Policies You Need: Barbershop Rules

Key Takeaways: Creating and implementing a set of policies for your barber shop can save your sanity and your business. While barbershop rules may sound like a bummer, they can enhance the experience for everyone, including you, your coworkers, and your clients.

UPDATED: September 23, 2025

No-shows. Wild kiddos running through your shop. Late appointments. Refund fiascos.

Have any of these scenarios happened in your shop?  If the answer is yes, you know the frustration and stress they can cause, not to mention the lost time and financial setback.

While having a set of defined policies for your barber shop might sound harsh, establishing rules can save you a massive headache. Policies protect you from wasting your time, dealing with difficult clients, losing money and resources, and more.

While we’re not saying that every shop has to operate under strict rules that leave your environment feeling boring and sterile, we do think that implementing a few essential policies on things like payments, age requirements, cancellations, and more can save you a lot of trouble.

The Best Barbershop Rules You Should Consider Implementing

Late Cancellation Policy

It’s ten minutes until your client shows up for their 11:15 am appointment. Then, you get the call. “I’m going to have to cancel the appointment for today; something just came up. You understand, right?”

You had to turn away multiple clients for that exact timeslot, and now your client who claimed the spot has bailed.

Whether it’s the first time or the 10th time this client has done something like this, enough is enough. Really, one is enough.

The reality is, you shouldn’t have to scramble to try to fill prime work hours because of canceled appointments. If you want to take a hardcore approach to this and charge a cancellation fee a few days before the appointment, go for it. If you’d rather be a little softer about it, maybe just charge for a day-of or day-before fee.

Your time is money, and setting aside that hour to care for a client who decides to cancel at the last minute can seriously harm your business. By setting up a late cancellation policy, you can save yourself from this frustration and financial stress.

If your chair isn’t filled, you’re losing money. Communicating this to your clients and standing up for your own interests makes this one of the most important barbershop rules to implement.

Tardiness Policy

Chances are, you’ve been late to an appointment before. We’re human, and it happens.

However, there is a difference between being late once or twice and showing up late nearly every time. If you have clients who are frequently late, you know how significantly a single, tardy client can throw off your entire day’s schedule.

Implementing a tardiness policy can encourage your clients to show up on time, preventing your packed schedule from getting thrown off course.

As you determine the best way to craft and enforce your tardiness policy, keep in mind that you don’t need to be exceptionally rigid. You can be courteous and give your clients a grace period, maybe 10 minutes, before requiring that they reschedule their appointment or pay a late fee.

This helps to keep your day running smoothly, teaches your clients to be punctual, and ensures that you’re giving your clients who do show up the allotted time they deserve.

Refund Policy

You may be the best, most talented barber in the world, and someone is still bound to request a refund from you. It doesn’t matter how flawless your work is or how exceptional the customer service that you provide; some people will never be satisfied or will try to leverage the system to their benefit.

Take heart in the fact that you’re not alone. Implementing a refund policy as one of your barbershop rules can help define that blurred line of whether a refund should be offered or not. 

If, for example, you promised a client a tight fade but it comes out uneven due to your own error, you owe that client a refund. On the other hand, if you did exactly what was discussed and promised, the topic of a refund becomes more of a gray area.

Whether you want to offer a refund of services, a free correction of the error, or both, the best thing you can do is carefully and practically spell out a refund policy and ensure your clients know about it ahead of time. Doing so will set expectations, save you from uncomfortable arguments, and protect your interests when someone tries to take advantage of your generous spirit.

Pet Policy

No matter how much you love pets, having them in your barbershop can be a polarizing topic. Some clients might love it, while others may despise it. It really is that strong of a divide.

Sure, doggos and cats are adorable, and it would be fun to have a pet-friendly barber shop, but if you want to service the widest variety of customers (AKA the people who don’t love pets), you might want to implement clear policies that let your customers know that most pets (service animals aside) aren’t welcome in your shop.

While retaining some flexibility to determine the acceptance of a pet on a case-by-case basis is fine, having a general no-pets policy is crucial to the success of your barber shop.

Of course, this entire discussion flips on its head if you want to create a pet-friendly business that encourages animal lovers to choose your barbershop. However, that should be an intentional and well-thought-out decision that is not taken lightly.

Privacy Policy

This barbershop rule is for you, but it’s also for your client’s peace of mind. The data and information your clients share with you are personal and can be sensitive, and they should be handled with care.

Establishing a clear, distinct policy that protects your client’s privacy and their important information is a must for any professional business venture. Oftentimes, you’ll be privy to a client’s banking information, health information, preferences, demographics, and more. Put their mind at ease by letting them know that you have a policy and procedure in place to guarantee their privacy is protected.

Creating, applying, and sticking to barbershop rules can transform your barber business for the better. It protects your interests, streamlines your client experience, and helps you reach your full career potential, both now and in the future.