Does anyone have a good system for reducing No Shows

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Permalink Reply by chris john on July 13, 2009 at 1:02pm

Yeah, get a deposit if you can.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Moore on July 13, 2009 at 1:17pm

Yes, my clients are pre-paid. When they schedule over the phone they give me their charge card number and I run it then. When they come in the door & schedule their next session, they pay for it then before we start the current session. Almost never does anyone blow it off.

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Permalink Reply by Darren on July 13, 2009 at 1:30pm

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Roger, I bought your book (Enjoying it)......

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Permalink Reply by Roger Moore on July 13, 2009 at 2:48pm

Thanks Darren!

Darren said:

Thanks for the feedback guys!

Roger, I bought your book (Enjoying it)......

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Permalink Reply by Sean Michael Andrews on July 13, 2009 at 5:12pm

Hi Darren!
It's a difficult problem. My worst day ever I had three no-shows and two last-minute reschedules! Then I went a month without a no-show. They seem to come in spurts. I can't remember where I learned this, but it seems to work really well. When setting up the appointment to say, "I look forward to meeting you and if your plans change, will you please give us a call?" When the prospective client says "Yes.", she usually will make it to her appointment.

Take Care,

Sean Michael Andrews
www.WorldsFastestHypnotist.com

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Permalink Reply by Dan Elliott on July 13, 2009 at 6:41pm

Hi Darren,

This can be both annoying and time wasting. I have two little strategies which are simple and seem to work for the majority of clients. They are: 1. I send all of my clients a short SMS message reminder on the day of their appointment and 2. During, and toward the end of their hypnosis session I say something akin to "and arriving on time for all things, especially your next session with me will always give you a sense of satisfaction....."

It works for me!

Regards
Dan

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Permalink Reply by James Malone on July 14, 2009 at 4:46am

Darren, I have found this helpful. On the phone after setting the appointment time I ask "and if something comes up and your plans change, will you please call me first?" and then wait for them to answer. This is opposed to just saying, "please call if your plans change." The verbal commitment on their part actually makes a difference due to the consistency principle.

Also, I like to spend a fair amount of time with a prospective first time client on the initial phone contact to a) build rapport by getting a good understanding of the presenting problem and b) creating some positive expectation before they come in.

With that said, the occasional no-show is still going to happen.

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Permalink Reply by Brenda Berry Bailey on July 14, 2009 at 5:05am

Hi Darren...just wondering, are your no-shows for a free screening/consulation? Is that your business model?

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Permalink Reply by Darren on July 14, 2009 at 5:22am

Hi Brenda,

My no-shows are actual paying appointments.

Brenda Berry Bailey said:

Hi Darren...just wondering, are your no-shows for a free screening/consulation? Is that your business model?

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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - NLPBoard.com on July 14, 2009 at 5:34am

I let clients know they can pre-pay over the phone for the first session and save $20.
Some do some don't.
the most important factor in reducing the pain of no-shows is to not spend money or budget for clients that have not yet paid. If a client no-shows and didn't call, but later calls to schedule again, they MUST prepay or i wont see them.
I

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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Hanover on July 14, 2009 at 8:10pm

In my business, it's common to get paid after delivery of work product. It's also unfortunately common to deal with deadbeat clients, because after they've received the custom work product from you (which you can't sell to anyone else) they're in the driver's seat, and there's no practical way to collect payment for the work you've delivered.

So as of June 1st, I changed my business terms so that the whole project fee is either escrowed or paid in advance. I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect payment in advance from a client. Your time is valuable. And honest, ethical clients don't usually have a problem paying in advance. If someone does have an issue, I point out that if they wanted to go to a seminar, they'd pay in advance because seating is limited. My time is limited. Same principle.

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Permalink Reply by Fable Goodman on July 14, 2009 at 11:26pm

Adrian Tannock said:

In terms of payment. I know plenty of therapist who insist on clients paying for sessions in advance. I'm more philosophical about this. If somebody doesn't show (rare) I just use the time to update my website/read a book/write a part of an essay/send out feedback emails, etc, etc.. In any small business there's always things to be done.
To me, asking for payment in advance seems a bit desperate, almost like you're stating "I need to take payment before we do the work, 'cause I don't trust that you'll be satisfied enough with it to come back..."

That said there are people, who's opinions I respect, posting differently in this thread so who knows?? ;-)

Cheers,

Adrian

I agree with you Adrian.

If a client does not turn up , after about ten minutes, I put the kettle on, and make a cup of tea. Often just as I start to drink it, the doorbell will ring (sod's law). If not, I sit down and enjoy the tea, perhaps meditate, or self hypnoisis, and think about how I will spend my free time.

It used to be that I would read a Hypnosis book, something useful and related to therapy. These days I am more likely to come and check my emails, or hypnothoughts postings.

I have rarely taken potential clients contact details. There was a time when I used to say, "is there a number where I can contact you, just in case anything should crop up at this end, and I cant keep the appointment" they would then give me the number. " and I might say somehting like: "and of course if anything crops up at your end, and you can't keep the appointment, just give me a ring and that will be fine".

Simply having their number cut down the percentage of no shows. But if a person did not turn up, I would not ring them and ask why. It is their choice, and they have to live with the dynamic of having let someone down. I choose not to get into that dynamic of shame/punishment/resentment, as they are not my client unless they turn up.

Sometimes they would ring up later, with some excuse (real or invented) and make a fresh appointment. Sometimes not.

I have never asked for payment in advance. I do not want money from someone for work I have not done, and do not want to use money as a leverage to force people to turn up, who may have their own valid reasons for not doing so.

I treat clients as Human Beings not as business customers. I leave the isssue of turning up or not entirely in their hands, and these days do not even take thier telephone number (it is none of my business) as I have only once in thirty years not been able to keep an apointment I have made. And on that occasion, I was here to greet the client, and explain that I was ill, and not on best form to do the session. They understood, and made another apointment for a week later.


This is just how I choose to work and as Adrian said, others on this site, who I respect have different ways of doing things. That is fine by me too.

LOve and hugs,

Fable

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