Client Cancellations

[Chesna Rudra]

Hi

Yesterday I had two clients booked in - one at my home and another one at the clients home.

I turned up to the clients house who was not there. I called my husband who tried him at a place where he is known to be and he was there. Apparently a friend had come up from London somewhere to visit.

What are your cancellation policies. He felt embarrassed and apologised and said he would pay me the money for the treatment. Do I remain humble and not accept the money, seen as just starting up or do I take it as it totally was an inconvenience of my time and petrol.

I'd like to put something on my website to the effect of "12 hours notice is required on cancellations".

I feel that its totally unacceptable and this same client just cancelled half an hour before his treatment last Friday as something else came up!

Thanks

 

[Fudge Town]

Is this the chap who wants to see you twice a week? I think you should accept his payment - time/travel/inconvenience etc. I have a client who is notorious for 'forgetting' her appointments - I didn't take money the first two times, but have since (at least 6 times!). I do not have a cancellation fee normally - if people genuinely forget, I give them the benefit of the doubt, but don't give them an appointment immediately - I make them wait at least a week!

 

[Loving Life!]

Hello Pemba,

If you do not have a policy at present that notice is required for cancellations perhaps in this instance you accept a deposit amount from him as a gesture of goodwill from both of you. True it is an inconvenience to you, and you could have had someone else booked in. If you are a new business you need to balance professionalism with goodwill and get your fair reputation on the map...as it were. A notice period for cancellation is a good idea for your website, is 24 hrs the usual period?

 

[rach rach]

expect to be paid for a missed appointment, that is good business practice

the more you are able to respect yourself and your time and skills the more others will respect your time skills etc.

some people will not realise the effect their cancelling at the last minute/not showing up has on you, until you point it out in a very clear way..good luck in developing this business skill

tigress

 

[hareswar]

Thank you all for your comments.

I have put something on my website on my Cancellation Policy.

Jabba - yes this is the guy who said he wanted to see me twice a week -sometimes with people, its all talk!

and Yes I am going to accept the money that is if he books in again - I don't want to be taken advantage of in the future.

Business is Business. We all live and learn.

 

[Corrie]

I give everyone the benefit of the doubt ONCE. Then they get charged the full amount if they don't cancel without 24 hours notice.

So far I have had 2 clients happily pay the full amount (one also gave me a bunch of flowers, and asked if I could text her the morning of her appointment as she knows how cr*p she is).

One client paid but told me she wouldn't be back. Her loss, not mine.

I have a cancellation policy on my website and a professional card in the waiting room.

when I get a client for the first time, I always state I require 24 hurs notice.

As Jabba said, don't fall over them when they re-book, make them wait.

I had an elderly client that booked every 2 weeks. She then started cancelling on the day, then ringing to have the appointment she had cancelled. I always told her that I had given her appointment to someone else and that she would have to wait for a week as I was fully booked. She would 'behave' herself for the next 2 appointments or so and then it would start up again.

 

[Justice Sahbi]

Hi

Daisychain, how have you actually got the money out of the cancelled clients? Did you send them a letter asking for the money? Just wondering how you get the cancellation policy to wirk if they just ring and cancel.

Lupin x

 

[Waino]

Well, the two that paid, when they re-booked where told on the phone (by the receptionist) and they agreed to it.
The third one I sent a bill and stated that it had to be paid by a certain date. Basically with her she didn't turn up for her appointment, I rang her on her and she had 'forgotten' so I made her another appointment for the following week. The next week she rang 30 minutes before her appointment to cancel it. I sent her a bill for a full treatment stating that she had missed two appointments, she wrote back with a cheque stating (with lots of underlinining) that she had cancelled one and missed one. I cashed the cheque and didn't reply, as 30 minutes isn't a cancellation to me.

 

[aseotonsdil]

I tend to use my common sense on cancellations - if someone is just forgetful - then I would rather not see them if it means so little to them, as I put a lot of my personal energy into the session.

However, if someone has a very genuine reason for having to miss the appointment - like an accident, or parent or relative gone into hospital - then I am flexible and allow them to rebook.

I don't think this charging clients for missed appointments works, as they probably won't be seen again, and you lose out.

Use the space wisely, that the universe has created for you afterall our time is valuable too, or is money the only measure.

Luv Binah
xx

 

[i love makeup<3]

Use common sense, some people have good reasons, some forget, some make excuses.
Wherever my literature (leaflets, websites, appointment card) talk about opening hours or charges I put under it my policy (1/2 price for non-attendance, 1/4 price for

 

[Masseur_at_Play]

To quote Binah - "I don't think this charging clients for missed appointments works, as they probably won't be seen again, and you lose out".

Does anybody reeeally want clients who always miss appointments? Stay strong on your cancellation policy and if clients don't like being charged for missed appointments, let them mess some other therapist around. You'll feel better for being respected.

 

[Yuri Gregarin]

Yes, stick to your guns. If clients think of you as a "push over" (sorry !) they will just keep cancelling. You are trying to run a business and make a living, you are not a charity.

Harsh but true.

Stay strong.

ps. I have a 24 hour cancellation policy on my appointment cards. I also ensure I inform new clients during the 1st consultation.

 

[Camm]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I haven't yet heard from the guy who promised to pay me for his missed appointment. Because I didn't have a cancellation policy in place at the time, I will leave it. Initially was considering sending him an invoice, but have decided against it.

For any future clients I have drawn up a contract which specifies in it my cancellation policy, which they must read through and sign in agreement.

I haven't had any clients since and am hoping that it picks up after the school holidays.

Thanks again everyone!!

xx

 

[D?nu?]

Don't want to put the mockers on but what if they are a no show for their 1st appointment with you, and haven't signed to agree to your terms of business?

 

[RAMI SABELLA]

well thats the price you pay isn't it. You can't really do much for a new client, unless you have the system up of taking their bank details when they ring for a first appointment.
at the end of the day, most of us here are small-scale, an don't have the facilities to do that.

 

[What ever...]

I'm sure it will pick up again once the schools go back next week. I've been in business many years now and August has usually been one of my quietest months. (and February).

Some other posts elsewhere in the forum are bemoaning the lack of clients, so it should help to know that it's not just you. We've been quiet as well but thanks to modern technology we've managed to gain some extra business.

I posted a thread in the business section - sorry don't know how to do the link thingy.

 

[i love music ?]

You can go to the Business Development and Marketing forum, which can be found via the main page, find the thread title in the list, click on it, and then copy the URL [ie in the address bar at the top of the page, after the little green apple and http://www etc] into your reply window. It's also helpful to quote the post number, since direct links don't always work quite right it seems.

OR, you can go to your own user profile and find the post in question in the list there of all the posts you have made.

Holistic

 

[An internet weirdo]

Here's the link to the start of that thread (I think)

http://www.healthypages.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=45913

 

[catgirl1114]

Yes, that's worked just fine

You can always check that a link is 'live' and hopefully to the right place if you use Preview before finally posting ... the link will be 'clickable' at Preview, which will appear ABOVE your reply window, not in a new one, so just scroll back down again to OK the post.

Holistic

 

[smejhutaithidoeuf]

For first time clients a deposit may be appropriate. In that regard Paypal might be an option.

On the general theme, it seems a shame to me that we all suffer from a very high rate of cancellations and worse still no shows. It is particularly annoying when other clients have been told you are already booked! My experience is that as you get more established the "regular" clients provide some protection from the timewasters.