The service policies your business needs and how to write them

What is your business’ appointment cancellation policy?  And what about refunds?  Policies differ from business to business.  That’s because what’s right for your biz may be totally wrong for another.  But one thing is for certain across the board.  You must have a complete, clear and comprehensive set of written service policies that your clients know about and understand…and agree to from the start.  Not having them or having an inadequate set of policies leads to bad things like loss of income, legal risks, a bad reputation and so on.  We know you are not a body contouring professional because you love administrative work like writing policies.  But since you have to do it, we’re going to help.  In this episode, we’re outlining the service policies that you have to have, like your body contouring refund and cancellation policies, and we’ll discuss other body contouring service policies that you really should consider including and why. 

So if you’d like to have all the policies lined out for you and save yourself tons of time and lots headaches, listen to this episode.

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You’re listening to The Body Contouring Academy’s Proven Profits Podcast 

where you’ll learn simple actionable strategies from real world successful body contouring professionals to help you generate more revenue, realize the profits you want and create the life you desire. 

Hi I’m Shannon and I’m Kay and we’re your hosts of The Proven Profits Podcast

Hi there body contouring professionals!  Kay here.  Shannon and I sure appreciate you being here too.  

Okay okay okay.  We know you find it so much more enjoyable to talk about treatments…but…body contouring is a business after all and business matters are just as important as our treatments.  And what we’re discussing today is very important.  

So to reiterate.  We understand you didn’t go into body contouring to write service policies, but you need to do it to protect yourself and your business.  Sooner rather than later.  Here’s why.  Like we said in the intro, not having adequate written policies leads to legal risks, lost income, harm to your reputation, appearance of unprofessionalism and confusion amongst your staff and your clients.  So listen carefully as we outline the service policies that you must include, like your body contouring refund and cancellation policies, and as we discuss many other body contouring service policies that you should consider including and why.  You may not have even thought of some of these…but you probably need them.

That’s because 

Body contouring service policies are the ‘rules’ of your business 

As an orderly society, we have rules for just about everything we do.  

Your body contouring service policies are the ‘rules’ of your business. 

They should clearly define what’s expected of you, your team and your clients.

As such, your body contouring service policies help to manage differing expectations. 

And having clearly defined policies ensures your business operates smoothly, safely and in an organized manner.    

And you’ll need to Acquaint your clients with your body contouring service policies 

Simply setting your body contouring service policies is not enough.

You must provide notice of the ‘rules’ for doing business with you (and your clients need to understand and agree to your ‘rules’). 

Your body contouring service policies should either 

(1) be displayed prominently in your facility (front desk, restrooms, treatment rooms); (2) provided in writing and be included in your client intake paperwork with a space for your client to acknowledge and agree ; and/or (3) displayed digitally on your website with a ‘click to agree’ button before scheduling an appointment.

Here’s your goals…what you want to accomplish with your policies

Your body contouring service policies should

Protect your time, income and reputation. 

Prevent misunderstandings and minimize legal risks.

Convey that the policies are in place because you value your clients and want to make sure they are happy. 

When outlining your policies, make sure they fit your business.  

The same policy that may be absolutely perfect for one business may not fit your business at all.  

Up next we’re going to detail a lot of policies

 policies that every aesthetics business must have.  

So use what we’re giving you to get started.

But be sure to tailor them to your business.

Okay so let’s get started with the Body Contouring Service Policy Guide that you can use

The first category of policies is

Appointments

A good place to start is appointment 

Arrival time

Ask your clients to arrive 15 minutes early for a first appointment to allow adequate time for intake paperwork.

Ask your clients to arrive 5-10 minutes early for all other visits to allow time to update any paperwork and for restroom breaks.

For each of these policies, you need to create a policy that fits your business. so for this one, Decide how you will handle arrivals outside of these early arrival windows.  

Late Arrivals

Tell your clients:  When you arrive late for an appointment, we will make efforts to provide your service when it’s possible.  Anything past 10-15 minutes late may seriously impact the quality of your treatment; we may not be able to deliver your care.

Or a variation that fits your business.

Question - Will you charge a fee when this results in a canceled appointment?  

Rescheduling

Ask your clients to provide at least 24-hours notice when they need to reschedule.  Failure to provide this notice may result in a late cancellation fee.

Will you charge a fee? Or give a warning…or two warnings? 

Cancellations

Inform your clients that you have a cancellation policy that requires 24-hour notice for cx of all appointments.  

Tell your clients what is considered notice, i.e. a phone call, text, email, etc.

Will you charge a fee when proper notice is not given?  How much?  Will you give warnings?  

No Shows

Remind your clients that you have devoted this appointment time for them and their being a no-show may result in a no-show fee.

Will you charge a fee and if so, how much?  Will it be the full price of the service?  Or do they get a warning? What about repeated no-shows?  How will you address those?  

Other appointment-related policies 

Will you require deposits for appointments?  Refundable or non-refundable?

Will you charge the credit card on file for appointment-related penalties?

Will you accept online bookings?

Will you send appointment reminders and if so, at what time intervals and by phone, text, email? 

That’s a lot to think about guys

Moving on Next up is the meatiest policy section…policies regarding 

Sales and fees 

But before we dive into these critical policies and a lot of them, Shannon has a message for us.

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Each course is complete with an explanation of technologies, method of action, step by step treatment protocols, downloadable forms and more. 

