by Maureen Banyan
This issue seems to be a common problem amongst many hypnotists and I receive many emails and calls on how to prevent them. The following question regarding this topic was recently posted to one of our email groups:
Question:
I am getting more and more frustrated with clients who cancel or reschedule appointments at the last minute, or worse – who don’t even bother to show up for their first appointment. I have a growing practice and love what I do, BUT, I’m beginning to feel like a victim, and I don’t like how that feels!
This is my advice:
I certainly understand your frustration, that’s why we started to ask for credit cards to guarantee appointments about 7 years ago. When we first decided to do this, we were a little apprehensive as we were afraid we would turn some people off, however, on the contrary, you will be surprised at how respectful and cooperative people are. I can say that in the 7 years since we adopted this policy, we may have had 5 people who were not willing to give us their credit cards. I tell these people politely that they should seek hypnosis services elsewhere that will accommodate them, as we have a staff of 4-5 hypnotists and we need to be efficient and productive with our time.
If you are not set up to take credit cards, I would advise you to do so ASAP, it will decrease the number of last-minute reschedules and no-shows right away, as people will be more respectful of your policy. If you already have this facility, then be assertive and ask for their credit card to guarantee their appointments. This is what I say, “Our policy for rescheduling or canceling appointments is that we require two working days, therefore, in order for me to confirm and hold your appointments, I need to have a credit card on file to guarantee them. We will not charge the card unless you do not give us sufficient notice to change or cancel your appointment.” We keep the credit card information on file, and they can choose to use it to charge their sessions or write a check when they come for their appointment. Be firm when stating your policy and asking for the credit card no., if they cannot respect you or your policy, they probably won’t show up anyway, so nothing lost. Remember, your time is as valuable as theirs.
It is very important that you inform callers of your Appointment Policy regarding canceling or rescheduling appointments when you are speaking to them over the phone. Be sure to post this policy in the waiting area of your office, and make sure it is in writing somewhere in your client intake form, where the client’s signature will confirm that they have been informed about the Appointment Policy. We have this policy posted in our waiting room, on our Appointment Cards, our Client Intake form and the description of our appointment policy, which we send with all our mailings and appointment confirmation letter.
If they say they do not have a credit card, then ask them to mail you a check for the first appointment to reach you at least 3-4 days before the appointment. Tell them that the check will be deposited two days before the appointment.
If you are thinking about setting up your practice, you may want to consider ordering our Business Pack which is available on the Hypnosis Mall. The package comprises of 1-CD recording of me giving a talk about Telephone Answering Strategies and 1 CD-Rom with samples/templates of the business forms that we use here at our Center. You will find it valuable in helping you set up your practice, making appointments over the phone, ready made forms, etc.
For those of you who are interested in learning more about running your office, I will be happy to answer any of your questions. You can find our contact information on the Contact Us page.
Hope the above information has helped you in some way.
