Taking Charge Lockdown has given us the time – and incentive – to review how we do things and examine if there is a better way. Maria Musgrove has come down in favour of paid-for appointments
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known quote “To be or not to be” this is We need to ensure that every bride hen life gives you counts and that we have the maximum a question of life or death. lemons, make chance of selling to her. The questions should be: “To have lemonade is a BC shopping for a wedding gown proverbial phrase used our time wasted or not?” and “To value to encourage optimism and a positive our expertise or not?” If ever there is a was a recreational hobby for many brides with comments like: “I’m going can-do attitude in the face of adversity time to introduce a charge it is NOW! everywhere with everyone or misfortune. Lemons suggest to try on everything and then sourness or difficulty in life; In the first week of re-opening, I I’ll make a shortlist of my making lemonade is turning favourites and go back to all of them into something positive or took 11 appointments at £35 (£385 those shops again”. Even Randi desirable. almost paid for my PPE, infrared Fenoli himself would have zero I’m sure that we would all agree that Covid-19 falls into thermometer, LED ring etc) and eight chance of a “Yes to the Dress” to this bride with her FOMO the category of both sourness out of 11 brides bought (Fear of Missing Out) mindset. and difficulty so how to turn this I had two other catalysts around to something positive? that helped my decision to charge for Why now and how to do it? With a BC (Before Covid) many boutiques robust risk assessment of quarantining all appointments and not just Saturday wanted to charge for appointments dresses, a cleaning protocol that rivals appointments. One happened BC and but were too scared to, fearing it the other was DL (During Lockdown). that of Mrs Hinch and a stockpile of could be the kiss of death to their At my Go Bridal boutique I didn’t PPE and hand sanitiser, it inevitably business. Five years ago I was filled charge for Saturday appointments means that our cost of sales will with fear when I started charging £25 and our no shows and last minute for Saturday appointments as the first increase and the number of brides few requests were met with refusals to we can see will decrease. I’ve already cancellations in January and February were at an all-time high. So I started spent £1,000 across two boutiques pay! To charge or not to charge? That charging a £20 booking fee refundable and I’m reordering masks already. is the Question. Like Hamlet’s well-
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