Client no-shows
Discussion
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this issue, and how they deal with it.
In our professional services business we will normally arrange an initial face to face meeting when a client wishes to instruct us. The process is that a prospective client will call / email, normally with an urgent problem, we will give them 10 - 15 minutes on the phone to discuss the problem then book a meeting. The meeting is then confirmed with a follow up email, and then a reminder the day before the meeting. Meeting costs are discussed on the phone and confirmed in the email.
The problem we are facing is that a significant proportion of these prospective clients will either cancel last minute or simply not show. This is very frustrating, and apart from the wasted time, incurs us costs. I also find it very disrespectful.
A suggestion internally is that we should charge a cancellation fee or similar, but I doubt whether this would be realistic.
Has anyone got any ideas for either getting people to turn up, or even just cancelling with reasonable notice?
In our professional services business we will normally arrange an initial face to face meeting when a client wishes to instruct us. The process is that a prospective client will call / email, normally with an urgent problem, we will give them 10 - 15 minutes on the phone to discuss the problem then book a meeting. The meeting is then confirmed with a follow up email, and then a reminder the day before the meeting. Meeting costs are discussed on the phone and confirmed in the email.
The problem we are facing is that a significant proportion of these prospective clients will either cancel last minute or simply not show. This is very frustrating, and apart from the wasted time, incurs us costs. I also find it very disrespectful.
A suggestion internally is that we should charge a cancellation fee or similar, but I doubt whether this would be realistic.
Has anyone got any ideas for either getting people to turn up, or even just cancelling with reasonable notice?
Amateurish said:
The problem we are facing is that a significant proportion of these prospective clients will either cancel last minute or simply not show. This is very frustrating, and apart from the wasted time, incurs us costs. I also find it very disrespectful.
So many people are like this so I am not surprised. It is a shame that it costs you. Is there a way of having no or so small a cost that it doesn't matter?And what are you saying in the phone call that results in them changing their mind about bothering to act like an adult? Oops, Judge Hoofy in session.
You say that meeting costs are discussed - so are you charging for a meeting about a service you are offering that will be charged for ? or are you making your money from that initial meeting ?
everyone I know who sells a service or a product makes their money from doing that not by charging for their time whilst estimating/understanding the nature of what is required.
everyone I know who sells a service or a product makes their money from doing that not by charging for their time whilst estimating/understanding the nature of what is required.
Amateurish said:
I wondered if anyone else has experienced this issue, and how they deal with it.
In our professional services business we will normally arrange an initial face to face meeting when a client wishes to instruct us. The process is that a prospective client will call / email, normally with an urgent problem, we will give them 10 - 15 minutes on the phone to discuss the problem then book a meeting. The meeting is then confirmed with a follow up email, and then a reminder the day before the meeting. Meeting costs are discussed on the phone and confirmed in the email.
The problem we are facing is that a significant proportion of these prospective clients will either cancel last minute or simply not show. This is very frustrating, and apart from the wasted time, incurs us costs. I also find it very disrespectful.
A suggestion internally is that we should charge a cancellation fee or similar, but I doubt whether this would be realistic.
Has anyone got any ideas for either getting people to turn up, or even just cancelling with reasonable notice?
They're using you for 15 minutes free advice so they are armed with the info they need to go it alone. They've no intention of paying you for any of your services, hence the last minute cancellations and no-shows.In our professional services business we will normally arrange an initial face to face meeting when a client wishes to instruct us. The process is that a prospective client will call / email, normally with an urgent problem, we will give them 10 - 15 minutes on the phone to discuss the problem then book a meeting. The meeting is then confirmed with a follow up email, and then a reminder the day before the meeting. Meeting costs are discussed on the phone and confirmed in the email.
The problem we are facing is that a significant proportion of these prospective clients will either cancel last minute or simply not show. This is very frustrating, and apart from the wasted time, incurs us costs. I also find it very disrespectful.
A suggestion internally is that we should charge a cancellation fee or similar, but I doubt whether this would be realistic.
Has anyone got any ideas for either getting people to turn up, or even just cancelling with reasonable notice?
Ted2 said:
They're using you for 15 minutes free advice so they are armed with the info they need to go it alone. They've no intention of paying you for any of your services, hence the last minute cancellations and no-shows.
If they could go it alone, I would encourage them to. Normally they would only get the advice they need by coming to see us. uber said:
We had a customer who had a lot of this behavior so created a little tool which sent them an email confirming on the morning of the meeting then a text 2 hours before if they never hit the confirm button. Finally we triggered a call 30 mins before which normally got a response.
