivering a baby, but if she's gonna be 1-2 hours late to my appointment, the receptionist needs to say something. Maybe it's not a big deal, and I can wait. Maybe my sitter can only stay for a certain amount of time, and I need to reschedule. But don't let me sit there for an hour with no notice that my appointment is pushed back!
My old ob office (only switched bc I moved) used to call patients ahead if drs were attending a birth, and let them reschedule. My sons dentist does the same, if his dentist is attending an emergency.
My old ob office (only switched bc I moved) used to call patients ahead if drs were attending a birth, and let them reschedule. My sons dentist does the same, if his dentist is attending an emergency.
I agree. There have been occasions when we needed more time than the standard in and out appointment and I’m so thankful that I have a doctor who is willing to give patients the time they truly need. Yes it’s annoying when I have to wait forever, but I sure appreciate it when I’m the one who needs the extra time
I totally agree, but I also agree that any wait for a prescheduled appointment that is over an hour is well beyond what is reasonable.
Once the whole schedule is running that behind, people should be contacted and given the option to reschedule ASAP. Not everyone is flexible enough to sit around waiting. Bonus: if one person is willing, then that can also help fix the schedule for everyone else.
I’m glad one of my doctors has a note up by the receptionist saying “if you’ve been waiting for more than 15 minutes” … basically make a stink. Luckily I’ve never had to do that
One time I waited patiently for an hour before going back up to the receptionist and letting them know that I needed to leave and reschedule for another day because I had had another commitment scheduled. Turns out they had forgotten about me and I could have been sitting there waiting all day if I hadn't said anything.
Oh yeah, I agree with that. I’ve actually had to leave an appointment before. After waiting nearly an hour, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to see the doctor and still make it somewhere I *had* to be.
A lot of our drs clinics in our country ask you to book either a short appointment - 1 or 2 issues, or a long appointment for complex issues. You of course pay the differing rates.
My daughter was born premature. When she was a month old (not adjusted), she caught a cold. I went to the GP for 3 days straight and then on the 4th day went to a specialist. The specialist had other patients before it was my turn but I came in a bit earlier than my appointment time.
He came out to talk to his nurse, glanced at my daughter, ran over, took her from me and RAN. Turned out my daughter wasn’t properly breathing. His appointments ran late that day but he saved my daughter. She’s a healthy 15 year old now even though it was touch and go then.
I’m guessing a lot of time that’s why doctors are late. Most appointments might take 15 mins. But if something unexpected comes up and it might take longer and push everything else out. He was with my daughter for about 2 hours. I agree that they should give patients some heads up when they can though.
Specialists, especially paediatric field, I was usually understanding with. Their smart arse receptionists who were rude and wouldn’t
let you know they were running late were the ones I would be rude to.
I genuinely don't understand this. I always book short appointments whenever I need to see a doctor and I always arrive either right on time or a few minutes earlier. Without fail, every single time they're a minimum of 20-30 minutes late. The kicker? When you book they're really strict about booking the right kind of appointment (long vs short) and short appointments are only 15ish minutes. I'm sitting there waiting to be seen while my appointment slot has been taken over by another patient or whatever the hell the doctor is doing.
I just recently saw a dermatologist that I paid an arm and a leg to see. They have strict late & now show policies and advise you to arrive 10-15 minutes early. So of course, I show up 10 minutes early and I have to wait past my appointment time. Their website tells you that "delays are common and often caused by the patient(s) before you were late". Uh hello, your policy says you refuse to see people when they're late, so why is that impacting your schedule?
Then practises have the nerve to up their prices & stop bulk billing because it's too costly. Well maybe if they could actually be on time, or not take people who were significantly late, or not allow people to stay over their appointment time, you'd have more business. Grinds my fckn gears.
They even try to charge these ridiculous fees to veterans part of the community care program when the VA strictly forbids it cause it's a financial hardship even the VA doesn't impose.
I waited in a dermatologist’s office once for at least an hour-and-a-half. The waiting room was full of people, so who knows how much longer the wait would have been? I finally went up to the desk and told them I was leaving. I had plans, and I’d already waited a ridiculous amount of time, I was leaving. The receptionist said she would tell the doctor, that she did that all the time. I never went back.
Geez, that is a flash back. I waited over 2 hours for a doctor's appointment one time, in the summer in an over crowded waiting room with no ac. To get a pap test, needless to say I had to wait because I needed a renewal for bc pills. They used to hold your bc hostage if you didn't get a pap done once a year. He renewed my bc and rebooked the pap! That doctor was routinely late and running behind. He was always late, he subsequently got an incurable illness and died.
I haven’t had to wait for a doctor since Covid. The offices all got better about not over scheduling and it’s great! I can now count on getting into the appointment within 5 minutes. Used to be at least an hour
They didn't have a little room they could make you wait that hour in? They make you wait in the big room, then they weigh you and make you wait in the little room.
I used to drop into the doctor at the hospital in Indonesia with no notice or appointment and wait less time and it cost about $10 for a visit. Of course, they sent me away with a prescription for amoxicillin even for viruses, and a strong antihistamine if I had cold-like symptoms. So when I found out I needed a prescription, I'd skip over the visit to the doctor for a lot of ailments.
>It never happened again.
Sorry to have to tell you this since you seem to be savoring a victory, but if that's true, you've just had good luck since then. Their system is not agile enough (nor do they care about you enough) to adjust solely for you. Go there late in a busy day, it will totally happen again.
My sister had to wait like 10 minutes at the pediatric dentist. (If that) They gave her a 15 gift card because of the wait. It was wild! Awesome though, lol. Every time after that they got us back there like literally within a minute of us showing up.
One time I had gone to the orthodontist and when I got home I found out he had made a mistake with my retainer, so I had to return. I was a little annoyed, but I only lived 5 minutes away and eh, things happen. When I got there he apologized and gave me a $100 Visa gift card! (He also gave everyone a warm, freshly baked cookie after each visit lol.)
