Submitted By Shari Harter, LMT
I have a client who has been with me for quite a few years. She is a weekly appointment, but she is always late and continually asks for more. I debated how to handle this situation as I did not want to lose such a good client. I finally decided that to handle her chronic tardiness, I would schedule her for 30 minutes earlier than when I actually wanted her there. I make sure I leave myself at least that much time between appointments just in case she is on time or early. As for the problem of her always asking for more, I try to cut certain areas in order to allow extra time to take care of her extra requests. She goes home happy and I am still on schedule. This may not work for everyone (you need to find what works for your particular situation), but I have retained a very good client and kept her happy.
If you were confronted with the same situation again, how might you handle things differently?
Response from Shari Harter, LMT
I would clarify my guidelines from the very first and stick to them unless there were extenuating circumstances. You have to remain firm on your policies or you will be taken advantage of.
Response from Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies
It can be a very difficult decision when it comes to a long term client who has been habitually late. Your feeling might be, “Well, at least she shows up!” It would have indeed been best to clarify your policy from the start, but that is often hard to do when you are starting a new business and want to please clients.
Any client who is consistently late is making him/herself the one who is in control of the situation – and your business. You have done what you feel is right and what you can handle by rearranging your schedule to suit her bad habits. But this is unfair to you and to other clients who might have to wait. It sounds like you are adding at least an hour of time to allow for her lateness and special requests. This is time that could be given to at least one more client per week.
One suggestion I would have is to try and schedule her as your last appointment of the day. That way, if she is late, it is not inconveniencing another client, though you may have to stay later to accommodate her.
Whatever your policies are, make sure they are clear and include them in a brochure or handout given to a client prior to the first massage session. You might even create a policy form that the first-time client has to initial or sign after reading.
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This is a simple boundary issue. Clients pay for our time. As long as we are clear what that means, then it is their choice what to do with the time they are paying for. They can use the time by coming on time and getting our work, or they can use the time driving to the appointment. I’m not harsh with my clients, but I let them choose how to spend their time and money.
I’m not going to criticize how you handle your clients. However, my policy is, when a client comes late, they get the remainder of their allotted time only. If they ask for extra work, I explain to them that there is not anymore time left in their session for me to address that.
Because of health issues, I schedule with 1/2hour between clients. I have people who assume that if they come in early, they can get out early. So, if they have a 4p appt, they slip in at 3:30. I alwas invite them to wait in the waiting area and I will call them when I’m ready for them. I don’t care that they are watching me eating my dinner, or catching up on computer work, or returning calls.
I feel it’s up to each therapist to detemine when we are being manipulated, and find a tactful way to deal with it. Your time is being manipulated by this client. If you don’t set your own boundaries and stick to them, you’ll always attract this kind of client.
I agree with you totally. I’ve had to steer some of my regular clients in the right direction also. I have learned from experience that clients will follow our lead.
Your time is your money. Let them consume their appt. however they choose. They get one hour. Period. If she can see she is getting away with usurping your time by being tardy, she’ll next try to see what else she can get away with. Healthy boundaries make you a better therapist.
I have a business owner who schedules, and pays for 2hr.30min. He used to do the same with being late for a 1hr.30min….I explained to him that it was unfair to other clients to be 30min. (Sometimes longer!) late by making up the time for him. I gave him an example related to his own business and he immediately understood. Now he books a “time frame” which he tries his best to be present for….this way he buys my time and it’s up to him to attend and/or be present for that time. Sometimes he’s here for the whole appointment …..sometimes not. I schedule myself a 30 min. break before and after his appointment but NEVER,EVER tell him about the breaks. I get the rest I need without his asking me for more time….and he’s motivated to be on time as it’s understood he’s responsible to pay for the time scheduled.
I think that most of us have dealt with this issue in some ways; whether the client is late or whether they are a no show or whether they are always asking for just a little more.
I find that most therapists have not “honed” their business skills in this area. It took me a few years to do this (I am now in my 20th year of offering massage therapy to the public). Once I realized that 1) I was being manipulated and 2) I was not valuing my own time and therefore could not expect my clients to value it, I changed my tune and am a much happier person and better therapist because of it.
Now if a client is late, I start the session by saying something like “since there are 40 minutes left of your session, you need to let me know what your priorities are for the session today. Even if you actually HAVE the time to do the entire session, don’t do it. That will be letting the person manipulate you and they will expect it every time.
If they call and say they are running late, I’ll say, thanks for letting me know and be thinking about what your priorities are so that we can get right to them when you arrive.
If they ask for more time and I have it built into the schedule, I quote them the price for the add’l time. If not, I say something like “We’ve gotten a good start on your particular issue and since I have another appointment scheduled right after yours, if you’d like we can book another session this week if once you get home you feel you need it, you can call me. Chances are that we’ve done enough work and you will feel the difference once this work has “settled”.
If they are a no show, I always call and ask if they are ok first and then find out why they did not keep their reservation (I always refer to their appointment as a reservation–this word denotes more responsibility on their part I have found). Once I find out why they did not keep their reservation, if it is something such as simply forgetting etc (and not a valid excuse such as a loved one was in an accident etc) I simply state that everyone receives one “free” no show, but that I want to take the opportunity to remind them that my cancellation policy requires either a 24 hour minimum cancellation notice or they are required to pay for the session since I reserved the time for them and was unable to offer it to someone else. DO NOT skip this part. It is vitally important so that they make a mental note that they are responsible in the future.
I hope these examples are helpful to some of you who are just getting into the business or for those who have not learned yet to value their own time. Compassion is a great thing to have for our clients but we also need to remember that we run businesses and this is our livelihood and that we cannot expect someone to respect us if we do not respect ourselves.
I would stick with her scheduled time, if she is late, it’s her choice and she gets a shorter appointment. Allowing her extra time is also cutting into another possible appointment you could book. If she consistently asks for extras, suggest that she book a longer appointment (and pay for it.)
my policy is: because of road contruction, farm equipment and other possible delays, i allow 15 minutes for someone if they are running late–then if they show up within that 15 minute window, it’s ok. However, I state from the begginning, if they run past the 15 minute window, then whatever time is left of their appointment they can have for the full price of an hour session or they can reschedule. If they are late more than twice, then in order to be on the books a third time, they must prepay. It’s worked rather well so far and I’ve been in practice almost twenty years