I’ve just fired my second client just this week. They will not be permitted to get treatment from me again, unless or until they pay an outstanding fee for service . This happens anywhere from once or twice a month, to sometimes as much as once or twice a week. How does this happen?
The answer , is by ignoring booking policies, and not being respectful of the electrologists time. Most often this is due to not showing up for appointments you have booked into our system and then skipping out on the bill .
Most of us use some kind of booking system. While this is convenient and means the electrologist doesnt always need to answer the phone, it comes with some problems. The problem is self-entitled consumers who dont take responsibility for their own actions and are not respectful of the electrologists time.
Just about every electrologist I know, is beyond busy this year. I personally have turned down hundreds of clients this year alone because i am operating at capacity. The limiting factor, is my time. Lets also keep in mind that I like all electrologists out there support my family and myself . So when someone reschedules within the minimum period to do so, or worse does not show up for their appointment at all and is never seen again, well this takes food off the table and out of the mouths of myself and my family, makes electrolysis ultimately more expensive for all consumers, and often ( and I’m not far from this ) causes electrologists to close their businesses and do something else to make their living. This perpetuates the issue, because there already are not enough electrologists to go around.
Most of us at this point, use some kind of web-based scheduling system We also list our scheduling policies on our websites.In my case, i charge the full fee for an appointment that is cancelled within 24 hours of the appointment, and the same full fee if the client does not show up. This must be paid in full before I will treat you again, or accept another appointment booking. The reality? in 99% of cases the consumer disappears and I NEVER see the money for the missed appointment.It’s not possible to book with me within 24 hours of your chosen appointment. So if you cancel within that period there is ZERO possibility of booking in another client to cover your skipped out time, even if we are provided notice. However, most times we dont recieve any notice, we are ready and here waiting for your appointment , and you simply never show up.
For those who think this is cost free to the electrologist, think again. I hire childcare to help with my son so I can be available to you ( at $25 an hour!!!) and there is the lost opportunity cost of treating one of the manyt clients who would happily have taken your abandoned slot, had notice been provided. My rent still needs to be paid every month , and hydro bill and gas bill, and now this cost must be spread over the other clients who DO show up for their appointments.
Unfortunately, while it often is newer clients without established relationships with the electrologist, this is not always the case. Often we may dismiss a cancellation fee for someone who calls with enough notice, has been a good customer in the past, perhaps has contracted covid and is protecting us and our family by not coming, or for any number of other reasons. And just as often, consumers try to take advantage of our kindness and this behaviour becomes habitual. In at least one of the cases this week, the client had been with me for more than 3 years, but in that time, had almost consistently had some kind of “emergency” . In the last 2 years, there has not been a single appointment they havent rescheduled, with minimal notice, AT LEAST ONCE. When this final occurrence happened, they claimed they had covid, then send me a easily found google image of a rapid test, that showed a negative result by text and claimed they had covid.I unfortunately had to tell them since this was not the first time, and this had been a pattern of behaviour for them, my cancellation fee policy would apply .
Lets have a look at what happens when this takes place. So say you email me the night before your appointment that you cant make it tomorrow. I cant open up that time for someone else to book so that much is a loss. But you also take up a later space in the week, lets assume since this is almost always the case as we are ALL pretty much full, that means one of our other clients is unable to book into that space. Well, we’ve lost that income twice, the first time when you cancel, but the second time when you take a slot someone else was counting on, as they must make other arrangements or even, perhaps see another less busy electrologist.
It’s disrespectful of the electrologists time. Most of us have to leave extra time between each appointment to prepare the space for infection control, and to ensure clients are not running into each other. You are costing them money when you do this.
In my case, I am now requiring a credit card on file for all customers old and new. If you do not show up for your appointment, or cancel and then disappear intot he ether, expect a bill. Some of my customers dotnhave credit cards, and for them, it may mean having to leave a cash deposit to keep booking with me. It will also mean that electrolysis pricing is going to increase for EVERYONE. This behaviour, costs everyone, it costs the electrologist huge amounts of their income that they can never recoup, you’ve cost the other consumers extra on top of their appointments too, and limited the availability , and often, it causes well qualified electrologists to leave the industry completely ( I have to say, I’m seriously considering this ) . I’m also considering publishing a list of clients who do this on our website, so other electrologists in town can know what they are in for if they let them book with them.
Dont do this. Dont be an entitled twat.You do not have the right to steal from the people who are trying to help you ( and that is what this amounts to. Show up for your appointments. If you arent prepared to abide by the booking policies of tyour practitioner DO NOT BOOK. It’s going to bit you in the ass when you find out that the electrologist you burned isnt willing to see you anymore, and that everyone else is either too busy, or has been warned of this behaviour from you and wont take an appointment from you.