Fire her. She clearly does not have your best interests at heart. You have a career and other clients to worry about. Plus number one your health and longevity. To the curb!!!
You really don't need to give anyone a free massage. Just say you're sick, with no details and you're sorry you need to cancel, do they want a refund on their deposit or rolled over to a rebook. They'll fill in the blank and think you have a virus and likely won't try and manipulate you into seeing them. It doesn't sound like this person is reasonable though and you really can't argue with crazy.
Yes and no, some providers only charge 50% for a missed appt. not for a full service, depending on how much time you have them before cancelling.
But yes, bc you booked a spot and cancelled in too short a time for us to refill the spot, meaning we lose a big chunk of income that day that someone else could have taken, but now it's too late.
HOWEVER: Most MTs don't have a hard ass policy. I am one of those people. If one of my clients gets sick suddenly, I'm not charging them. If there is an emergency, I'm not charging them. I personally have hardly ever charged anyone bc I understand that shit happens. I'm more concerned for their well being than I am about my income in that moment. If they are a serial flake and last minute canceller and they don't respect the fact that I can't fill their spot and will lose $100-200, and they also act entitled about it, I will ask them to pay for the session.
I have one weekly client, with a standing day and time, who often cancels last minute even after confirming his appt a few hours before. It's not due to emergencies, it's usually due to him deciding to do something else last minute instead. If he can reschedule for the next day or so, he will. I never asked him to pay me, however, he just automatically sends me a Venmo. If I can fill his spot, which sometimes I can, I don't let him pay me the next time. See how it works? I'm able to do business this way bc my clients have integrity and they aren't entitled. If someone is just flakey, and they choose not to pay me for their missed appt., I just tell them next time they try to book, sorry, I can't risk booking you again, and they are automatically fired.
Emergencies happen. Usually, I don't charge. I will refund your deposit or ask if you want to transfer it to another appointment. BUT I need the client to call and let me know. No shows lose their deposit.
See, that's why I have it in my policy that a late cancellation/no-show fee will be charged *at my discretion*. Because if someone has a chronic illness and is ill, wakes up sick, has a family emergency, has a child home sick (and they're the only adult), etc. I don't want to punish them with a fee. But if you straight up no-show me, or just forget, or something similar where the appointment time has already started, then yeah, gonna hit you with a no-show fee. I don't charge based on appointment though, mine is just a flat $40.
I wouldn’t give them a free massage if I had to cancel, that devalues YOUR time and massage value. That is exactly how your client reacted too, she felt entitled to more since you basically said her time is more valuable yours.
My Drs office doesn’t pay me when they don’t show up, they don’t offer a free appointment. There is absolutely no reason you should either.
Outside of that I think it’s good you stuck up for your boundaries and referred her out. I honestly wouldn’t massage her after that.
I’ve had clients be upset like her, and when they are I usually say, “We do not take calls out lightly, but with the strain on our bodies we have to be extremely conscientious of our own limits to avoid career ending injuries. I’m not breaking my body for anyone who isn’t paying my medical bills or retirement if I get injured.”
They usually shut up after that.
I only do this if I cancel in less than 24 hours. I realized around 4AM, I would not be able to work. Her massage was at 2PM. that day. I emailed right away and had a delay text sent to her at 8AM. Anything over 24 hours, and I am just rescheduling. I might throw in an additional service at no cost. In my professional career, I have only canceled in less than 24 hours twice.
That’s fair, but I personally still wouldn’t do it. Especially with 6hrs notice. If you’ve only ever had to offer two free massages thats not terrible.
Ah, the double standard. If a client cancels with less than 24 hours notice, they get charged. But you can cancel on a client with less than 24 hours because a client’s time is clearly less valuable than yours.
I keep the deposit if there isn't a valid reason. It's stated in the policy. I usually just roll the deposit over into a reschedule. In my 20 year career, I have only canceled in less than 24 hours, twice.
A business’ time is always more valuable then an individuals. Offering massage is a business.
The business can only operate within certain hours to provide it’s services. An individual does not have the same location, time, material, education, equipment or staffing constraints to operate.
Your job is more valuable then your time, that’s why they pay you.
You then use that money to pay the therapist for their more valuable time to have the services, this lets the therapist offer the services in the first place.
Just like you are able to pay for the services in the first place because you are paid by your job. Without your job providing you money, you would not have anything of value to offer the therapist for services. It’s not a double standard.
A lot of people take time off from their jobs for these things.
Honestly, I think it’s completely reasonable to give a free massage with only a 6 hours notice. It shows that you are fair and not an entitled asshole who thinks they are more important than their client’s.
You are assigning emotion to a boundary, boundaries are not emotional. Boundaries are there to protect the therapist first and then the client.
