Appropriate tip when cancelling an appointment?

[ulixestrojan 3757]

Last week I booked a massage appointment for today with someone I have wanted to see for a while.

 

Yesterday, I slipped on some ice and fell - HARD. Essentially I loosened my kneecap without breaking it, spent 3 hours at the hospital, and will be in physio for a while. The up side is that the meds are great!

 

I sent her a message to cancel. She was gracious. I still want to see her but would like to leave an additional tip for her trouble - what is appropriate?

[backrubman 64800]

I sent her a message to cancel. She was gracious. I still want to see her but would like to leave an additional tip for her trouble - what is appropriate?

 

I always go with full reimbursement if I have to cancel anytime less than 72 hours before a scheduled appointment, but I'm by no means saying that is "appropriate" or even affordable. I think only you can decide this one. I suppose any amount is thoughtful and considerate. Maybe just ask her opinion, if she doesn't have one (or expect this) than any amount is going to be appreciated.

 

Hope your knee is going to be okay.

[Boomer 33202]

This is part of the landscape for the ladies. Conditions vary, but the really important thing is that you give her appropriate notice that you are going to have to cancel. If it's last minute and she is going to miss business or she's made preparations for you then by all means reimburse her in some manner when you do get to see her. I sure wouldn't go as far as backrubman, especially with three days notice.

[Kathryn Bardot 99339]

Personally, life happens. If you contacted the lady ahead of your scheduled appointment, then the best compensation is to reschedule your appointment. I'm sure that most of us understand that things can and do happen, and as long as you don't make a habit of booking and cancelling, we understand.

[roamingguy 300292]

I agree with some sort of compensation, be it an email money transfer because you can't see her, or as I did when I had to cancell (postpone) a three hour encounter in December, with three days notice, I rescheduled the appointment for January, and made it a four hour encounter...the extra hour was more a compensation for cancelling.

Most important, don't be a serial canceller

RG

[Katherine of Halifax 113932]

I think every situation needs to be treated differently. If you have to cancel for work or other emergency its not a problem for me even same day. If this happens with the same client a lot then I would ask for a cancellation fee if its the day of the date.

 

If you don't call and don't show up I will ask for my full donation as I did get ready and sit and wait for you. If a client refuses and doesn't understand this I will not see you again.

 

Sorry but I spent at least two hours getting my home and myself ready for you and I believe this is fair.

[backrubman 64800]

I think every situation needs to be treated differently. If you have to cancel for work or other emergency its not a problem for me even same day. If this happens with the same client a lot then I would ask for a cancellation fee if its the day of the date.

 

If you don't call and don't show up I will ask for my full donation as I did get ready and sit and wait for you. If a client refuses and doesn't understand this I will not see you again.

 

Sorry but I spent at least two hours getting my home and myself ready for you and I believe this is fair.

 

Couldn't agree more. The way I look at it is she may have turned down other clients because of my block booking (I'm not the one hour or less type) so if I don't give her full compensation or 3 days notice I can never be sure I didn't cause her a financial loss. But MAs are different than SPs and the OP was I think referring to a MA appointment.

[Guest s**nflute]

Couldn't agree more. The way I look at it is she may have turned down other clients because of my block booking (I'm not the one hour or less type) so if I don't give her full compensation or 3 days notice I can never be sure I didn't cause her a financial loss. But MAs are different than SPs and the OP was I think referring to a MA appointment.

 

If the lady is a indy MA, I believe she is no different and deserves fair notice and or compensation, however is the MA is located at a SPA, then sufficient notice is always appreciated and if possible reshedule for another time or day. Openness and transparency is essential otherwise you may be blacklisted.

[Athos 108589]

I think rescheduling the appointment very quickly shows good faith. It's hard to do that if you are traveling and not going to be in the city again for some time. I usually, where possible, try to book again for a longer time. If I book for my usual time I might tip half the value of the missed session.

 

Of course much depends on what sort of relationship you have with the service provider. Are you a regular customer or not. It's always unfortunate when you have to cancel on someone the very first time you're going to see them. It's happened to me a couple of times. Once I got stuck in a 4 hour traffic jam on the 401 going into Toronto, another time I was sick. I got on a plane feeling fine, got off with a fever and the flu. Needless to say the appointment I had booked for that night wasn't really viable anymore. I've felt badly each time.

 

Generally, I think that openness and transparency are really good practices. I really appreciate it when an SPs website sets out clearly their cancellation policy. That way everyone is clear on what is to be expected and there is less chance of bad feelings.

 

Porthos

[whiteman 14028]

I don't think any compensation should be necessary, your appointment was today, and you canceled yesterday, plenty of time for her to rebook business. And especially since you had a really good reason for canceling. Certainly the suggestion by someone to compensate for anything less than 3 days notice is nuts, no one needs that much notice, not even doctors or dentists.

[slurp 7020]

I have to agree with whiteman, there's no need to get carried away unless you have to cancel last minute. Hell, I've had MAs or SPs cancel on me last minute (not often but it has happened more than once) and they always say they wull make it up but never do.