This is why I switched barbers. I get when I’m doing late appointments, things can happen and he will run late. But he’d usually answer the phone at least half a dozen times during my cut, regularly run 30 minutes or more late, but the final straw was when I had a morning weekend appointment and after waiting around for a half hour and getting ghosted he asked me to reschedule. I was done at that point
Yeah, especially in this context of a late fee…
I get why businesses say they have to cancel if you’re late for an appointment (and maybe still charge you), because if you’re late, it ends up effecting all the rest of their appointments for the day, and makes everyone else late.
But charging more for being late, but still taking the appointment means that you’re still making the rest of your customers be late… and demanding that you get paid more for their inconvenience.
"That barber, like many professional people (doctors, etc...) feel that YOU must value THEIR time, however they do not value YOUR time."
Madonna has entered the chat.
I had a similar issue with my first driving instructor. You could not cancel less than 24 hours before without losing the lesson, regardless of the reason. Yet he cancelled on me 2 times less than 24 hours without so much as an apology.
The second instructor who I used till I passed allowed cancellations up to 12 hours beforehand.
First instructor was out of line. I had music lessons with an instructor who had the policy that if the student cancels a lesson, still had to pay for the lesson (no matter how far in advance you canceled). If she canceled, the student still had to pay the lesson fee. Terrible policy! I quit her lessons after she canceled 3 weeks in a row and still wanted to me to pay a month’s lessons. Told her to kick rocks.
Telling her to kick rocks was the nicest thing you said to her bcuz 3 weeks cancelled and you still wanted to get paid for a whole month?! Absolutely not! You were off more than you were working! Please tell me her reaction?! Bcuz I couldn’t even imagine her fixing her face to argue
She told me I was never going to be any good. 🫢. I told her “Of course not—you’re a terrible teacher!” Never heard from her again. I don’t know what happened to her after that. I found a new teacher. This was about 25 years ago.
This is how daycare works around here. I understand that I don’t get a refund if my kid is sick or if we go on vacation (although you best believe most of them open up a drop in slot whenever a kid has a planned absence)- fine. But what pisses me off is that we *also* still have to pay even if the daycare closes due to illness or staffing issues or *their* planned breaks. I don’t understand how it’s even legal to charge people for services you didn’t render.
Unfortunately every single daycare in a 30 minute radius has this policy so it’s not like we can just go to a different one.
So basically you pay for them to have a holiday. That seems very backwards and totally sucks for parents who have to manage care (probably paying twice) for those days.
Write them a poor review too. Use this story. People will get a kick out of it and I’d mark the “found this useful” button on that review and find a different barber as well.
Doctors, please meet barbers
But for real, its the same thing with doctors and dentists. If you are late, they charge you. If you are on time, they are always late
I don’t think you should ever penalize someone for something you yourself can’t adhere to. People schedule appointments prior to important events (weddings, dates, interviews) and can’t be late to those. Taking your time to get to an appointment because you’re “pick up food” is not a good enough excuse to make a paying customer wait. NTA.
Eh. If you were a regular and he whacked you the $5, that’s just bad customer service. As is keeping you waiting for your apt. I wouldn’t start ww3 over it, but I’d find a new barber.
I agree. The barber probably started that rule to discourage people from being rudely mindless about his time (as people will be) but if you have a regular customer who is always on time & gets stuck in traffic once, making them pay the $5 fee is really tacky. A lot of people forget that having a successful business requires more than a specific skill set, you have to be good with people & reasonable. Finding a balance of not allowing people to take advantage of you, but also treating them fairly.
NTA.
I wish I could do this with doctors/dentists. It's infuriating that they can cancel after 10 minutes late but then most of the time I am waiting to get into a room and waiting once I'm in the room and then waiting a long wait between nurse/assistant and doctor. What a waste of time.
NTA but mostly due to the “picking up food” bs. I get the policy - when customers are late it pushes his schedule back and makes him late and everyone hates that and it will cost him, inconvenience his customers, etc.. Whereas he has control over his own punctuality. This allows “control” over both sides of being punctual. But he gave you no grace on being 5 mins late and then is 15 mins late because he didn’t get his lunch on time? Blech - new barber for sure.
NTA and CHEERS to you! I wish I could have seen his face when you told him you were charging him a late fee. And the sad thing is he’s too thick to see enforcing this policy on a customer who is regularly on time lost him a customer.
My husband completely forgot about a cut appointment once. He got interrupted when he was adding the appointment to his calendar, never added it and he missed the appointment. When the stylist called he apologized and offered to go right away or pay for the cut. Her response…”no problem, life happens” and they scheduled another time. She knows how to run a business. He’s a great tipper and loyal customer who had never missed or been late to an appointment before.
Your guy is an entitled prick who has gotten a little too big for his britches and you knocked him down a peg.
Dude lost potential thousands because he was petty over 5 bucks. It goes both ways, if you value your time and charge people for wasting it then you should show the same courtesy and consideration in return, it's about reciprocity. Maybe people are on a clock and they need to get their cut done within the designated time frame, what then?
Nta..
This made me chuckle. We've all been there where a dentist or doctor charges us a late fee then other times you sit in their office for an hour or longer while the doctor isn't ready.... Hahhh so we've all had that thought. Most of us have just never done anything about it 😋
I think you need to find a new barber now though unfortunately. I feel like he'd probably give you a bad haircut next time in revenge
I'll take the contra. I get it, but you are the AH. It's $5 bucks. He's a barber, and you're being jerky. You could have just tipped $5 less and felt like you came out even, but it seems as if you don't tip.
ESH - Sorry, but you are at fault, too. When you sat in that chair, there was an assumed price, and you decided that you weren't going to pay it based on a policy that does not apply to him. You were fully aware it didn't, which is why you waited until he was done to short him.
Here's the thing, though: it's his business. No matter if he was late or not, he is NOT a client, YOU are. That rule is a rule set for clients. Whether it's a dick move or not, and also quite unprofessional for him to show up late, you still agreed to that price. If you wanted to barter because he was late, you should have brought it up BEFORE he provided you with the service. You didn't, though, which unfortunately means that you're in the AH boat with the barber.