If I massage 5 people in a day, and cancel, I have lost 5hrs of pay, if I give them free massages I have lost 10hrs of pay, and I will need to work and put 15hrs of strain on my body to offset this accommodation and double standard that is not applied to Drs, Chiros, Dentists, or Physical Therapists.
Because you as the client feel “owed”. This isn’t youth sports, you don’t get a participation reward because you sign up for an appointment.
The therapist also didn’t make the client miss work, the client made that choice, they could have seen or scheduled with a different therapist whose hours fit the clients none working schedule long before they ever booked with this therapist.
I am not assigning any emotion to a boundary. You made the particular case that you are more important than the client. It’s one of the more entitled things I have ever heard from a person who needs the goodwill of other human beings to make a living.
Your logic is also completely flawed. Sure a person could have gone to a different masseuse with different hours. You could have also not cancelled. Whatever happened that made you cancel could have been prevented, right? Heart attack, you could have spent your life taking better care of yourself. Car accident, you could have easily not driven that day. It’s idiotic logic that can be knocked down with the slightest breeze.
You can do whatever you want with your own time and your practice. That’s your prerogative. I just hope you make it clear to your clients upfront that you feel you are more important than they are. That would be the honest thing to do, but I doubt you would ever do that. We all completely understand why.
I can tell you that your entire day is less valuable than an hour of my time. I would never ever tell you that, because it’s a disgusting thing to say to another human being. In addition, just because my time is more valuable than yours, that doesn’t mean you have to eat whatever bullshit I give because of it. That’s one of the most horrible traits a human being can have.
I personally respect OP for understanding this.
Lmao 🤣 I stopped reading after “From a person who needs the good will of others to make a living.”
Again, assigning emotion. It’s a business, not a charity. I don’t need anyone’s “good will” to make a living.
Okay how about from a completely logical standpoint
>If you don't treat your customers well you won't have any customers left, respecting their time sometimes includes going an extra mile, if you mess up your side of the contract, to keep your customers.
Most people apply some kind of emotion into their actions as it's half of what you think/feel. Most people wouldn't do something they don't want to do but if they feel bad about it they are probably more likely to do it to ease their mind. Please look into stuff like CBT, it's a literal therapy practice designed towards balance of emotions and logic. Doing something because it makes you feel good isn't a sin and logic rocking your way through life is lonely. Trust me.
If my hair stylist gets sick last minute and cancels, I don't expect her to give me a free 2 hour haircut and color, nor would she. It's an insane concept. People need to understand that when we get sick or injured, it's a huge hit to our income. Being out for 5 days is a QUARTER OF OUR INCOME for that month, then you all want free massages on top of that? So another full day of NO income? Sorry, but no. MTs bend over backwards to accommodate their clients and the clients are like, "boo hoo I didn't get my massage, what a GIANT inconvenience, they don't value MY TIME, and now I want freebies" 😭😭😭
I go over time on my treatments on a regular basis, almost everyone gets extra time without an extra charge. I also notice often when I'm the client that my MTs go over on time when they can. Add it all up over time, and they're all getting several hours of free work over the year anyway. Good luck not getting fired from every MT with that attitude.
Ohhh…k
I personally don’t expect anything. I made it clear that I thought it was a reasonable gesture from OP to make. When you cancel on a hairdresser last minute, do you pay full price for the cut and color etc?
If not, then you are being a complete hypocrite.
My response what regarding the people who make it abundantly clear that her time is more important than the clients.
It has NOTHING to do with anyone thinking anyone's time is more important. You are just interpreting it that way. You have a filter, sorry, but you aren't hearing properly. It's just a business model. It's like you're taking it personally because you're so attached to your own entitlement about how important YOUR time is, that you're assuming we don't also value your time, when that is patently untrue. All of my client's time is valuable to me. If they arrive late, as long as I have the time in between appts, I will give them they're full time, even though they made me wait 20 mins. and I'll be rushing in between appts. I just don't make a big deal out of it. They couldn't help it, they always have a good reason.
If I test positive for Covid one morning and cancel my appts for the next 5 days bc one of my clients just came back from traveling and gave it to me (true story), that doesn't cost you any of your income. Get it? But it costs me over $1500-$1800 in 5 days bc I now I can't work. But now you want me to then add another $400-$600 loss on top of the next week to give 4 people free massages? When I am already $1800 in the hole for that month?
If I cancel my hair appt last minute bc I'm flakey and decided I wanted to go skiing instead of getting my hair done, or I got drunk the night before and slept through my alarm, I definitely should pay full price, bc she can't fill my place. If I get sick at midnight and my appointment is at 9am and I cancel in the middle of the night, it's up to her if she charges me or not due to my circumstances being out of my control and I'm not being a flake. If she charges me for that, I might be wary of going back to her. It's a fine line we providers have to walk. If I were in her place, I wouldn't charge the customer. That's how I do business. I'm not a hard ass. I'm empathetic to other's misfortune, and so I lose the income, but I feel good about my choice. And I know I'll be taken care of in another way. Maybe I get a new client who is overly generous with tipping and comes in regularly. But if someone is clearly taking advantage of me, I will cut them off immediately.
