Recently I've been asked by a number of float center owners if we charge people for no-shows.
When we first opened we had no cancellation policy. No-shows were pretty common, particularly with daily deal coupon purchasers, and we simply ate the loss of not filling our tanks for that day.
It wasn't until we started offering acupuncture and massage therapies at the shoppe that we decided to start charging a fee. Because we still pay our practitioners if we have a no-show, we knew we just couldn't eat the cost. We’ve also been told it is an industry standard in wellness-related businesses to have a cancellation policy.
Because of this we decided to implement the following:
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We require a 24 hour cancellation notice
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If we received less than 24 hours notice, we keep half of the funds of a full priced session
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As an unofficial rule, we do not charge the client if s/he reschedules while on the phone calling in with less than 24 hours notice
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Any time a client books online they are required to include their card information (we use MindBody for online scheduling)
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Any time a client books over the phone, we get their basic information and their credit card information, even if they are calling in with a daily deal coupon
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We always let them know that we will not charge their card today, it is simply to hold the appointment because we have a 24 hour cancellation policy
At the Float Shoppe we go out our way to bend over backwards for customers, and it’s usually completely worth it. However, the more you let no-shows slide, the more you begin to feel like you are being taken advantage of. In implementing a cancellation fee, we invoke a sense of respect between ourselves and the client that goes both ways. As Amy of Nashville Float told me, "it breeds respect. I honor their time, they honor ours".
Since implementing this, we’ve seen a drastic reduction in our no-shows (near zero), meaning our tanks remain full and more people are experiencing floating on a daily basis. We attract customers who are respectful of our time and resources and we are able to deliver to them a wonderful unique experience.