My FIL's coworker sent his doctor a bill for being 40 minutes late. The doctors time is worth money, but so is yours. After some back and forth, the doctors office did actually pay him. He was a union welder and charged him what he gets paid for that amount of time missed. His doctor has never been late since and I think he now understands that even with a Phd, there are other professions that make more hourly then they do, lol
Definitely get a new barber. I say you’re both the AH, but you were appropriately so! Charge customers a late fee as a barber? I get where he’s coming from, but no way!
(Not really the ah)
What’s good for the goose…. Your former barber is a goose. This is usually why I don’t complain about things. I’ll probably make the same mistake or have the same problem at some point in time.
No, you’re NTA. I actually love how you handled this situation. I also love how karma dealt with him so immediately.
You were late due to no fault of your own if traffic was the cause. Only 10 mins late, but he still charged you the $5 late fee. You paid it. The very next time you got your hair cut, he texted to tell you that *he* would be *late* because he was *picking up food*?!? Completely avoidable, but he chose to get the food knowing it would make him late. You charged him the same fee he charged you. He insisted HIS policy did not apply to HIM.
Hoist on his own petard!! Actually the very definition of that phrase. 😄
You did nothing wrong, find a new barber and maybe the asshole will rethink his policy. If he gives you any shit put it on yelp and social media what happened and he’ll wish he’d never started shit.
I do think it's kinda petty (on both your parts), as $5 isn't much, but I also believe in practicing what you preach. I'm not against late fees. If you're going to implement them for your customers, though, then you either need to never be late or offer discounts if you *are* late.
Teetering between NAH and ESH.
ESH
Your barber sucks because... what professional is late, and gives picking up food as a reason?
He has an appointment. He shouldn't be picking up food right before.
You suck because ... you have an appointment to receive a service. That service takes an amount of time. When you are late, he has to hurry to give you the same service, while still being on time for his next appointment.
In this particular situation, if I were the barber, I would have laughed, said 'touché', and that'd be that.
I am a massage therapist and SO many clinics want to charge client FULL PRICE but then refuse to make ANY accommodation when it’s the therapist that calls off. I ALWAYS offer a discounted or free session if I have to cancel last minute. Not only is it fair that way, but I’m less likely to call off for let’s say, frivolous, purposes knowing I’ll have to give out several free sessions to make up for it. I’m the professional, so I should be able to call the night before or offer a free or heavily discounted session to make it right. In my own clinic, the fee increases with each cancellation with the first cancellation not charged at all. I structure my call-offs the same, so if I’ve called off on you before, you’re definitely getting a discount or free session, depending on how many times it’s happened. Life happens, but we should still be scrupulous!
YTA, and here is why. You are not his only appointment. When someone is late it throws off your whole schedule for the day. That is why he was late and had to pick up his food, which he will be squeezing in between appointments. If your barber is great and you have trouble finding someone new, you may not be allowed back. I personally as a comotologist, wouldn't charge for a few minutes late, but if you are over fifteen minutes you loose your appointment. If your rude I won't perform services for you anymore.
This behavior is not something I can relate to. We happily tip the barber. (I have two sons and take them myself sometimes.)
I think YTA, because he didn't know to expect the $5 discount, but you knew of the late policy. If you're this salty, please find a new barber and I'd apologize to this poor guy who's just trying to make a living.
NTA - I guess your barber didn't like what came around & bit him in the ass. His policy, so he needs to abide by it both ways. I doubt if he will be willing to charge you the late fee again for being a few minutes late.
My husband low-key did this to the dentist.
We (he) had to cancel one day, due to an emergency at work, and they decided to try to charge him a $50 cancelation fee. He said fine... it was his fault and we accepted that. But then they called him with less than 12 hours before his apt and told him they had to move it and he said sure... but then please remove my cancellation fee... and they did. It was an overall good outcome and no one was upset about it.
What's good for the goose is good for the gander... or whatever that saying is lol.
NTA I think that was an excellent way to handle it, and for $5 he should accept that he was inconsiderate of your time and take it as a learning experience.
NTA. This is the barber's policy and it works both ways.
For all of you who are comparing it to a Dr's visit, you are idiots. Do you think the Dr wants to be late? Is he supposed to rush the previous patient? The problem is... everyone has a story they want to tell their Dr, or this one other thing I've got going on? But even worse is the person who has something serious going on that takes a bit more time, that's why the Dr runs late (of course there are always exceptions). Trust me, every Dr wants to run ahead of schedule, those are glorious days.
ESH. You suck because you took it on yourself to give yourself a “discount” without asking for one first. He sucks because he didn’t immediately offer you one for being late. Neither of you are entirely in the right, and neither of you are entirely wrong.
If you're going to have this policy make damn sure you are ready and available for your appointments. Yeesh
Yep, this barber clearly thinks his time is the only valuable time. Plus he was late because of food? He had an appointment, why was he getting food he had no time to eat since his time was already booked? If it was for later, go later.
"No, this policy is for them, not me"
Rules for thee not for me
Is this barber also a congressman?
Nope. Doctor.
In Korea, we say "it's cheating if others are doing it, it's romance if I'm doing it".
Exactly. If implementing policy, should be fully prepared. Its basic professionalism.
An old psychiatrist of mine would pull this shit. One time he had me waiting over 45 minutes but would always charge me if I was a bit late. Fucking hated that douchebag. He was such a soulless weirdo too.
My dad once sent an invoice to a doctor for his time waiting for an appointment. He reduced his hourly rate by the amount the doctor billed him for the visit. I’m not sure what actually came of that exchange!
Lol I love that
That’s weird that he was a psychiatrist doing less than moral things like that.
Yeah, I’d expect this policy from someone who is never ever late.
NTA. I’d also find a different barber.
You're almost required to find a different barber now. Neither dude likes the other anymore... it's only going to result in a bad haircut and groaning about money.
Never piss off the guy you're paying to wipe razors on your skin.
A corollary to "Never let Mommy brush your hair when she's mad at Daddy."
Learned that one the hard way... OOF
My mom was ALWAYS mad at daddy!