After completing each course you’ll have the knowledge to deliver desired results and generate maximum revenue. 

Become a body contouring expert! Visit bodycontouringacademy.com click on Certification Courses from the menu and discover the courses that can transform your business today!

Okay here we go

policies centering around sales and fees

A lot of them

All of them important

Let’s start with one that's very basic

Forms of payment accepted

For example, advise clients that you accept Mastercard, VISA, Discover and American Express.  You accept cash payments.   You do not accept insurance, HSA or Care Credit.  

Will you require exact change or keep change on hand? 

Will you accept all credit cards?

Will you accept checks?

When is payment expected?

Tell your clients that payment is expected at the time the service is delivered.  

Will payment be required ‘up front’ or after service delivery?

Treatment Series and Packages

At the time of purchase, ask your clients to sign Agreements to treatment series and/or packages. 

Treatment series and/or packages include discounting pricing in exchange for the client’s commitment to your recommendations.  So make this clear in a written form or agreement outlining the ‘deal.’   

Make sure the regular price and ‘series’ price is delineated on your Agreement.

Provide details of the Agreement, i.e. pre-payment for 6 Lipo Laser treatments performed once weekly at $99/treatment (regular price $149).  It’s also a good idea to include a treatment schedule within your Agreement.

What happens if the client fails to complete her treatments, is non-compliant with her appointments or wants to stop before completing?  Will any be refundable?  Will you offer an exchange of service?  Will you allow her to ‘gift’ her credit to someone else? How much time will you allow the client to complete the series?  When does she forfeit the payment, i.e. never, 2 years, 1 year? 

Refunds 

Body contouring is not an exact science; results vary.  Plus, you’ll have some clients who don’t disclose their unrealistic expectations (which you cannot meet).  Bottom line, you’ll have unsatisfied clients from time to time.  And they may want refunds.  

Be upfront and direct with your refund policy, i.e. no refunds will be issued for services rendered.

 We recommend a hardline no refund policy.

But you don’t want unhappy clients.  What can you do instead?  In the case of an unhappy client demanding her money back, we suggest that you consider offering another treatment or two at no charge to placate her.  This is a good tool to have…but best not to disclose it in your policies.

PRO TIP:  Protect yourself from unreasonable claims and demands.  FYI…they are usually the result of unrealistic expectations or unreasonable people.  Include in your treatment plan agreements the definition of how results are measured, i.e. photos, measurements, etc.  And define ‘results.’  that gives you an objective standard, leaving out any subjectivity. 

Deposits

Will you require deposits to hold appointments?  Or only for certain services? 

Will the deposits be refundable or non-refundable? 

What happens to the deposit in the case of a late-show, no-show or cancellation?

Credit card on file  

Will you require a credit card on file to schedule an appointment?

Will you charge the card under certain conditions, i.e. no-show, late cancellation, etc.?

Gift Certificates 

Do you offer gift certificates?

Will you agree to refunds or cash-back on gift certificates?

Will you include an expiration date on the gift certificate, i.e. 1 year from date of purchase?.

Product Returns  

Do you sell products?

We recommend a no refunds policy, allowing in-store credit if the product is returned unused and in original packaging within 7 days.

And now the final section of policies…the Operations Policies or General Policies

These policies address basic rules that affect everyone

Let’s start with 

Cell phones

Will you ask clients to put their cell phones on silent?  

Will you have rules regarding taking photos?  

Will you allow clients to take calls during treatments?

Write it down.

And what about minor children accompanying your clients 

No Children Zone

You may want your facility to be a calm, relaxing and quiet environment for adults to enjoy.  As such, will you allow minor children at your business?  

Will you and your business take responsibility for minors whose guardian is undergoing treatment?

How will you convey to your clients in ways that are meaningful that you and your team have their best interest in mind when you make recommendations?  One way is to tell them there is there is no commission earned on sales

No commission

Example:  Our #1 goal is to help you achieve the results you want.  We believe in listening to you, then sharing our knowledge and recommendations to help.  With this in mind, you can be assured that we will only make recommendations with your needs in mind.

Does your team earn commission?  If not, this is where you can tell them your team does not earn commission on individual sales.

A good workaround for sales commission is rewarding your team when they hit a team sales benchmark, rather than commission for individual sales. 

We have a blog that might help you structure this called … we’ll leave a link to it in our show notes

A policy that you may not have thought about is related to your

Website Content

Since body contouring businesses like yours give advice on health and body issues, we recommend you include a disclaimer.  

Tell your clients the information in the website has not been approved by the FDA; the website provides contents for general information.

Treatments, services and products provided by YOUR BUSINESS NAME are not intended to treat, cure or prevent any medical or health problem. 

You just need to make these things clear

OUR DISCLAIMER: Consult your attorney for specifics of what you should include in your disclaimer.  Laws and standards vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction…and every business is unique.

Those are the policies…a whole lot to think about, right?  

Here are some final tips for writing your body contouring service policies:

Be clear and concise.

Use plain language that your clients can understand.

Be upfront about your policies, even if they're not favorable to the client.

Get legal advice if you have any questions.

By following what you learned in this episode, you can create body contouring service policies that will protect your business and mold you into a market leader in body contouring. 

Don’t put it off.  Put it towards the top of your to-do list.

That’s it for today, until next time, Beautiful Wishes.

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Visit body contouring academy dot com for tools, education, industry news, and cutting edge articles.Thanks so much for listening. Have a great rest of your week