I installed a cancellation policy almost a year ago, and it's been fabulous. I've only had a handful of cancellations since then, and most have paid it, albeit begrudgingly. You can't make people pay your cancellation fee, but you surely can remind them that they agreed to a cancellation policy by booking and confirming an appointment with you. Like Tobi said, it's amazing how many family members are no longer sick, and how suddenly clear traffic becomes when you remind someone trying to cancel about your cancellation policy. Of course, there's no predicting NCNS, and those are by far the most frustrating, especially when on tour.
Really though, the cancellation policy is in existence to weed out flakes and it allows me to concentrate my time on those who are willing to show up, be present, and really engage in our time together. In the time that I've been a provider, I've cancelled twice due to illness, and it was in more than enough time to reschedule the appointment for another day. I haven't cancelled an appointment since installing a cancellation policy. If i had to cancel, the client would be offered extra time when they decide to rebook, and I state that clearly in my policy. Your provider friend will more than likely find the quality of her business improved if she decides to install a cancellation policy.How many ladies charge a cancellation fee?
How many guys pay a cancellation fee?
How do the ladies collect it?
A provider friend of mine says she doesn't want to affect future business, but I say that if a guy cancels at the last minute, he should pay something.
Thoughts anyone....
I remind each and every gentleman of my cancellation policy during the booking process when I aak him to confirm our meeting. I won't reserve my time for him or book a hotel room until I receive his confirmation. I'm very low volume, and a touring provider, who has personal friends I can stay with in almost every town I visit. Therefore I am renting a hotel room which costs around $200 and sometimes more to host each individual appointment. I only see one gentleman per day, so the only time I get to see two gentlemen in the same room is if the stars align for me to see one in the evening and another gentleman in the morning. But often I've reserved a $200-300 room exclusively to host a single gentleman's appointment. These hotel rooms also have cancellation policies of course, so I require a $200 cancellation fee with less than 48 hours notice for a cancellation, otherwise I would be left footing the bill for the room. With less than 24 hours notice I require 50% of the original booking as a cancellation fee, because as a very low volume provider who may be traveling to your city to see just 1-4 gentlemen and may have turned others away for that slot, I need to receive some compensation for the preparation and work I've already done to BE IN TOWN to host our meeting, on top of the hotel costs. I realize that some ladies are in very different circumstances and don't need to charge a cancellation fee. I need to charge one for this business to be sustainable for me, especially since I tour most of the time! I don't like surprises tho and have my cancellation policy detailed on my P411 page, the booking page of my website, and in my booking emails.
Since I inform gentlemen so thoroughly about my policy, they usually offer to send my fee if they need to cancel on short notice. I have a few different ways that I accept cancellation policies, and most involve going to a store and purchasing some type of card whose code can be sent to me electronically. 
I appreciate that the type of gentlemen who book with me honor my cancellation policy almost 100%. I think when you are very up front about this type of policy and don't surprise a client with it after the fact, they are usually willing to make good on their own commitments.
Like Zoey, my cancellation policy is listed on my website and in all of my ads. So it's not a surprise to anyone. And it's also a part of my confirmation email - as in, you must respond to an email confirming our appointment and acknowledging my cancellation policy before I will put you into my calendar.
The guys who balk at a cancellation policy are not the kind of guys I want to spend time with - and they weed themselves out pretty quickly.
For your provider friend, having a cancellation policy will improve her experience. Actual gentlemen respect the policy, and the riffraff are left in the dust.
Happy hobbying!
xoxox
Tori
Since putting my cancellation fee policy into place, I've had VERY few short notice cancellations. In the handful or so that I have gotten, all but one were understanding and paid the fee.
The really nice thing is that it keeps my time open for those who are 100% sure that they'll be able to make it, since I ask that everyone inquiring with me acknowledge my cancellation policy prior to submitting a booking request. That usually keeps the flaky types at bay. What's really funny, though, is when someone tries to cancel last minute and, when reminded of my CX fee, they're suddenly able to keep their appointment. It's amazing how many unexpected work meetings are canceled and car problems magically fix themselves in those situations. 
I think it should work both ways. If you have an appointment and they cancell a 24 hours or less then shouldn't we get a discount or something. Our time is worth something too. Any thoughts?
I have a cancellation policy. I do not often have to enforce it but when I do, most refuse further contact with me. That is fine but they know that their actions will have consequences. I suppose they don't care because they probably aren't really serious about meeting with anyone.
My cancellation policy works in reverse as well. I have had to cancel twice that I can remember, once for the death of a family member and once for a personal illness. I canceled within 24 hours so I offered 50% off my donation.
A client isn't losing money due to a last-minute cancellation, just time. In the event that I do have to cancel on short notice, I'll offer to extend the next date at no additional cost. A discount, though, no.
I think that is fare Tobi! Thanks for the input
I had a well know provider with a strict cancellation policy send me an email 3 hours before our appointment that I didn't see until I was on my way to the meeting. Texted her to ask what was up and was told her assistant wasn't aware she had left town. I was a little disappointed but still would want to see her if she returns.
Sometimes shit just happens and you just move on
I understand the need for the fee but I never understood how you would collect. This is very informative, Thanks for the question and thanks for the answer
It scares away the kind of guys who would cancel. So far this year I've only had three cancellations. Only one resisted paying the fee, and what can you do about that? Not much.
I believe it's my cancellation policy that ensures the guys I book with are serious about seeing me.
FWIW I've never canceled an appointment within my cancelation window. On two ocassions in the past 12 months I have canceled appointments, and the individuals were offered discounts on a future booking (and received them).
