Do you have a 24 hour cancellation policy with your private clients?
You should. {Yep, it’s that simple.}
You should have an Iron Clad, No Questions, No Emergencies, No Just-This-One Time We’ll Let It Slip 24 Hour Cancellation Policy.
I do. I always have. I think it is really important in creating the boundaries that allow meaningful work to be done in the sessions. It is also important in supporting the health of your business.
If my clients need to change or cancel an appointment, they know they must do it before the 24 hour mark, or they will be charged for the full cost of the session.
It doesn’t matter if they are canceling for reasons beyond their control {sick kid, meeting running long, etc}. They are not being charged as punishment. I love them, and love teaching them, and would much rather be teaching them then killing time at Starbucks {which in NYC is what I usually get stuck doing when a client late cancels….}
They are being charged because when they book a session with me, they are taking responsibility for that hour of my time. It is not their fault if their meeting runs long, but it is not my fault either, and they know they are the ones responsible for the time and cost of the session, even if they can’t make it.
The only exceptions I have made for late cancels are birth and death in the immediate family.
Here is why I am so clear about this::
I have identified several different kinds of boundaries that exist between teacher and student in a private lesson situation. The first two I consider to be the “root chakra” boundaries. These are the boundaries of time and money. If these first two are not clear, there is no hope for the rest of the boundaries to be clear.
{Also, since I have a wait list at every time slot, if students cancel at the last minute and I can’t slot someone else in there, I would really be losing a lot of money if I didn’t charge them.}
Having this clarity around money boundaries is one of the many reasons I do not accept payment at each session. I invoice my clients at the end of each month for the sessions they had {including any late cancels…} and then can avoid the awkward late cancel conversation…”oh you actually owe twice the amount of cash you are handing me right now since you late canceled last week…”
What do you think y’all? Can we do it?? Can you clearly and confidently implement a late cancel policy?
Great article and great analysis of the issue as a foundational boundary. I’m guilty of the “just this once” and will be crafting a new policy this week! [I have one client notorious…. and I guess that makes me so, as well, for continuing] I charge up front and do both individual and package rates, so it’s a quick punch on the card. I wonder if that makes it somehow more palatable than if they’re anticipating an invoice – any thoughts? Thanks for your excellent writing and fab ideas!
Fantastic Christine. I’m so glad it was helpful! There are definitely pros and cons to both methods of payment {packages upfront, or invoices at the end of the month.} Maybe it is worth a discussing on a future blog post? If you feel good in the system you are currently using, good on ya and stick with it! 🙂
Hello 🙂 I’ve only just found your website Francesca and I can’t thank you enough for all the amazing things I’ve learnt already! Really helpful article, it’s a little push for me in the direction of feeling more comfortable with these kinds of things (strict 24 hr cancellation rule, no refunds etc). I’m with Christine, I would love to see a blog post about the pros and cons of both pre-paid packages and invoices at the end of the month. Francesca have you ever had an issue with a client not paying, paying late, or disputing the invoice? Thanks again x
Welcome Shivaun! I am so happy to have you here! I have a blog all about money coming up, so I will add some of these issues to the list as well. Thanks for your questions!
I love this. These are the kinds of things I wish I learned in my teacher training. Were I not on the complete other side of the country, I would be at your Teacher Training in a heartbeat! I learn so much from you!
Yes, you’re so welcome Sarah. These are the kinds of things I wish I had learned in my first TT too! I had to learn the hard way, just like all of you 😉 I can’t wait to have you in my teacher training in the future! <3
Yes- Great points! I found this out the hard way. It is so true that the time/money boundary is fundamental and failure to be firm with this results in a shaky teacher client relationship. I broke things off with 2 prior clients because I felt they disrespected my time by repeated last minute cancels and no-shows. Of course at that time I had no official cancellation policy and it was this (as well as the fact I charged well below market rates thinking that being humble was good; instead I was inviting lack of respect for the service I was offering…another good blog topic for you
Yes, I hear ya Juli! The place where money and yoga meet is endlessly tricky. This is why it is so important for us all to keep talking about it, and bringing these shadow topics into the light. XO
Great advice, Francesca! Based on years of experience as a therapist in a fee-for-service office, I learned how to respect my own time so that others would as well. Not only does it create a clear boundary, but also cuts out any potential resentful feelings. Now that I teach 1:1 yoga, the need for structure still applies, and helps establish a professional relationship. Thanks again for another helpful post!
You’re so welcome Carrie! I love having you hanging around here. <3
Great advice from the master of setting boundaries that benefit both the student and teacher. I loved the mention of the “awkward late cancel conversation”, been there. Loving your advice!
Yay, thanks Jul! You know I am only the Master of Setting Boundaries because I have been through it all… 😉
I love that this notion of “Root Chakra” boundaries, so profound. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for being here Michelle! XO
The idea of connecting money and time to root chakra is brilliant! THANK YOU for sharing this. I once read a cancellation policy that included (from the therapist/teacher) “If I cancel on you with less than 24 hours notice your next session is free”. Yeah, I adopted that too.
You are so welcome Sarah! I’m so happy we are on the same page about this! 🙂
Francesca, you have been so important to me as I grow my one-on-one business. Thank you for all that you share! I’m so grateful to have you as a resource on my journey.
I was wondering what you do in the case that you, for unforeseen circumstances, needs to cancel on a client. I’m writing a new policy for my private clients in 2022 and it only seems fair that I lay out a policy for what happens if I cancel with less than 24h notice, in the same way that I present a policy for when they cancel with less than 24h notice. Many thanks!
It’s so lovely to hear that feedback Catherine! I’m so glad we can be on this journey together! It’s funny, this topic *just* came up in my online community ( YogaTeacherCommunity.com // We’d love to have you join us!!). I have heard of some teachers that have a policy that if they cancel on their clients with less than 24 hours notice they will give the student a free lesson. I do not think this is a good idea. I think the only policy we really need to have in place is to try really hard to not cancel on people. Offering the student a free lesson because we had an emergency is not acknowledging the imbalance of power in the relationship. As teachers we are essentially service providers making our living and livelihood teaching, our students are enjoying and receiving a luxury service. Us canceling on them is not the same as them canceling on us. When they cancel we lose money. When we cancel they don’t get to have their private yoga lesson. It is not exactly the same thing. I’m not saying it’s okay to disrespect our students time or schedule, quite the opposite! In my 16 years of teaching I almost *never* reschedule or cancel! But I think if we do have a true emergency, we just let them know as soon as we can, and look forward to seeing them next week. What do you think? How does that land with you?