I worked in exactly the same set up. The guys did the same as you but the day before they'd call all clients to make sure they were coming. Some inevitably didn't but you will never get 100%. Think about something you can offer which they will only get at the meeting or dropping them a call email inbetween appts if the times between calls and appts are longer.
Are they suffering buyers remorse due to longer times between chats and meetings? Perhaps you could shorten these?
Generally if anyone blew out more than 3 times we did not book appts again and just avoided them.
This reminds me of my early days in getting client companies to share vacancies for us to work on recruitment services.
I've since moved off the high street and business development and into in-house recruitment services and the new buzz term 'HR Business Partnering' which means a little less sales pitching and persuasion techniques to external companies.
The way I would avoid the 'no shows' with clients was to get a irrational interest in them to meet with you. For example, when the meeting date and time is identified then ask them 'what is your favorite colour?' and when they inevitably enquire as to why, just say its normal to give a gift from your company at the first meeting and you want to have the right colour for them - of course they will be interested and ask what it is, this is resolved by saying it is a small thing as you appreciate they probably have to declare gifts of high value for company ethics and integrity, keep the gift a secret, the unknown is the incentive. This little incentive will be a sufficient for them to be more committed. It was mostly a pen set, calendar or diary or something I found in the stationary cupboard but was enough to build intrigue and curiosity that they would come along to resolve their curiosity - indeed, sometimes brining a gift in return from their PR gift bin. I know your thinking that nobody goes for that these days; but human behaviors have changed little and it really is the little things that make a big difference.
I've since moved off the high street and business development and into in-house recruitment services and the new buzz term 'HR Business Partnering' which means a little less sales pitching and persuasion techniques to external companies.
The way I would avoid the 'no shows' with clients was to get a irrational interest in them to meet with you. For example, when the meeting date and time is identified then ask them 'what is your favorite colour?' and when they inevitably enquire as to why, just say its normal to give a gift from your company at the first meeting and you want to have the right colour for them - of course they will be interested and ask what it is, this is resolved by saying it is a small thing as you appreciate they probably have to declare gifts of high value for company ethics and integrity, keep the gift a secret, the unknown is the incentive. This little incentive will be a sufficient for them to be more committed. It was mostly a pen set, calendar or diary or something I found in the stationary cupboard but was enough to build intrigue and curiosity that they would come along to resolve their curiosity - indeed, sometimes brining a gift in return from their PR gift bin. I know your thinking that nobody goes for that these days; but human behaviors have changed little and it really is the little things that make a big difference.
Can you get lethargy to work in your favour. ? Currently they need do nothing in order to avoid your follow up meeting - simply not turn up. If you are able to arrange the follow up meeting at their premises then at least they will have to actively do something to cancel and fewer may do so
If you're getting contact from them with a problem then usually they'll speak to a few others as well at the same time.
By doing a bit of discovery and then scoping meeting, you're not fixing the problem (while I can appreciate you're trying to understand it) you may find that the potential customer has blindly run off to someone else who's already started diagnosing and proposing a fix.
You equally might not, but if I had an urgent problem and had to call around a few places I'd take the first one who looks/sounds like they can fix it than the one who wants to come drink my coffee and ask me what my budget and timelines are.
Ideally, you'd have a relationship with this company ahead of the time that they call you when it's all gone to s
t, but I appreciate you cant be everywhere at once.
By doing a bit of discovery and then scoping meeting, you're not fixing the problem (while I can appreciate you're trying to understand it) you may find that the potential customer has blindly run off to someone else who's already started diagnosing and proposing a fix.
You equally might not, but if I had an urgent problem and had to call around a few places I'd take the first one who looks/sounds like they can fix it than the one who wants to come drink my coffee and ask me what my budget and timelines are.
Ideally, you'd have a relationship with this company ahead of the time that they call you when it's all gone to s
t, but I appreciate you cant be everywhere at once. Amateurish said:
jammy-git said:
If they have to pay for the meeting/consultation, get them to pay up front.
If you arranged a meeting with a lawyer / accountant / architect etc would you be prepared to cough up in advance? One way round it is to operate a free drop-in clinic for new clients and then further appointments are chargeable. The drop-in clinic means that hopefully you're not twiddling your thumbs for no-shows.
Thanks all, some really helpful ideas there. The business is legal services for consumers. In terms of marketing / sales etc, the initial telephone consultation is set up with a solicitor for free, then if the client wants to move to a meeting, that is cheargable (albeit at a reduced rate).
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