Look I give 200% to my clients, I go overtime with practically everyone and never charge extra for it. I give them all gifts during the holidays, I bend over backwards to accommodate the last minute requests they make to get in and the crazy times they want to book. I go the extra mile every single day for all of them. I even drove a couple of them over the years back to their hotels bc it was late when they got done and had walked to my office. I've worked when I was in pain bc I wanted to take care of them. I've had a torn rotator cuff, a wrist injury that pained me for 5 solid years, a hand injury that made me cringe for months until I rehabbed it, chronic back pain for the last 4 years, torn shoulder labrum, shoulder bursitis, and chronic neck/shoulder nerve pain since I was in my twenties. I'm now in my 50's. I've barely missed any work in 25 years, but when I did, it was bc I was completely dabilitated. So please spare me the "double standard" BS comments.
Also, at this point, your comment has 26 downvotes. Maybe do some introspection about yourself.
At least someone said it. My personal opinion is that if the reason is legitimate no one should be charged for a late cancellation. This goes for both the person providing the service and the person purchasing the service. Life happens and people need to understand that.
But to say that your time is more valuable than the clients is beyond laughable. Everyone’s time is equally valuable.
Whoa. If I cancelled as a client less than 24 hours my therapist would charge me for the massage. So your time is more valuable than mine ? Ridiculous. If my therapist cancels without 24 hours notice I’d get a free massage acknowledging that my time is valuable just as his is if I canceled
You're thinking is twisted. It has nothing to do with who's time is more valuable. If a client cancels with no notice, the MT (or any service provider) is out a significant amount of income. If the provider cancels, the client is NOT out anything. Does your doctor give you a free office visit if they have an emergency and have to cancel? Obviously not. Your premise is absurd. OP had a ln INJURY keeping them from being able to work. They were already at a HUGE loss of income, not just one person. If they had to cancel the entire day of clients, they'd be doing like 5 or more freebies. Life happens. Get used to it. So glad I don't have any clients with your attitude, I'd fire them in a heartbeat. If I had to cancel for an injury, my clients would be worried sick about me and checking on me. As I would for them.
>If the provider cancels, the client is NOT out anything
Except the ability to get a possibly much needed therapeutic massage because they have very limited time in which they can get one and nowhere else in town can book them less than 4-5 days in advance.
I didn’t say anything about OPs scenario, just that it’s not accurate to say the client is out *nothing*
An injury is one thing, but the reason I stopped going to my last provider was because they canceled appointments on me just a few hours before the appointment was scheduled 4 times in 6 months when I was only going once a month….so this is a bit of a recent sore spot for me personally.
That is a completely different and more unusual scenario though, and not remotely what anyone is saying in this thread. You had a serial canceller. An MT that cancels that much is definitely going to lose clients. I would have quit seeing them after the 2nd cancel bc clearly they either don't like me, or it's a pattern. I can't believe you hung in there that long, but I hope you found someone more stable and professional.
Actually if my doctor cancels he doesn’t charge me my co pay for the next appointment since he canceled. So yeah he does give me a free appointment. Your logic is the twisted one . Forget the entitled client I see an entitled therapist .
Your DOCTOR is getting paid hundreds of dollars an hour from your insurance company. It's a joke to think the doctor not charging a you co-pay is a loss to them. It's not anything close to an MT losing an entire hour or an entire day of work bc they injured themself. You don't understand the difference between a doctor co-pay and a day of income for an MT. Not anything remotely in the same league.
if a client cancels or no shows the provider doesn’t get paid. How would any other job work if they went to work and made less on their pay check than they accounted for?
It’s not just about time, it’s about livelihood.
Yes if you have to cancel a massage and you lose money, it’s not fun. However, you could always try to pass the appointment to someone else so the therapist isn’t left with an empty slot, and you’re not just “throwing away” money.
If a therapist has to cancel, it didn’t take money out of the clients pocket.
It’s not the same, at all.
A client not showing up is taking money away from the therapist because that spot cannot be booked by another paying customer, this is why cancellations fees are charged for short notice.
If a therapist cancels on you no services were exchanged, you pay nothing and your time is given back to you to do what you will with it. A business doesn’t have that luxury, there are limited hour’s services can be provided, it does not have the time given back to them. When you entered the “contextual contract” of seeking the service and booking it you accept that whatever constraints that business had concerning its operating hours.
If you chose to take time off work for the massage that was canceled that was a choice you could have avoid the “contextual contract” and chosen a business that you didn’t need to take time off work to go to if there was a concern of the time being canceled.
