Cancellations

S

Scottwax

New member
Nothing more irritating than getting an early morning call for a cancellation that day. :mad:



7:12 am, the phone rings and it is my afternoon Expidition detail customer calling to tell me his wife has to use it and he needs to reschedule. Obviously, I wasn't able to fill in the spot this afternoon or I wouldn't be posting on Autopia right now. He is one of my regular Tuesday customers but I am still seriously considering charging him a cancellation charge of some sort before I will reschedule.



Any thoughts? How do y'all handle cancellations that are not weather related?
 
Never have had a cancellation, but i think that a $10 cancellation rate (give or take depending on how much you usually charge) would be a good deterrant for most people.



-Rob
 
Gosh, I'm not a professional, but I thought you might like to hear my opinion.



If this guy is a "regular," treats you well, doesn't cancel like this and has been a steady customer, then I'd let it slide.



Sometimes things come up and people can't commit. I know it's money out of your pocket. So, I would have a conversation with the guy and gently let him know that in the future, you will have to charge him a cancellation fee. Also, diplomaticlly let him know you lost an afternoon's income. I think he'll understand and feel a little bad about it.



In the future, when you get regulars like this, have a little contract (if you don't have one already) that includes fee for service, detailing procedure, your disclaimer and a cancellation fee. This way it's in writing. Or, come to an oral agreement.
 
Yeah, the fact that he is a regular makes it tough, but I am going to let him know on Tuesday I need a firm commitment to reschedule and he can't cancel it (unless it is raining, of course) or he will have to pay a cancellation fee before I do any more work for him.
 
Scottwax said:
...he can't cancel it (unless it is raining, of course) or he will have to pay a cancellation fee before I do any more work for him...
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Remember one simple thing: You provide a service for him, not the other way around. You work around his schedule. Telling him that he can't cancel again unless it rains, is not a wise decision. Also, if the guy makes alot of money, 10 dollars will not prevent him from canceling again.



Atleast this guy was good enough to call and let you know that the car would not be available. How would you have felt if you drove out to his business or resdience and then dicovered the SUV was unavable? I would reserve the $10 cancellation charge for those people that do not call.



Just my 2 cents... take it for what it's worth.
 
If you are going to have a cancellation fee I would write it down like on the botton of your statement. Yes I think it would be a good deterrant.
 
I feel you Scott, I go through the same thing here and there. I normally let it go when the customer has something very important to take care of. I would stress a cancellation fee in the future as something like this does propose a serious conflict with a business like yours, mine and others....like a potential new client we could've put in place of that appointment but we already scheduled them a different day, taking care of important business/personal errands postponed, taking care of other regular clients, etc. The way I run my business is so filled with absolute customer service that I find myself at times being taking advantage of because I give alot of breaks...which of course is something I need to address.:o
 
dternst said:
Remember one simple thing: You provide a service for him, not the other way around. You work around his schedule. Telling him that he can't cancel again unless it rains, is not a wise decision. Also, if the guy makes alot of money, 10 dollars will not prevent him from canceling again.



Atleast this guy was good enough to call and let you know that the car would not be available. How would you have felt if you drove out to his business or resdience and then dicovered the SUV was unavable? I would reserve the $10 cancellation charge for those people that do not call.



Just my 2 cents... take it for what it's worth.
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I talked to him on Tuesday when I cleaned his F-150 and he reminded me we had an appointment to clean his wife's Expidition. Yeah, he called me but it still cost me money because I had turned down another detail for today when the person called on Tuesday and when I called him after the other customer called me, he said had taken his car in for regular maintenance and it wouldn't be available.



The problem is this guy didn't call me the last 2 times he was out of town and I didn't find out until I got to his office he wasn't there. This isn't the first time with this guy and that is what the problem is. In fact, I stopped showing up at his office to clean his truck. He called me a couple weeks ago and asked why I hadn't been coming by and I told him. He then said he'd make sure he called but when he does it 5 hours before I am supposed to be there and it costs me an afternoon of income, quite frankly, he isn't a good enough customer for me to put up with it much longer.
 
I personally would be disappointed when things do not go according to plan. Of course, sh*t happens but if it happens too often, it's just more worth it to drop it. If he really wants his autos detailed, make him come to your residence. Just think of it in a business perspective. Just weigh his cancellations in with the amount of money you generate from him. :xyxthumbs
 
I tkink that if you are having an on going problem with this customer that you should put in writing along with a verbal notice. Let him know that you are operating a business. $10.00 is not much but it will cover lunch and a few phone calls trying to find a replacement for that time slot.
 
Dent's & Details said:
I tkink that if you are having an on going problem with this customer that you should put in writing along with a verbal notice. Let him know that you are operating a business. $10.00 is not much but it will cover lunch and a few phone calls trying to find a replacement for that time slot.
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On his regular day, it isn't a huge deal because I do at least one other car at his office (and 3-4 more in the same industrial park) but when he schedules something on a different day and then cancels, it puts me in a bind.



I'm just trying to find a way to deal with stuff like this that makes people understand they basically take money out of my pocket when I don't get enough notice to fill the slot. I guess on Tuesday when I clean his F-150, I'm going to let him know in the future I need at least 24 hours notice (unless weather or an accident on the way to work cause a problem) so I can give someone else the slot so I don't lose an afternoon of income.
 
dternst said:
So, why put up with it at all?
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Because I do other cars at his office and have for years until the companies split and the original owner moved his part of the business about a block away. Now a few others at this office want to get their cars done when I clean this guy's truck. I may need to get assurances that I will always have a certain number of cars each week so I can plan my day better. I'm trying to figure out a way to keep them happy without me getting screwed in the process.
 
Sounds like you're between a rock and a hard place. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. I know I hate cliches, but it works here.
 
We schedule (book) ALL work for our 5 bay auto service center well in advance. Normally a day ahead scheduled call is made to customers to confirm and yet both cancellations and no-shows still do occur. Our policy is to simply place them at the end of the que with low priority to reschedule, no Fridays, Saturdays or afternoons, Mon to Thus morning appointments only. They really hate this.



A few customers on the s*** list have asked why they can not get an rescheduled appointment in the above stated areas and that is when I politely express to them our policies. Referrals and family contacts account for a good deal of our new business so I try to maintain those relationships if possible. We assess no fee to the customer.



The final Nuclear Option is I express to the Customer that we are not able to meet their needs and in the future they should look to others. Usually 2 or 3 noshows and/or late cancellations are enough. I do not lecture them at all....I have found it falls on deaf ears. Polite and to the point.



Luck is with us as work is more that abundant in our case but that is for you to decide in your case.
 
People are inconsiderate - it's a simple sad fact of life - whether you're a doctor, lawyer or car detailer you have to deal with it. I would just re-schedule otherwise you may cause them to go elsewhere.
 
id go for more than 10 bucks scott. Try and figure out what you lost on a basic price excludiing profit. Then charge a percentage of that. Maybe try and get your interiors and easier cars in on that time.



And just say that you have to have a 24 hour cancellation warning. I think 12 hours isn't enough to get another job whereas 24 hours gives you more notice.



I hope it works out, he just seems to be one of these people who are slightly selfish and thinks he is doing you a favour.
 
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