Threads like this - where men seem surprised that a provider would have a policy or men mention they've been canceled on a number of times - well it just makes me count my blessings that I'm not involved in that kind of trade (in either direction). Some of us have real magic, I guess.
... situation. What you have stated is all ONE sided... your side.
Let me give you a little story as to what happened to me a few years ago.
A visiting provider was coming to my town.
She required minimum of 2 hours for the session, which 50% of the total rate was required up-front ($300 deposit). That 50% deposit would be applied to the total 2 rate. Ok, that looked and sounded reasonable to me.
The appointment was made 2 weeks in advance. The 50% was paid through the Green Dot prepaid card. Everything was legit and all of that.
We did a few emails back and forth. Then, 2 days prior to coming to my town, she abruptly cancelled the pre-planned session. According to her website, all deposits are non-refundable, even with HER cancelling on her dates.
However, she "promised" me that she would make it up to me the next time she visits my town. She would apply the already paid deposit towards the already agreed 2 hour session.
She was at that time... a regular visitor to my town... about every 4 to 6 weeks.
Guess what? She NEVER showed up in my town again! I asked her when she was come back to my town (my town has almost 1 million people living in it... so it's not a small town).
Then, I told her about the emails "promising" me that she would make it up to me... her response???
"I'm not planning to come back to your town. If you want to see me at my city (which is about a 10 hour one-way drive for me), then I'll apply that to the 2 hour session".
I told her, that if she was a smart business woman, she would refund that deposit back due to the fact that she never lived up to her "promises". Her response???
"No, I will not refund your deposit as stated on my website." That was it! The last email clearly showed me that she had no intent of making things right with me.
Because of this unfortunate incident, I no longer consider ladies who require deposits, no matter how good their ratings or how "hot" they are. Not going to happen.
I was bitten once... that was enough!
Just letting you know my side of this.
Epsilon
** Rest of post deleted for brevity **
I think when you are very up front about this type of policy and don't surprise a client with it after the fact, they are usually willing to make good on their own commitments.
How many guys pay a cancellation fee?
How do the ladies collect it?
A provider friend of mine says she doesn't want to affect future business, but I say that if a guy cancels at the last minute, he should pay something.
Thoughts anyone....
I am very reliable, so never an issue or consideration for me personally.
I would conservatively say I've been cancelled on at least 50 times over the past 4 years for one reason or another. Despite my disappointment and the loss of my valuable time, I've never asked to be compensated. I can think of 3 occasions where the lady volunteered to make good. On one occasion, a lady offered to add extra play time when we rescheduled, and a couple of times a different lady reduced her gift for my inconvenience.
Sometimes I hear 'I will make it up to you', which never happens, and the vast majority of the time nothing happens beyond an apology.
Nobody likes to be cancelled on, but I submit to the ladies, that this is part of the cost of doing business, and the likelihood of this happening will decrease when you build up a clientele of dependable regulars.
I installed a cancellation policy almost a year ago, and it's been fabulous. I've only had a handful of cancellations since then, and most have paid it, albeit begrudgingly. You can't make people pay your cancellation fee, but you surely can remind them that they agreed to a cancellation policy by booking and confirming an appointment with you. Like Tobi said, it's amazing how many family members are no longer sick, and how suddenly clear traffic becomes when you remind someone trying to cancel about your cancellation policy. Of course, there's no predicting NCNS, and those are by far the most frustrating, especially when on tour.
Really though, the cancellation policy is in existence to weed out flakes and it allows me to concentrate my time on those who are willing to show up, be present, and really engage in our time together. In the time that I've been a provider, I've cancelled twice due to illness, and it was in more than enough time to reschedule the appointment for another day. I haven't cancelled an appointment since installing a cancellation policy. If i had to cancel, the client would be offered extra time when they decide to rebook, and I state that clearly in my policy.
Your provider friend will more than likely find the quality of her business improved if she decides to install a cancellation policy.
... of the 5 ladies who responded in this Ohio based thread... only ONE is based in Ohio.
Everyone else is out of state.
Maybe the Ohio ladies are doing a better job of providing excellent service, which in turns lowers the possibilities of cancellations?
Or could it be that us Buckeye guys prefer our lovely Ohio ladies?
Either way... it means more business for the Ohio ladies
...or was from there/moved/still visits.
what's your point?
... missed the point. I'll let you figure it out on your own.
what's your point?
I don't require a cancellation fee, I really don't see the need. I don't have a high number of cancellations and when I do, I move on. Life gets in the way for all of us sometimes. I haven't had a NC/NS in 6 months, it simply doesn't happen enough to have a cancellation policy. I simply put the NC/NS on my no list and don't give him a chance to do it again.
I choose not to punish my clients for cancelling. More often than not, my clients appreciate me be understanding and usually reschedule.
I don't want to spend my time and energy chasing a cancellation fee, I prefer to move on and enjoy the next client. My time and my clients are too valuable.
How many guys pay a cancellation fee?
How do the ladies collect it?
A provider friend of mine says she doesn't want to affect future business, but I say that if a guy cancels at the last minute, he should pay something.
Thoughts anyone....
... living in my town instead of being several states away.
I like your attitude... you're right... life is too short to be all stressed out cancellation stuff.
Just move on... that's the best medicine for one's soul.
I choose not to punish my clients for cancelling. More often than not, my clients appreciate me be understanding and usually reschedule.
I don't want to spend my time and energy chasing a cancellation fee, I prefer to move on and enjoy the next client. My time and my clients are too valuable.
How many guys pay a cancellation fee?
How do the ladies collect it?
A provider friend of mine says she doesn't want to affect future business, but I say that if a guy cancels at the last minute, he should pay something.
Thoughts anyone....