I was recently booked by a local business (I won't name them, I don't go there... I only name those I have something positive to say about) to face paint at an event they are having. About a week later I got an email saying they would like to cancel and were "sorry for the confusion". I politely asked them why, but I got no response. I am therefore going to assume it was financial, given that when they booked me they said I had been highly recommended. They are still advertising face painting at their event, so they have obviously gone with someone else. If it was artistic, and they think they found a better artist, well, my ego can handle that and I wish them luck. But they didn't say, and based on how they had talked to me I can only assume they tried to save a buck.
Since I certainly won't be going to attend their event, I don't know exactly how they're going to save a buck. There are a handful of face painters around here using acrylic paints on kids' faces. Acrylic paints can be bought for 99 cents a bottle at Wal-Mart and they could even find their own employees. If this is the route they went, I am truly angered. Why? They're putting kids' happiness, health and even lives at risk. Snazaroo, one of the major face painting makeup companies has much more to say on this than I do. To summarize, non-toxic doesn't mean hypo-allergenic or comfortable. Just not poisonous when swallowed. Acrylic paints itch, are hard to remove, and are likely to cause severe allergic reactions. These make parents and kids not want to be painted again (I deal with people worried based on past acrylic reactions all the time); and can cause a severe reaction (and depending on the paint and the kid, reactions could potentially be life threatening.
Now, let's imagine they did things right and they bought real makeup for face painting or they hired another face painter using proper makeup and safety precautions who bid lower. Let's imagine they even did it for artistic reasons, not for money. Did they handle things in a way to benefit themselves? Absolutely not. If it was for artistic reasons, they could have openly communicated it - and should have decided before committing with anyone. But again, I'm assuming money. At most they saved $100 or so (assuming they bought cheap dangerous acrylic paints themselves to use - they saved even less if they are using safe products or if they hired someone just a bit cheaper using safe products). But they've already alienated a potential customer and someone who would've been *promoting* them is now writing about how poorly they handled things. By not even communicating, they simply decided word of mouth doesn't matter. Furthermore, I will not only be indifferent to their business now; I will choose to avoid it.
The worst mistake they made? No communication, not being willing to answer a very polite "what is the reason for canceling your booking?" They may have saved some pennies, but in the long run they made a bad business choice. As for me? $20 non-refundable deposit before I'll save a date for corporate events from now on.
P.S. Don't bother asking me who the business is - I'm not going to choose to hurt them back by naming them. Everybody makes mistakes, and I do, oddly, wish them luck - everybody needs it with the economy like it is now.
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