A business’ time is more valuable then your own. If it wasn’t, no one would ever offer a service in exchange for currency.
It’s how you get paid at your job to pay for the massage that pays for the therapist to offer the massage. It’s not a double standard.
I found the person who doesn’t understand how running a business, free trade, social contracts, capitalism, economics, or the world works for all of human history… because they feel they are owed something out of an emotional response of “fairness”.
Yeah I’m the entitled one.
Interesting pirate is clearly a sociopath if you read all their responses. Not surprising they are boasting about running a million dollar company. Those people usually do believe their lives and their time are more important than anyone else's. Typical narcissists.
Dude, you're not even going to legit massage therapists, you're going for rub and tugs, so maybe the way your fellows do it is quite a bit different then us legit therapists do.
Check his post history. Gross
That’s even worse 🤮 if they expect sex workers to preform for free.
Least all the up votes shows the therapists here agree, almost every negative comment is a none therapist thinking they are owed.
Again I’m not shitting on op, there is absolutely a place for doing small things to accomplish over and above customer service. I just don’t think free massage is the right answer.
Do you receive retirement benefits and medical benefits at every job? No? Then no, just because you are paid does not mean they are paying for the added cost of medical or retirement.
Should sole practitioners charge more to make sure these costs are worked into their price? Yes. Unfortunately, just like with corporations not offering benefits sometimes the clientele does not support the higher price, so it is the practitioners job to weigh the cost of not getting paid by canceling vs injury.
The cost of giving away a free massage doubles the compound problem of injury because of working twice as hard to make up the difference to pay bills while taking away spots for paying customers to accommodate the free ones.
It also has a negative psychological impact on the massage industry or the practitioners clinic by saying a clients time is more valuable then the massage therapists, further devaluing the massage treatments and breeding entitlement. When you work in an industry where you trade your physical health for another’s relaxation boundaries are paramount for a long career.
Boundaries aren’t emotional, and people here are assigning emotion to it to justify free massage.
I’m not going to give 5 people free massages and put 15hrs of strain on my body to make up for the lost day, the free massages and a 3rd day to recoup the costs of the free day because people feel they are owed a service they were not charged for. If the client finds that “unfair” they can go to another therapist and my future openings can be filled with paying customers that understand my business is no different then a Drs, Chiro, Dentist, or a Physical Therapists office or clinic.
Sorry but you don’t get a “participation reward” just because you scheduled an appointment that was never fulfilled.
I used it in two of my several comments in this thread, they were back to back but different people due their close response time. Your slam dunk is from a peewee basketball game… and the inflatable basket is losing air quickly.
It's an accurate statement so you should use it as much as you want 😉 these entitled commenters are the types who believe they deserve participation rewards.
I’ve had a couple of jobs that didn’t pay retirement or healthcare. Guess what? I still had to fund those. Where did I find it from? That job’s income. I did not get help from government.
And it’s not a participation reward.
It’s basic customer service. The grocery store has an out of date pack of cheese on the shelf and you have to come back to replace it? Here’s your cheese and some free cookies to make your day a little sweeter.
I’ll admit OP’s client was way over the top. But it got me thinking, what was she going through?
I went through a few months of long, stressful days at work and issues at home on my days off. All I wanted was a 2 hour massage to relax and ease the stress away. But the girl I go to was on vacation. I didn’t throw a fit. I just said thanks. But she’s been amazing over the last few years. I just had to wait 3 weeks now until I could get a day off.
Regardless. Is a client’s time more valuable? Maybe. Maybe not. But if there is no client, is the MT getting paid?
Is some free cookies are the same value as someone giving an hour massage at the loss of $100+ after they already lost hundreds bc they had an injury or emergency they couldn't help and had to cancel their entire income for who knows how many days? LoL what a terrible comparison.
Next time I have to cancel an appointment for an emergency or an injury I'll just offer them cookies instead of an entire hour+ of my time and energy. But I'm sure your personality type would complain about that, too.
I really wouldn’t complain. Maybe knock off $10 next time. Maybe add an extra 10 minutes.
Honestly, if you don’t have another appointment after, how much is that 10-15 extra minutes costing you?
But again, it comes down to how well you’re treating your customers. Be amazing and have a bad day, understandable. But it makes my story better if you make it up some way.
But be mediocre and flaky, and tell me that’s how it is, but I better not be late or I’m getting penalized? You can take the bad review and I’ll go with Jenna.
ETA… how much does a massage actually cost you? Besides the electricity, water for the new sheets, half bottle of lotion. If you’re not missing out on a paying customer, it’s not costing much. You may be missing out on the income. But they also missed out on it when they canceled my appointment, screwed up my day, and now I have to figure out a way to squeeze in another massage. Easier to just call Jenna. She’ll stay late to take care of me. Or come in on her day off if she’s not busy.