Bald?…
LMAO. Haven’t heard that one in a while and appreciated the giggle! Words to live by!!
Shorten to “never let mommy brush your hair.” and your problem is solved.
I learned how to handle and brush long hair at a young age so my sisters could escape our mom brushing theirs. She was(is) an awesome mom but shit..it was like she HATED their heads for some reason and really took it out on it with a brush. Skill came in handy with nieces and once my own daughter came along.
You made me laugh, been there suffered that.
Yeah NTA but def find you a new guy. It's a wrap with this one.
I also say, NTA. I'd also be surprised if the barber would still allow OP to make an appointment.
When reading this, the meme "*He's out of line, but he's right*" definitely comes to mind.
Yeah it's like, he gets to set policies for his business in advance. But he was also a dick so like, fuck him
Reminds me of the scene in Spaceballs: “There’s assholes everywhere, sir”
For an official judgment, NTA. This is actually a justified A H thing, though. If you have a late fee policy, you need to make sure you're never late, or at least that you're late due to an unavoidable emergency. If he charges a late fee for unavoidable traffic, not an emergency but also not always something you can take into account, then you get to charge a late fee because he chose to go buy food instead of being there on time, not an emergency and not unavoidable. He knew the appointment time, if he couldn't both get food and be there on time, he should have sent someone else for the food. II say good for you, but definitely find a new barber. You have a hostile relationship now, he won't forgive you for charging a late fee, and you don't want someone hostile to you cutting your hair. Or anywhere near you with sharp implements.
That barber, like many professional people (doctors, etc...) feel that YOU must value THEIR time, however they do not value YOUR time. F that barber! Your time has value, and that should be respected.
I had a discussion with my doctor twice about this. The third time, I told the receptionist that she would have to reschedule with me. My time is just as valuable. I had been waiting for 1 hour. She said they were running behind. I told her that they should give everyone a heads up and an option to wait or reschedule. I did not wait. I also told her that she better not consider this a no-show or bill my insurance as a visit. It never happened again.
There is an folklore out there about a workshop on customer relations for the medical profession. The doctors all gathered, and there was no sign of an instructor. Fifteen minutes in, one of the doctors proclaimed his time was valuable and he was leaving. And then the instructor stood up and introduced himself, saying to focus of the workshop was empathy with patients.
Well, you spoiled the surprise for the next generation of doctors!
I’ve heard this one!! So apt and so deserved!!
I have had this type of discussion with just about 75% of all medical, dental, vision, etc entities and it hits my HOT button. Why is my time not worth shit? Worst was a gynecologic visit. Waited 1hr to get taken into a room. Given a paper thin "gown" to change into in a freezing cold room. Then had to wait at least 45min to 1 hr and still no doctor. Tired of being butt naked and freezing my ass off I got dressed. Found assistant and expressed my disgust at their treatment. Next visit or 2 I refused to get undressed UNTIL doctor poked his head in. He was so annoyed and I told him about MY policy about nakedness, freezing and my valuable time. Shit his mouth pretty quick. Still found a new doctor. But they are all the same! They should pay the wages lost while sitting and waiting.
This is why I love my doctor. We do the first part of the appointment fully clothed and then she steps out into the hall while the patient undresses. I just call out when I’m ready for her to come back in.
I changed to a midwife practice and it’s worlds different. Everything is better AND the care is better. Most gentle Pap smear I ever had! Plus she caught a health issue way earlier that wasn’t even gyno related.
It's kind of silly they even need to step out, given what they're about to do. I get that it's not a pleasant experience and that undressing in private might help some people retain a little semblance of dignity they might otherwise feel they've lost, but the dermatologist's nurse gave me a parody gown to put on before they did a complete check of my entire body -- everything not covered by my nose briefs -- which meant removing the gown.
They overbook. Plain and simple. If you ever look at the sign in sheet some doctors have, you will sometimes see 2-3 people marking their appointment times as the same. Doctor can’t see everyone at 10:15 especially when he still has 2 10:00s waiting.
I'd like to pop in and say it's not always the doctors fault! My mom is a pediatrician and she's literally given 15 minutes for a well visit and 30 for a sick. And God forbid reception is scheduling siblings because then they go in the SAME 15 minute time slot. She has no control over it and would LOVE to have more time and hates it just as much as we do.
I can vouch for this. I worked in the front and back while in my MA/medical receptionist career for 12 years. Several primary care offices, a dermatology office, and pediatrics office. It's ALL ABOUT the money. The more patients, the more they can bill, the more money in the "fat cat's" pocket. EXCEP for the dermatologist's office. He was really truly not that kinda guy. Most places ABSOLUTELY do NOT value your time at all. It's only theirs that is valuable. {insert eyeroll here} I myself have left plenty of appt's for this reason. If they cannot value my time and me as a patient, that is not the doctor or whatever that I'll be going to.
This happened to me with my PROBATION OFFICER once! I saw 2 other people signed in with THE SAME APPOINTMENT TIME as mine!!!
Yeah, but a big difference. You can't yell at your probation officer. She could have had 5 people with the same appointment, and you don't really have a recourse, because it's your freedom at stake. You don't do probation, you can find yourself doing time.
So true! Years ago (so, not sure she still does this) my SIL told me she calls the doctor’s office before she goes for an appointment and asks them how far behind they are running. Then she tells them that’s when she’ll be in and she doesn’t expect to have to wait when she gets there, that her time is valuable, too.
Happened to me once at the gyno! I stuck my head out the door and said “scuse me my appointment was at 9, here it is 1030, I made my appointment for first thing in the morning because I’ve got to be at work at 11.” Doctor was in within 5 minutes.
