Sorry this is long but it is worth talking about. This for the PROVIDERS. Gentlemen, chime in if you wish.  

Recently, as a hobbyist, I had an appointment with provider I'd seen before. I drove 1.75 hours, one way, to see her because it would be worth it and the donation she asked for was up there but again, I thought she was worth it; even if it was higher than normal for me. I got to the location 5 minutes early and texted her on time. A few minutes later she texted me back telling me she needed a few more minutes. Twenty minutes after our appointment time was to begin, she called me back to cancel stating she could not meet me and that something came up and she would not be able to meet because of something about her dog. I'm trying to be understanding but yes, I was "disappointed". She apologized and refunded my money through Zelle. OK, that was  fare and things to happen, but I want providers to understand a few thing from a clients point of view. At the risk of being cold, I'd say, we are the customer.
--Whatever the issue was, I'm sure it did not start as soon as I got there. Call the client early and cancel. You could even offer to reschedule.
--I spent 4 hours of my day traveling.
--I took the afternoon off work for this.
--I spent additional money on wine and a gift
-- I spent time communicating back and forth planning our meeting
--I Zelled all the money in advance so there was no need to play with an envelop when I would get there. She did refund me immediately.

If I cancelled after the appoint was supposed to start, no matter what the reason, there's a chance I'd get blacklisted. I wouldn't do that to her because I liked her but consider what you would think, and do, as a provider if a client did this to you.  

Please consider everything a client has done to meet with you and if you have to, try to call it off asap and don't wait until they get there and hope you'll pull it off. If it's not right, cancel early and explain the situation. Most decent people would understand and still trust you.

As a provider, is there anything you would do for the client if you cancelled after you appointment was to begin ?

"If I cancelled after the appoint was supposed to start, no matter what the reason, there's a chance I'd get blacklisted."

you'll get blacklisted even if you cancel 18 hours before the appointment begins and you end up throwing away 2.5 on a room that you'd reserved in advance.

Hello,

Over the years, I’ve seen multiple/many references to the concept of a client being “blacklisted.” As I’ve never cancelled, I haven’t given much thought to it. But now that I  think about it, is it simply being banned by that individual provider, or is there something “out there,” like a comprehensive list, that all providers can access? Just curious… thanks

It is always such a disappointing feeling when things like this happen, even If we understand the reasoning. In the rare occasion that I have to cancel and it is at no fault of the client, I issue a full refund and usually offer additional time on me if you are ok with rescheduling.  

I am sure you would have rather been able to see her, but I am glad that she at least returned the fee to you with no issues.

I understand you invested a lot of time that you will never get back that’s the worst. I do agree that she could have reached out sooner if the dog had issues. I am a single parent & my dog is my baby, so I do have empathy. I have refunded deposits because shit happens. What I have done is offer extra time to the patron at no additional cost. I had a friend recently who I refunded deposits twice who waited almost a year to see me, so I let him take me to dinner and I offered him a date at a discounted rate. I was flattered that his invested, so much time & effort into wanting to see me.

I realize your time is just as valuable as mine. If you paid in full that’s a sign of good faith & should always be rewarded. Sorry that happened. I love a man who is genuine! Smile for me! Xo 💋

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