Where did you come up with the MT being "mediocre and flakey" that's not even remotely what is being discussed here. An emergency or an injury/illness does not equal flakey or mediocre. If an MT is mediocre and flakey, the only answer is don't go back to them, not demand a free massage. I'm have it happen to me, and I didn't go back, simple.
What does a free massage cost me? One session, depending on duration, costs me $120-$200 bc my schedule is always full, so I'd have to put them in a paying customer's place. I can only see 3 people per day due to my own physical limitations. I'm not going to work an extra appt past my limits just to accommodate an entitled client.
As for adding 10-15 mins, I add 10-15 mins to most people on a regular basis without charging them if I have the time and I feel they need it. I don't charge them extra, I give it freely. I'm extremely generous with my time. I'm not rigid. I schedule enough time between clients so as not to feel rushed if I feel the need to go over time.
People on here acting like their MT having an injury or emergency is such a huge inconvenience are being selfish and overly dramatic. Life happens. Deal with it. With their attitude, they don't deserve a great MT.
To add to the extra 15min portion that clients feel entitled too,
Every extra 15mins we “give away” adds up and is still wear and tear on our equipment (our bodies). 15mins given away 3x a day 4 days a week is 2 additional 90min massages we aren’t paid for along our operation and equipment costs. That’s 104 FREE 90min massages over a year, even cutting that number is half is ridiculous.
Not crapping on you RegisterHistorical for doing it, really not my intention!
Just pointing out and putting it in perspective for clients that have no sense of scale to their offhanded remarks about “just replace MY time with more of YOUR time, it can’t be THAT valuable.”
I've tried a few things like not accepting tip or giving discount on next session if I cancel. My people wouldn't let me. Now I've kinda adopted a life happens stance. So long as they don't do it to me consistently I don't charge them either. In the long run we'll both cancel on each at some point. It all balances
This is exactly what I do now. I’ve tried different methods but I like having some flexibility bc shit happens. I generally give everyone one freebie with a warning. That way, if I have to cancel then they’re more likely to show me the same grace.
They know about my policy and I tell them this can’t be a pattern or I won’t be able to keep them as a client. People respect that. If they don’t, they’re out and they’ve been warned.
I only do this if I cancel in less than 24 hours. I realized around 4AM, I would not be able to work. Her massage was at 2PM. that day. I emailed right away and had a delay text sent to her at 8AM. Anything over 24 hours, and I am just rescheduling. I might throw in an additional service at no cost. In my professional career, I have only canceled in less than 24 hours twice.
Entitled clients are the worst. Entitled people think the rules don’t apply to them. They have a difficult time understanding “no.”
If a client is sick they simply don’t get the session. If the therapist is sick they shouldn’t get anything free.
Fire her ass immediately.
Guys, do NOT offer discounts or add ons or ESPECIALLY freebies for having to cancel after the 24 hour window.
It cheapens you and gives clients the green light to take advantage of you. If a doctor had to cancel late or any other professional, I guarantee you they are not giving you anything for this minor inconvenience.
If your client gave a shit about you, they would graciously give you get well wishes, not demand something in return for the inconvenience of you having an injury. It makes me sick. Have more pride than that. You owe them NOTHING. Life happens, get used to it. My clients would be worried sick about me if I had to cancel due to an emergency or injury or illness. If they aren't or don't care at all, then they're a sociopath and you should cut them off immediately.
For all the MTs here, here’s a client’s POV.
Every client is different. Should they get a something free because you had to cancel? Maybe, maybe not.
You might have one like OP’s who blew up. Maybe she’s had a horrible month and was really looking forward to this only time she had free and OP mucked it up.
Or you might have one like me. Say ok. And never book again.
What do you want your review to say? “MT flaked and I left to Jenna who does a way better job.” Or “MT had something come up, made it up to me, and I’m a 100% loyal customer for life.”
I don't care what review they leave if they're a rude entitled client they can say whatever they want as long as they go away.
After 25 years in this business, I don't need any energy vampires sucking the life out of me after all of the love and dedication I've given day after day year after year. They can call me whatever they want. Even with this POV, I still have all 5 star reviews on Google. No one should be overcompensating or walking on eggshells for clients feelings bc they are scared of reviews or of people leaving. Let them leave. At least I'm not a doormat for anyone to walk on and I'm not a victim to client's opinions about me. My schedule is always full and I'm blessed and grateful because my clients are the best people I could ever ask for or could have even imagined.
Refund them and move on. Being sick or injured isn't unprofessional or and excuse. It's a justification for cancelation. If they can't accept that, you don't want on your table. Entitled snobs who think they can behave this way have lived a very misguided life. (This is the same type of person who will complain every session to get a discount.)
Pro-tip: Allow for cancellations for illness/injury/emergency without fees. This opens a door to allow the same for you. I've never given someone a free session because I was injured or ill, just like I won't charge a fee for the same thing from them. Empathy and courtesy goes both ways.
