SuppliedA hair salon owner has revealed he was abused after asking clients to take lateral flow tests before attending appointments.
John Baillie, 37, who owns hairdressing chain Lime Salon, emailed clients asking them to complete a lateral flow test before coming in for appointments following the recent rise in Covid cases.
What reportedly followed was messages of abuse, with customers threatening to cancel appointments.
Mr Baillie, who has salons in Dunfermline, Inverkeithing, and Falkirk, said it was “disheartening” to read the replies he received.
He said: “I sent out an email to clients just saying if you wouldn’t mind doing a lateral flow test before coming to your appointment.
“We didn’t think too much of, it’s just second nature. I actually felt clients would feel safer from it.
“We want to keep customers safe, and we want to keep our staff at work – we are so close contact, you can’t cut hair through a screen.
“I didn’t expect the replies I received.
“I had one reply saying it was ‘absolutely disgusting’ and ‘who did I think I was’.
“I had another that said, ‘if you think I’m going to put myself through a lateral flow just to get a haircut then you’re mistaken’.
“While another said ‘I’m really disappointed that you’re asking me that’ before cancelling their appointment.
“It’s just really disheartening that they don’t appreciate that we are just trying to keep them safe and keep our income coming in.”
Following the email, one of the salon’s clients had to rearrange an appointment – after receiving a positive result on a lateral flow test.
Mr Baillie added: “One of the clients who was to come in received a positive test on her lateral flow despite having no symptoms.
“That’s why we do this. If she had come in other customers could have been affected, and my stylist would have had to have taken time off.
“People are frustrated at what’s happening and they are taking it out on us a wee bit.”
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