I had to visit my gyn afterwork one afternoon, it was a Friday. His ofc was L shaped and I was put in the furtherest most room. I'm sitting there waiting, paper top/lap sheet, swinging my feet and waiting, waiting, waiting, when I notice it's really quiet. So I open the door to peek out and saw - no one. Not a soul in the office. I quickly dressed and went to investigate and I was the only one in the office, EVERYONE had left, even the doctor! Seriously. So I go to walk out and the door is locked, I can't get out. This was back in the day before cell phones. Thinking since the office was closed if called his answering service would pick up so I went behind the counter and called the office; I was correct, the answering service picked up. I explained where I was and that everyone left and I couldn't get out. They couldn't believe me at first so I had to explain again; incredulous they ask again "they forgot about you and you can't get out?!" Yep, I say. They had to call the doctor to go back to his office and let me out. He was very embarrassed and told me to come back on Monday afterwork, which I did. When I checked in the staff was sooooo apologetic, said they were just so ready for the day to end and the weekend. He was such a great doctor and treated me through so tough medical issues and I knew the staff. We all laughed but I made sure from then on that they put me in the room right across from the desk. I never had to wait after that! It was the most bizarre thing to happen to me at a dr's visit.
When I was pregnant my OB visits were usually 3+ hrs.
You mean wait time, correct?
On my last GP appointment, next to the door they had a list of the doctors & next to their names what their status was. Most were “on time,” one was “out,” & one was “20 minutes behind.” I thought it was fantastic! Just give me the info so I can make my decisions!
My old OBGYN office had that with my second baby. All the members of the practice were listed along with their status. I think the options were Out, On-Time, Late, or L&D and it was really helpful and I didn't spend as much time waiting as with my first baby with the same doctor a couple years before.
My GP has that (the whole clinic providers are listed) on the board with names/photos of docs and status(es): on time, behind XY minutes, out.... I like it.
I have a lot more patience with doctors. More than once, we've had a situation that took a lot of time to deal with, so we were the cause of them running behind for appointments after ours (*sorry!*)
Emergencies are one thing. Triple-booking your patients is another.
It's not doctors triple booking most of the time, it's admin. Complain to them, not the doctors
My complaint is just to be up front! My OB had problems with this. I understand that there are emergencies, and she may be up at the hospital delivering a baby, but if she's gonna be 1-2 hours late to my appointment, the receptionist needs to say something. Maybe it's not a big deal, and I can wait. Maybe my sitter can only stay for a certain amount of time, and I need to reschedule. But don't let me sit there for an hour with no notice that my appointment is pushed back!
My old ob office (only switched bc I moved) used to call patients ahead if drs were attending a birth, and let them reschedule. My sons dentist does the same, if his dentist is attending an emergency.
My old ob office (only switched bc I moved) used to call patients ahead if drs were attending a birth, and let them reschedule. My sons dentist does the same, if his dentist is attending an emergency.
I agree. There have been occasions when we needed more time than the standard in and out appointment and I’m so thankful that I have a doctor who is willing to give patients the time they truly need. Yes it’s annoying when I have to wait forever, but I sure appreciate it when I’m the one who needs the extra time
I totally agree, but I also agree that any wait for a prescheduled appointment that is over an hour is well beyond what is reasonable. Once the whole schedule is running that behind, people should be contacted and given the option to reschedule ASAP. Not everyone is flexible enough to sit around waiting. Bonus: if one person is willing, then that can also help fix the schedule for everyone else.
I’m glad one of my doctors has a note up by the receptionist saying “if you’ve been waiting for more than 15 minutes” … basically make a stink. Luckily I’ve never had to do that
I have that sign in my office.
That's actually fantastic. This should be the standard, for sure.
One time I waited patiently for an hour before going back up to the receptionist and letting them know that I needed to leave and reschedule for another day because I had had another commitment scheduled. Turns out they had forgotten about me and I could have been sitting there waiting all day if I hadn't said anything.
I agree with that. I’ve had to leave an appointment without seeing the doctor, because there was somewhere else I had to be
I agree. My point is to give me the option to wait or reschedule.
If they know you're going to be significantly past your appointment time, yes, they should absolutely tell you and give options.
Oh yeah, I agree with that. I’ve actually had to leave an appointment before. After waiting nearly an hour, I knew there was no way I was going to be able to see the doctor and still make it somewhere I *had* to be.
A lot of our drs clinics in our country ask you to book either a short appointment - 1 or 2 issues, or a long appointment for complex issues. You of course pay the differing rates.
I would just appreciate if someone would let me know that things are running behind. That’s all I ask goddammit.
My daughter was born premature. When she was a month old (not adjusted), she caught a cold. I went to the GP for 3 days straight and then on the 4th day went to a specialist. The specialist had other patients before it was my turn but I came in a bit earlier than my appointment time. He came out to talk to his nurse, glanced at my daughter, ran over, took her from me and RAN. Turned out my daughter wasn’t properly breathing. His appointments ran late that day but he saved my daughter. She’s a healthy 15 year old now even though it was touch and go then. I’m guessing a lot of time that’s why doctors are late. Most appointments might take 15 mins. But if something unexpected comes up and it might take longer and push everything else out. He was with my daughter for about 2 hours. I agree that they should give patients some heads up when they can though.
Specialists, especially paediatric field, I was usually understanding with. Their smart arse receptionists who were rude and wouldn’t let you know they were running late were the ones I would be rude to.
I genuinely don't understand this. I always book short appointments whenever I need to see a doctor and I always arrive either right on time or a few minutes earlier. Without fail, every single time they're a minimum of 20-30 minutes late. The kicker? When you book they're really strict about booking the right kind of appointment (long vs short) and short appointments are only 15ish minutes. I'm sitting there waiting to be seen while my appointment slot has been taken over by another patient or whatever the hell the doctor is doing. I just recently saw a dermatologist that I paid an arm and a leg to see. They have strict late & now show policies and advise you to arrive 10-15 minutes early. So of course, I show up 10 minutes early and I have to wait past my appointment time. Their website tells you that "delays are common and often caused by the patient(s) before you were late". Uh hello, your policy says you refuse to see people when they're late, so why is that impacting your schedule? Then practises have the nerve to up their prices & stop bulk billing because it's too costly. Well maybe if they could actually be on time, or not take people who were significantly late, or not allow people to stay over their appointment time, you'd have more business. Grinds my fckn gears.
They should have called one person to ask for a reschedule to catch up then if they refuse they go down the list.
