I recently booked but had to cancel an appointment. I am all in favor of fees for cancellations within a certain timeframe and with clearly outlined policies. I was booked for 6:00 pm on 12/1 and notified the provider around 8:00 a.m. on 11/30 - approximately 36 hours prior to our date.
She is asking for her cancellation fee because the cancellation policy on her website specifies “24 hours before our appointment date” and not “24 hours before our appointment time,” . I suppose by her interpretation, the last possible time to cancel would have been before midnight on 11/29. What are your thoughts?
"I suppose by her interpretation, the last possible time to cancel would have been before midnight on 11/29."
Her interpretation isn't required. She clearly meant exactly what she wrote. We spend a lot of time crafting our website, and then updating that copy if there's confusion. Unless that copy is fresh up from that week, I promise you she's honed those words in to mean precisely what she's intending. I realize you're bummed about losing out on a fee, but there's nothing here to "interpret'' yourself onto higher ground. All you need to do is read a provider's words exactly as they are. And if you have questions about what something means, ask before booking. Then from there, book with the people you feel comfortable booking with. It really is that simple.
Eve, you are 100% correct, her interpretation is not required. The problem is with my interpretation. I may be the only one ever to have had this problem with this provider and everyone else who has read her site has understood precisely what she means. I did learn an important lesson and will be asking precise questions regarding cancel fees in the future. Perhaps there is room for improvement in her copy, however, and if so she may want to know that, right? Her phrasing did cause confusion for me. I am simply wondering if, in fact, I am the only one.
Finally, I am not seeking higher ground. I am more bummed about not meeting her than I am about the fee, and even more bummed that I will never meet her.
So, are you open to feedback on the content of your site? I took a quick peek at your site and don't have any feedback or questions for you, specifically. I ask because often times, I do run into sites where the copy has possible errors or flat out doesn't make sense. In one case, I sent her a message about what I found and her response was for me to contact her when I wanted to book an appt. lol
I spend a lot of time reading the content of websites, so I can definitely appreciate the time spent on producing the content (text and otherwise). That's why I reach out when I find issues.
Thanks!
Did you request a reschedule? Or did she immediately request the cancel fee?
Did you reach out saying you need to "cancel" and did not offer to reschedule?
Seems odd to me she would not be wiling to reschedule and immediately went to requesting the cancel fee.
For the record, I did not ask specifically to re-schedule as I did not know when my calendar would allow but I did say I hoped to meet soon in any event. Her reply:
"Oh no, I’m so disappointed! You can send the cancellation via either Cashapp or Venmo
I hope we can find time to meet soon, I was so looking forward to our date!"
I totally get your frustration... it sucks to pay when you haven't received a service! Personally I hate taking a clients money when we havent had a chance to fulfill the service. But my schedule is so sensitive that it is very important I enforce cancellation policies!
Most services, consumers are very careful to read through terms and make clarifications where necessary. This matter does not seem to be up for interpretation.
An "I hope to see you soon" translates as "dont count on it" in our experiences as providers.
Because our service is high-risk to us, and required a lot of planning and preparation, these cancellation policies are crucial. We earn a good chunk of income in a short period , after lots of advertising and marketing and planning.
Please dont hold that against her. And definitely a better solution would be to ask immediately to reschedule, particularly if you dont feel you can easily "let go" of the fees.