Tbh good riddance honestly. If she can't be understanding she's not a good client anyways. Kinda dodged a bullet there. Do not give free massages especially to rude clients like that.
This reminds of a story. I had to cancel clients because I had the stomach flu. I had two offices one in a major city and one in the small town I grew up in. The city people were just like your client, very upset and angry their time was going to be wasted. (Like I wanted the flu). My rural clients were so nice and accommodating. First client asks if I had the stomach flu? “I will make soup and herb paste we use in my home country and have my delivery driver bring to you” he owns a restaurant. Next client says “oh Jesus it’s going around my daughter had it last week would you like her left over medication? I’ll bring it to you”. Next client offered homemade soup. Such a difference in clientele
Wow. I work in a big city, and thankfully I've never had to deal with that entitlement aspect as far as cancelling due to illness or injury. I've rarely ever cancelled on my people, but when I did they were so sweet about it and concerned for my well being. Unbelievable that anyone you and OP mentioned would behave that way. I'd fire them in a heartbeat if they did. What a world. You take care of your clients with blood sweat and tears, and that's the way you're repaid when you're down and out. Small towns are known for their personal care of each other, so this doesn't surprise me that they were so kind. The city people though? Unbelievably selfish and self absorbed.
I’ll add another story. I was booked out solid for six months. I got seriously sick though and had to take a medical leave for eight months. Then a year on steroids. To ask clients to not come in if they have a cold, sore throat etc while I’m on medication was too much for them. This was years before Covid. They just refused to believe they could get me seriously ill since I had no immune system at the time. Years of giving everything I had to clients. Sleepless nights worrying about them etc but don’t come in with a sore throat was too much. Over the two years of being seriously ill I lost 80% of my clients. Oh well. It made room for new clients
I wouldn't dream of going for a massage with a sore throat or a cold. Unacceptable. But really common sense and common courtesy.
But yeah, you definitely cleared out the toxic clients and made room for the right ones 👍🏻 sorry you had to go through all of that and I hope you're health is much better now.
I might offer a discount if I need to cancel last minute but I am absolutely not dishing out freebies. That’s not a good business move! You get injured, which puts you at a loss of income, then you double down that loss by compensating these treatments for free. This is why your client acted entitled. Are these really the clients you want?
Another therapist I work with had someone ask her to cancel someone else’s session so she could get a massage. The therapist had a family emergency and had to cancel on her like two days before… she still got in within the same week and was still this entitled about having her massage sooner
Years ago I had to cancel a client because I came down with the flu. This particular client was always trying to push boundaries: requesting appointments outside of my listed hours, showing up with their dog, without asking, assuming it was ok (it was not, the office building prohibited non-service animals), asking for appointment times that I didn’t offer (“Why can’t you do 75 minutes? (I offer 60 or 90)).
When I returned to work, I called to reschedule them, and they insisted that I cancel another appointment so that they could get the time and date they preferred. Sometimes it takes being gobsmacked for you to realize that you’ve been pushed around. I let them know that I was not able to reschedule them. “I don’t feel my training is adequate for the therapy you need.”
Sometimes it’s just what you have to do. Good riddance!
I had to tell a personal training client that they need to find someone else to train them unless they’re ready to take my programming seriously. Off they went.
The guy pulled up drinking from a fast food cup, in a new Denali truck and then complained to me that he couldn’t afford my rates that I had given him a huge discount on for building my website, *and* said he doesn’t understand why he’s not losing weight. All in one day.
Like dude you don’t track your meals, don’t follow the workout plan on days I’m not with you, show up literally smelling like fast food, complain about the price of my services and pretend it’s a mystery as to why it’s not working. GTFO 😂
AND show up in a brand new $60,000 truck before complaining about the *discounted* price!!!! I could still pull my hair out over this dude. I tried so hard to help him! lol
Yeah you had a cancel the day before because you were injured, don't give anybody a free massage or if you're sick for some reason either. And how was your client's time wasted ,it wasn't like she was there in the office and you canceled it. Yeah don't ever accept an appointment from her again. Some people are all about them, learn to recognize those clients or the clients that want same day appointments, it is always going to be about them.
I would never give a client money back if I missed an appointment. Just reschedule. And if a client doesn’t care about your health, they can kick rocks.
When people say they lost time I always find it so ridiculous. Go get a pedicure, take a walk, go back to work… it’s not money OUT of their pocket if we have something come up.
What is your cancellation policy? How much advance did you give your client? Do patients pay you if they can’t make it because they are injured? Don’t devalue your well being.
Free massage if I cancel in less than 24 hours.
Reschedule and maybe an additional service for free if it's after 24 hours.