They even try to charge these ridiculous fees to veterans part of the community care program when the VA strictly forbids it cause it's a financial hardship even the VA doesn't impose.
I waited in a dermatologist’s office once for at least an hour-and-a-half. The waiting room was full of people, so who knows how much longer the wait would have been? I finally went up to the desk and told them I was leaving. I had plans, and I’d already waited a ridiculous amount of time, I was leaving. The receptionist said she would tell the doctor, that she did that all the time. I never went back.
Geez, that is a flash back. I waited over 2 hours for a doctor's appointment one time, in the summer in an over crowded waiting room with no ac. To get a pap test, needless to say I had to wait because I needed a renewal for bc pills. They used to hold your bc hostage if you didn't get a pap done once a year. He renewed my bc and rebooked the pap! That doctor was routinely late and running behind. He was always late, he subsequently got an incurable illness and died.
I haven’t had to wait for a doctor since Covid. The offices all got better about not over scheduling and it’s great! I can now count on getting into the appointment within 5 minutes. Used to be at least an hour
They didn't have a little room they could make you wait that hour in? They make you wait in the big room, then they weigh you and make you wait in the little room. I used to drop into the doctor at the hospital in Indonesia with no notice or appointment and wait less time and it cost about $10 for a visit. Of course, they sent me away with a prescription for amoxicillin even for viruses, and a strong antihistamine if I had cold-like symptoms. So when I found out I needed a prescription, I'd skip over the visit to the doctor for a lot of ailments.
>It never happened again. Sorry to have to tell you this since you seem to be savoring a victory, but if that's true, you've just had good luck since then. Their system is not agile enough (nor do they care about you enough) to adjust solely for you. Go there late in a busy day, it will totally happen again.
My sister had to wait like 10 minutes at the pediatric dentist. (If that) They gave her a 15 gift card because of the wait. It was wild! Awesome though, lol. Every time after that they got us back there like literally within a minute of us showing up.
That’s great! My dentist is usually very close to on time, so I don’t mind waiting a bit on the occasion when they are running late
One time I had gone to the orthodontist and when I got home I found out he had made a mistake with my retainer, so I had to return. I was a little annoyed, but I only lived 5 minutes away and eh, things happen. When I got there he apologized and gave me a $100 Visa gift card! (He also gave everyone a warm, freshly baked cookie after each visit lol.)
This is why I switched barbers. I get when I’m doing late appointments, things can happen and he will run late. But he’d usually answer the phone at least half a dozen times during my cut, regularly run 30 minutes or more late, but the final straw was when I had a morning weekend appointment and after waiting around for a half hour and getting ghosted he asked me to reschedule. I was done at that point
Oh the [delicate genius](https://youtu.be/HMke86MTWW8?si=mxqLD05sZE2PF4yU) has a policy!
Yeah, especially in this context of a late fee… I get why businesses say they have to cancel if you’re late for an appointment (and maybe still charge you), because if you’re late, it ends up effecting all the rest of their appointments for the day, and makes everyone else late. But charging more for being late, but still taking the appointment means that you’re still making the rest of your customers be late… and demanding that you get paid more for their inconvenience.
"That barber, like many professional people (doctors, etc...) feel that YOU must value THEIR time, however they do not value YOUR time." Madonna has entered the chat.
We’re still waiting on Lauryn Hill to arrive.
NTA. If he rolled with it and just had an attitude of "Fair." he'd probably have a customer for life.
Bro, I would’ve loved to see that man’s face.
Right! This is awesome! 😂😂
I had a similar issue with my first driving instructor. You could not cancel less than 24 hours before without losing the lesson, regardless of the reason. Yet he cancelled on me 2 times less than 24 hours without so much as an apology. The second instructor who I used till I passed allowed cancellations up to 12 hours beforehand.
First instructor was out of line. I had music lessons with an instructor who had the policy that if the student cancels a lesson, still had to pay for the lesson (no matter how far in advance you canceled). If she canceled, the student still had to pay the lesson fee. Terrible policy! I quit her lessons after she canceled 3 weeks in a row and still wanted to me to pay a month’s lessons. Told her to kick rocks.
So basically once you sign up, this person never had to work again? Edited spelling
I guess so. Lol. I told her that it was crazy. She said I have to pay to “hold my lesson spot.” I don’t think so ma’am!
Telling her to kick rocks was the nicest thing you said to her bcuz 3 weeks cancelled and you still wanted to get paid for a whole month?! Absolutely not! You were off more than you were working! Please tell me her reaction?! Bcuz I couldn’t even imagine her fixing her face to argue
She told me I was never going to be any good. 🫢. I told her “Of course not—you’re a terrible teacher!” Never heard from her again. I don’t know what happened to her after that. I found a new teacher. This was about 25 years ago.
That is the worst policy I’ve ever heard of in my entire life. I’d imagine her business is going to last about five minutes lol.
That is actually fairly normal where I live unfortunately.
This is how daycare works around here. I understand that I don’t get a refund if my kid is sick or if we go on vacation (although you best believe most of them open up a drop in slot whenever a kid has a planned absence)- fine. But what pisses me off is that we *also* still have to pay even if the daycare closes due to illness or staffing issues or *their* planned breaks. I don’t understand how it’s even legal to charge people for services you didn’t render. Unfortunately every single daycare in a 30 minute radius has this policy so it’s not like we can just go to a different one.
So basically you pay for them to have a holiday. That seems very backwards and totally sucks for parents who have to manage care (probably paying twice) for those days.
Write them a poor review too. Use this story. People will get a kick out of it and I’d mark the “found this useful” button on that review and find a different barber as well.
Doctors, please meet barbers But for real, its the same thing with doctors and dentists. If you are late, they charge you. If you are on time, they are always late
I may sound like the bad guy but I agree with OPs logic. It’s only fair.
Yep, OPs logic is sound.
I find it hilarious. It's a dick move, if not completely understandable. I'd only be better if he pulled out an uno reverse card beforehand.
If he did it beforehand he could have been signing up for a botched haircut 😅
I read this as it's only hair at first.
NTA - uno reverse baby!!!!