 

As stated many times, let common sense be your guide. Since every situation is different there is no stock answer. As a few MA have suggested, booking when you recover would be sufficient and you can tip or take her a present at that time.

 

Worry about your knee and then you can make amends later. Remember that common sense thingy.

[Rodehard 2058]

I have to agree with Slurp and Whiteman in that there is no need to get carried away with a cancellation fee or compensation.

 

What would have happened if it had been the MA or SP that had suffered the injury and had to cancel your appointment. Would she have compensated you? You were inconvienced having your appointment with her cancelled and now have to wait to see her or move onto to another MA or SP...

 

I believe that you did what was required, you called and cancelled with lots of notice and that should be adequate.

 

Anything beyond that in the form of compensation or a gift would depend on your relationship with the lady in question.

 

Rodehard

[mrrnice2 157005]

This is a difficult question as may be seen through the comments made to this point by a variety of contributors. What is appropriate may perhaps vary with circumstance?

This opinion may be cause for disagreement with some, however I am looking at a particular circumstance that is relevant to me and quite probably a number of others. The situation that I am considering is based on the fact that many of the service providers that I see are women who travel to this part of the country from Ottawa, Montreal and points further a field. In order for these women to travel they are counting on appointments that are pre-booked well ahead of time. They incur expenses for air travel, hotels and they also must make financial allowances to cover meals, airport shuttles, taxis and other incidentals while on the road.

Once the provider has left their own home for the city that is being visited the expenses mentioned above are fixed and non-refundable to them. It would be terribly unfair of a client to cancel without full compensation to the SP as this would truly be a financial loss for the provider, and not merely a loss of time.

We read here often that "life happens," and indeed it does. I also see references to doctors and other professionals not having cancellation fees so why should SP's be any different? Well one difference is that that doctor or lawyer may be out potential income but they are not actually losing money if there is a cancellation.

Would I enjoy paying a full compensation should I miss a prescheduled appointment? Indeed I would not, and in fact it would hurt a great deal. That does not change the fact that it would be the right thing to do.

Further to this way of thinking, I wonder why all travelling SP's would not require a minimum of a 50% deposit on booking an appointment? That is food for a separate thread I expect.

[backrubman 64800]

Certainly the suggestion by someone to compensate for anything less than 3 days notice is nuts, no one needs that much notice, not even doctors or dentists.

 

I'm going to accept that you say I am "nuts" as a supreme compliment! There are good nuts and bad nuts.

 

As I was careful to point out, I don't think 100% compensation for less than 72 hours notice is either "appropriate" or even "affordable" for everybody but that's MY PERSONAL POLICY AND I'M STICKING TO IT: I have to know in my heart that my cancellation absolutely in no way had any financial impact on or affected in any negative way those supreme, gracious, generous, kind, understanding and wonderful lady's that would choose to take up this most honorable (and often challenging) profession. As as I'm not the one hour or less type, my block booking that has to be cancelled could do considerable damage but never will do any damage at all given that this is my policy.

 

Saying that "no one needs that much notice, not even doctors or dentists." implies that you elevate these doctors and dentist as more professional and above your opinion of service providers and think they are more important people? I disagree. Service providers do what is unfortunately sometimes a very difficult job. But using this analogy, just try booking a Doctor or Dentist for 4 or 5 hours (if you even could) and then see how upset they get when you cancel.

 

Please don't take this as any disrespect to you as truly none is intended, we're all friendly here, have a right to our own opinions (me included) and I'm just explaining why I am "nuts" :) People have every right to agree with me or not.

[Katherine of Halifax 113932]

I'm going to accept that you say I am "nuts" as a supreme compliment! There are good nuts and bad nuts.

 

As I was careful to point out, I don't think 100% compensation for less than 72 hours notice is either "appropriate" or even "affordable" for everybody but that's MY PERSONAL POLICY AND I'M STICKING TO IT: I have to know in my heart that my cancellation absolutely in no way had any financial impact on or affected in any negative way those supreme, gracious, generous, kind, understanding and wonderful lady's that would choose to take up this most honorable (and often challenging) profession. As as I'm not the one hour or less type, my block booking that has to be cancelled could do considerable damage but never will do any damage at all given that this is my policy.

 

Saying that "no one needs that much notice, not even doctors or dentists." implies that you elevate these doctors and dentist as more professional and above your opinion of service providers and think they are more important people? I disagree. Service providers do what is unfortunately sometimes a very difficult job. But using this analogy, just try booking a Doctor or Dentist for 4 or 5 hours (if you even could) and then see how upset they get when you cancel.

 

Please don't take this as any disrespect to you as truly none is intended, we're all friendly here, have a right to our own opinions (me included) and I'm just explaining why I am "nuts" :) People have every right to agree with me or not.

 

I can bet my doctor does not spend hours doing his best to look "pretty" for me and I bet he puts no effort into making his office the very best it can be. I am also thinking he will not even think about it if I cancel on him five minutes before my appointment. He has a long line at his door, I do not! :icon_smile::icon_smile:

 

I mean this in a very friendly way as well.

[ulixestrojan 3757]

It's all good. I heard directly from the MA in question. Will rebook this week since I am back walking easily. Although the cane is a good prop and quite handy.