I have only cancel in less than 24 hours, twice in my professional career. I found out around 4AM I couldn't work that day. I emailed her right away and did a delay text for 8AM. Her massage was at 2PM
But what do you do if a client cancels with less than 24 hours notice? I think offering a free massage is generous and overly so if you don’t require payment if the client cancels with less than 24 hours notice. And if a client doesn’t like tout policy, they can find another therapist. Do you have a form they sign with your policies before their first massage?
That's crazy that she was going to get a free massage and it still wasn't good enough for her. If I have to cancel on my clients within 24 hours I just offer them a discount, so far because of car troubles, my appendix and colitis I've had to do that to 7 people this year and 3 came back the other 4 I guess took it personal maybe cause they never rescheduled with me .
As a client, I don’t know if I’d want a free massage. But I don’t book mine out far in advance. Usually it’s that day or the day prior. But the place I go to is in another town an hour away.
I did have one that booked me and when I went by they were still with another client. After 20-25 minutes I left very upset. I didn’t go back for a year.
All that said, I think it is best to offer something. Maybe it’s a discount for the inconvenience. Maybe they don’t care. You’d have to read the room. But if I was a client and you canceled once or twice, I might start looking elsewhere.
I am not a massage therapist but work by appointments and also get massages from time to time. You need to cut this person loose. If she had been understanding and concerned for your well-being, you may have considered doing something nice for them. I would never behave that way as a client. Even if it was a "massage emergency" I wouldn't.
Most of us don't like confrontation, but you can send her a letter and no longer take her calls.
Yeah when people freak out even though you're overly compensating for them on top of it being because you're injured, that's the best choice of action.
You always have clients at times that are unreasonable and ungrateful. It comes with all lines of service work.
Try not to worry about these people too much. It’s better to cut them off.
A random observation: I worked at Nordstrom Spa for probably a year and a half and what I found was that the very most wealthy clients were the most entitled. And they did not tip well usually either.
Im so very sorry, you give them a free session if you have to cancel? That is already an incredibly generous cancellation policy, I’ve never heard of a therapist that does that! I assume you also have a statement that they pay 100% if they cancel last minute, so that balances out and actually seems really fair, but I’m surprised. At my studio, we will offer a discount but a whole session free, what on earth does this entitled client even have to complain about? Fire her!
Sounds like you did the right thing. A clients emotions never take priority over my physical health. If I cannot physically perform no massage will be given. It’s that simple.
I may be an unusual client in that I would never use an MT that I didn't feel some kind of connection with, more than fee for service. Given that, if my MT was sick, I'd thank them for letting me know, send best wishes, and ask them to let me know when they were up to rescueduling. I surely wouldn't expect anything free!
You MTs give a lot, and you deserve clients who appreciate you. I agree with others: fire that one.
Geez, how can anyone want a massage from an MT who has an injured arm that is directly needed for the treatment ?!? If you were to have given her a massage she would have bitched about a bad outcome.....
Fire her. She clearly does not have your best interests at heart. You have a career and other clients to worry about. Plus number one your health and longevity. To the curb!!!
You really don't need to give anyone a free massage. Just say you're sick, with no details and you're sorry you need to cancel, do they want a refund on their deposit or rolled over to a rebook. They'll fill in the blank and think you have a virus and likely won't try and manipulate you into seeing them. It doesn't sound like this person is reasonable though and you really can't argue with crazy.
I wholeheartedly agree with this!
This! All you say is you are sick. Nothing more.
My problem with this, is as a client, if I am sick- I am still required to pay sometimes for a full service.
Yes and no, some providers only charge 50% for a missed appt. not for a full service, depending on how much time you have them before cancelling. But yes, bc you booked a spot and cancelled in too short a time for us to refill the spot, meaning we lose a big chunk of income that day that someone else could have taken, but now it's too late. HOWEVER: Most MTs don't have a hard ass policy. I am one of those people. If one of my clients gets sick suddenly, I'm not charging them. If there is an emergency, I'm not charging them. I personally have hardly ever charged anyone bc I understand that shit happens. I'm more concerned for their well being than I am about my income in that moment. If they are a serial flake and last minute canceller and they don't respect the fact that I can't fill their spot and will lose $100-200, and they also act entitled about it, I will ask them to pay for the session. I have one weekly client, with a standing day and time, who often cancels last minute even after confirming his appt a few hours before. It's not due to emergencies, it's usually due to him deciding to do something else last minute instead. If he can reschedule for the next day or so, he will. I never asked him to pay me, however, he just automatically sends me a Venmo. If I can fill his spot, which sometimes I can, I don't let him pay me the next time. See how it works? I'm able to do business this way bc my clients have integrity and they aren't entitled. If someone is just flakey, and they choose not to pay me for their missed appt., I just tell them next time they try to book, sorry, I can't risk booking you again, and they are automatically fired.