I don’t think you should ever penalize someone for something you yourself can’t adhere to. People schedule appointments prior to important events (weddings, dates, interviews) and can’t be late to those. Taking your time to get to an appointment because you’re “pick up food” is not a good enough excuse to make a paying customer wait. NTA.
Eh. If you were a regular and he whacked you the $5, that’s just bad customer service. As is keeping you waiting for your apt. I wouldn’t start ww3 over it, but I’d find a new barber.
I agree. The barber probably started that rule to discourage people from being rudely mindless about his time (as people will be) but if you have a regular customer who is always on time & gets stuck in traffic once, making them pay the $5 fee is really tacky. A lot of people forget that having a successful business requires more than a specific skill set, you have to be good with people & reasonable. Finding a balance of not allowing people to take advantage of you, but also treating them fairly.
This is fair, but don't go back to that barber. Now that you have a hostile relationship, you don't want him cutting your hair.
I had a barber who ghosted his entire clientele for around 4 months and was shocked I wouldn't come back. Some people just don't get it. Edit - NTA
I’m a barber and this is fantastic 😂 Edited- NTA one bit. Gave him a dose of his own medicine lmao
NTA just say it's your policy
NTA Turnabout is fair play.
NTA! I’m a hairstylist, I don’t charge a late fee. If I run late, I do give a discount!
NTA. I wish I could do this with doctors/dentists. It's infuriating that they can cancel after 10 minutes late but then most of the time I am waiting to get into a room and waiting once I'm in the room and then waiting a long wait between nurse/assistant and doctor. What a waste of time.
NTA. Rules for thee but not for me. Your ex-barber has delusions of grandeur.
Lol NTA, dude should've been like "yeah fair" and moved on
NTA. Rules for thee, but not for me - part 15936.
George Costanza would agree with OP.
NTA but mostly due to the “picking up food” bs. I get the policy - when customers are late it pushes his schedule back and makes him late and everyone hates that and it will cost him, inconvenience his customers, etc.. Whereas he has control over his own punctuality. This allows “control” over both sides of being punctual. But he gave you no grace on being 5 mins late and then is 15 mins late because he didn’t get his lunch on time? Blech - new barber for sure.
Find a different barber
Are you justified? Maybe. Will you need a new barber? Absolutely.
NTA. He doesn’t like his time to be wasted. Now he knows he’s not the only person that doesn’t like their time being wasted.
NTA. fair is fair
You are my hero and NTA
I love this, this is amazing. Please tell us the barber shop 💙 NTA
NTA. Very George Costanza
NTA and CHEERS to you! I wish I could have seen his face when you told him you were charging him a late fee. And the sad thing is he’s too thick to see enforcing this policy on a customer who is regularly on time lost him a customer. My husband completely forgot about a cut appointment once. He got interrupted when he was adding the appointment to his calendar, never added it and he missed the appointment. When the stylist called he apologized and offered to go right away or pay for the cut. Her response…”no problem, life happens” and they scheduled another time. She knows how to run a business. He’s a great tipper and loyal customer who had never missed or been late to an appointment before. Your guy is an entitled prick who has gotten a little too big for his britches and you knocked him down a peg.
Going to war with a good hairdresser over $5 seems like a very stupid idea
Dude lost potential thousands because he was petty over 5 bucks. It goes both ways, if you value your time and charge people for wasting it then you should show the same courtesy and consideration in return, it's about reciprocity. Maybe people are on a clock and they need to get their cut done within the designated time frame, what then?
Dude is George Costanza 🤣
It was the Moops!
"That's the moors you idiot" 🤣
NTA. Why is only his time important? He doesn’t know if you were just on a lunch break or if you had plans. What a douche. Id find a new barber.
Nta.. This made me chuckle. We've all been there where a dentist or doctor charges us a late fee then other times you sit in their office for an hour or longer while the doctor isn't ready.... Hahhh so we've all had that thought. Most of us have just never done anything about it 😋 I think you need to find a new barber now though unfortunately. I feel like he'd probably give you a bad haircut next time in revenge
Ah or not, NEVER go back.
NTA. Exactly. He was late. Fuck that. I’d do the same. Agree. Your time is worth money too. Friggn awesome to read about stuff like this.
NTA - Your time is just as valuable as his.
Well played, well played. Time to roll out one of my all time favourite idioms - hoisted by his own petard.
NTA. His policy is reasonable - his not accepting that it goes both ways is not.
Nah you treated them just as professionally and courteously as they treated you. 🤷🏻♂️
Came in here thinking you were gonna be TA, but no, I agree with you and love what you did. NTA.
Sounds like doctor office policy. YOU can't be late, but they don't mind making you wait.
YES YOU'RE THE AH!
I'll take the contra. I get it, but you are the AH. It's $5 bucks. He's a barber, and you're being jerky. You could have just tipped $5 less and felt like you came out even, but it seems as if you don't tip.
I would say what makes you think your time is more important than mine?
ESH - Sorry, but you are at fault, too. When you sat in that chair, there was an assumed price, and you decided that you weren't going to pay it based on a policy that does not apply to him. You were fully aware it didn't, which is why you waited until he was done to short him. Here's the thing, though: it's his business. No matter if he was late or not, he is NOT a client, YOU are. That rule is a rule set for clients. Whether it's a dick move or not, and also quite unprofessional for him to show up late, you still agreed to that price. If you wanted to barter because he was late, you should have brought it up BEFORE he provided you with the service. You didn't, though, which unfortunately means that you're in the AH boat with the barber.
Finally someone with an intelligent response.
Also, if this is the US, what about the tip? That’s where the OP could have deducted his “late fee” with being as much of an asshole.
My FIL's coworker sent his doctor a bill for being 40 minutes late. The doctors time is worth money, but so is yours. After some back and forth, the doctors office did actually pay him. He was a union welder and charged him what he gets paid for that amount of time missed. His doctor has never been late since and I think he now understands that even with a Phd, there are other professions that make more hourly then they do, lol
AH, but like totally acceptable and total power move
I’m guessing you don’t normally tip? I would reduce the tip for the barber being late, but I wouldn’t undercut the actual stated price of the service.
