Client Cancellations

Question
Have you found that the clients you work hardest with often cancel or don't book? What do you do with people who don't show or do a last-minute cancellation?

Answer
For potential clients, in order to narrow down who wants to come to me, I offer a free 15-minute consultation. This is helpful, especially if anyone calls about someone else in the family, or they, themselves, seem uncertain. This gives them a chance to visit me in my location and sense whether I'm the person they can trust to work with them. This is particularly helpful when children or youth are involved, because it helps them find they have nothing to fear (also true with adults). Perhaps you already do something like this. For those who call for an appointment, after I give information and directions to the office, I remind them that, although I prefer a 48-hour notice, we need, at the very least, 24-hour notice if there is to be a change. I remind them that we're reserving a 2-hour block, which other people cannot use. Therefore, I'm sure they understand why we must charge for that time if they cancel last minute or do not arrive. If it's possible, it helps to confirm appointments. I used to have this done when I had an assistant. However, because I'm generally swamped with work throughout every day, I don't remember to do this until 11:00 at night - not a very good hour to call anyone. Whatever one does it needs to be consistent so that clients get used to what to expect - either a confirmation call, or a reminder that there will be NO call, and they'll need to be responsible for their own calendar. Still, I've found confirmation of appointments does cut down the no-shows, which are, sometimes, misunderstandings about the time or date.