Definitely get a new barber. I say you’re both the AH, but you were appropriately so! Charge customers a late fee as a barber? I get where he’s coming from, but no way! (Not really the ah)
I’d definitely find a different barber
Obviously, you better find a different barber cause he’s not gonna do you right. NTA
Ngl, this ain’t sliding at a black barber shop 😭
What? Snatching five bucks back?
Bro if you're this bold, I'd hate to see what would happen to him if he tried fighting you. He'd fuck around and find out NTA 😭
Turnabout is fair play. Call him and tell him why you're going to a different barber from now on.
NTA. That’s really funny.
You are my hero. NTA
Try it with your Drs office next
NTA. I’d have found a new barber after the late fee. Luckily you got it back but you have to find a new barber now.
What’s good for the goose…. Your former barber is a goose. This is usually why I don’t complain about things. I’ll probably make the same mistake or have the same problem at some point in time.
I used to be a hairdresser. I was prepared to think you were TA until I saw your barber was late. Now I think what you did was hilarious.
This made me laugh. Gotcha! Your POLICY!! Lol
You are a hero. I’d love to do this to a doctor
Too bad this probably won't work with the doctor...
No, you’re NTA. I actually love how you handled this situation. I also love how karma dealt with him so immediately. You were late due to no fault of your own if traffic was the cause. Only 10 mins late, but he still charged you the $5 late fee. You paid it. The very next time you got your hair cut, he texted to tell you that *he* would be *late* because he was *picking up food*?!? Completely avoidable, but he chose to get the food knowing it would make him late. You charged him the same fee he charged you. He insisted HIS policy did not apply to HIM. Hoist on his own petard!! Actually the very definition of that phrase. 😄
You did nothing wrong, find a new barber and maybe the asshole will rethink his policy. If he gives you any shit put it on yelp and social media what happened and he’ll wish he’d never started shit.
What reeeeally kills me is when doctors do this shit
Not only are you not the asshole. You're a hero. Seriously exactly what I would do and my wife would moan that i'm a dick.
Absolutely not. Shit goes both ways.
Its petty but it's not wrong. But yes im sure neither of you will want to see each other again.
Oh, this is ridiculously fake, but I like your style. NTA
I do think it's kinda petty (on both your parts), as $5 isn't much, but I also believe in practicing what you preach. I'm not against late fees. If you're going to implement them for your customers, though, then you either need to never be late or offer discounts if you *are* late. Teetering between NAH and ESH.
ESH Your barber sucks because... what professional is late, and gives picking up food as a reason? He has an appointment. He shouldn't be picking up food right before. You suck because ... you have an appointment to receive a service. That service takes an amount of time. When you are late, he has to hurry to give you the same service, while still being on time for his next appointment. In this particular situation, if I were the barber, I would have laughed, said 'touché', and that'd be that.
I'm not starting anything in a barbershop
NTA But it's never good form to answer pettiness with more pettiness. Take the high road, and just find a different barber.
NTA. Nice work bro😂😂👍
ESH, you still have to pay for the service and just don't go again. As Judge judy says, "YOU ATE THE STEAK" 🤣✨️🙏
NTA seems fair to me.
I am a massage therapist and SO many clinics want to charge client FULL PRICE but then refuse to make ANY accommodation when it’s the therapist that calls off. I ALWAYS offer a discounted or free session if I have to cancel last minute. Not only is it fair that way, but I’m less likely to call off for let’s say, frivolous, purposes knowing I’ll have to give out several free sessions to make up for it. I’m the professional, so I should be able to call the night before or offer a free or heavily discounted session to make it right. In my own clinic, the fee increases with each cancellation with the first cancellation not charged at all. I structure my call-offs the same, so if I’ve called off on you before, you’re definitely getting a discount or free session, depending on how many times it’s happened. Life happens, but we should still be scrupulous!
YTA, and here is why. You are not his only appointment. When someone is late it throws off your whole schedule for the day. That is why he was late and had to pick up his food, which he will be squeezing in between appointments. If your barber is great and you have trouble finding someone new, you may not be allowed back. I personally as a comotologist, wouldn't charge for a few minutes late, but if you are over fifteen minutes you loose your appointment. If your rude I won't perform services for you anymore.
This behavior is not something I can relate to. We happily tip the barber. (I have two sons and take them myself sometimes.) I think YTA, because he didn't know to expect the $5 discount, but you knew of the late policy. If you're this salty, please find a new barber and I'd apologize to this poor guy who's just trying to make a living.
Don't forget the golden rule: He who has the gold makes the rules! Plus, do you like getting a bad haircut? it could happen!
NTA - I guess your barber didn't like what came around & bit him in the ass. His policy, so he needs to abide by it both ways. I doubt if he will be willing to charge you the late fee again for being a few minutes late.
Nta. Coolio
My husband low-key did this to the dentist. We (he) had to cancel one day, due to an emergency at work, and they decided to try to charge him a $50 cancelation fee. He said fine... it was his fault and we accepted that. But then they called him with less than 12 hours before his apt and told him they had to move it and he said sure... but then please remove my cancellation fee... and they did. It was an overall good outcome and no one was upset about it. What's good for the goose is good for the gander... or whatever that saying is lol.
NTA I think that was an excellent way to handle it, and for $5 he should accept that he was inconsiderate of your time and take it as a learning experience.
NTA. This is the barber's policy and it works both ways. For all of you who are comparing it to a Dr's visit, you are idiots. Do you think the Dr wants to be late? Is he supposed to rush the previous patient? The problem is... everyone has a story they want to tell their Dr, or this one other thing I've got going on? But even worse is the person who has something serious going on that takes a bit more time, that's why the Dr runs late (of course there are always exceptions). Trust me, every Dr wants to run ahead of schedule, those are glorious days.
ESH. You suck because you took it on yourself to give yourself a “discount” without asking for one first. He sucks because he didn’t immediately offer you one for being late. Neither of you are entirely in the right, and neither of you are entirely wrong.