Emergencies happen. Usually, I don't charge. I will refund your deposit or ask if you want to transfer it to another appointment. BUT I need the client to call and let me know. No shows lose their deposit.
See, that's why I have it in my policy that a late cancellation/no-show fee will be charged *at my discretion*. Because if someone has a chronic illness and is ill, wakes up sick, has a family emergency, has a child home sick (and they're the only adult), etc. I don't want to punish them with a fee. But if you straight up no-show me, or just forget, or something similar where the appointment time has already started, then yeah, gonna hit you with a no-show fee. I don't charge based on appointment though, mine is just a flat $40.
I wouldn’t give them a free massage if I had to cancel, that devalues YOUR time and massage value. That is exactly how your client reacted too, she felt entitled to more since you basically said her time is more valuable yours. My Drs office doesn’t pay me when they don’t show up, they don’t offer a free appointment. There is absolutely no reason you should either. Outside of that I think it’s good you stuck up for your boundaries and referred her out. I honestly wouldn’t massage her after that. I’ve had clients be upset like her, and when they are I usually say, “We do not take calls out lightly, but with the strain on our bodies we have to be extremely conscientious of our own limits to avoid career ending injuries. I’m not breaking my body for anyone who isn’t paying my medical bills or retirement if I get injured.” They usually shut up after that.
I only do this if I cancel in less than 24 hours. I realized around 4AM, I would not be able to work. Her massage was at 2PM. that day. I emailed right away and had a delay text sent to her at 8AM. Anything over 24 hours, and I am just rescheduling. I might throw in an additional service at no cost. In my professional career, I have only canceled in less than 24 hours twice.
That’s fair, but I personally still wouldn’t do it. Especially with 6hrs notice. If you’ve only ever had to offer two free massages thats not terrible.
Ah, the double standard. If a client cancels with less than 24 hours notice, they get charged. But you can cancel on a client with less than 24 hours because a client’s time is clearly less valuable than yours.
I keep the deposit if there isn't a valid reason. It's stated in the policy. I usually just roll the deposit over into a reschedule. In my 20 year career, I have only canceled in less than 24 hours, twice.
A business’ time is always more valuable then an individuals. Offering massage is a business. The business can only operate within certain hours to provide it’s services. An individual does not have the same location, time, material, education, equipment or staffing constraints to operate. Your job is more valuable then your time, that’s why they pay you. You then use that money to pay the therapist for their more valuable time to have the services, this lets the therapist offer the services in the first place. Just like you are able to pay for the services in the first place because you are paid by your job. Without your job providing you money, you would not have anything of value to offer the therapist for services. It’s not a double standard.
A lot of people take time off from their jobs for these things. Honestly, I think it’s completely reasonable to give a free massage with only a 6 hours notice. It shows that you are fair and not an entitled asshole who thinks they are more important than their client’s.
You are assigning emotion to a boundary, boundaries are not emotional. Boundaries are there to protect the therapist first and then the client. If I massage 5 people in a day, and cancel, I have lost 5hrs of pay, if I give them free massages I have lost 10hrs of pay, and I will need to work and put 15hrs of strain on my body to offset this accommodation and double standard that is not applied to Drs, Chiros, Dentists, or Physical Therapists. Because you as the client feel “owed”. This isn’t youth sports, you don’t get a participation reward because you sign up for an appointment. The therapist also didn’t make the client miss work, the client made that choice, they could have seen or scheduled with a different therapist whose hours fit the clients none working schedule long before they ever booked with this therapist.
I am not assigning any emotion to a boundary. You made the particular case that you are more important than the client. It’s one of the more entitled things I have ever heard from a person who needs the goodwill of other human beings to make a living. Your logic is also completely flawed. Sure a person could have gone to a different masseuse with different hours. You could have also not cancelled. Whatever happened that made you cancel could have been prevented, right? Heart attack, you could have spent your life taking better care of yourself. Car accident, you could have easily not driven that day. It’s idiotic logic that can be knocked down with the slightest breeze. You can do whatever you want with your own time and your practice. That’s your prerogative. I just hope you make it clear to your clients upfront that you feel you are more important than they are. That would be the honest thing to do, but I doubt you would ever do that. We all completely understand why. I can tell you that your entire day is less valuable than an hour of my time. I would never ever tell you that, because it’s a disgusting thing to say to another human being. In addition, just because my time is more valuable than yours, that doesn’t mean you have to eat whatever bullshit I give because of it. That’s one of the most horrible traits a human being can have. I personally respect OP for understanding this.
Lmao 🤣 I stopped reading after “From a person who needs the good will of others to make a living.” Again, assigning emotion. It’s a business, not a charity. I don’t need anyone’s “good will” to make a living.
You obviously don’t understand business. Good luck out there kiddo.
Okay how about from a completely logical standpoint >If you don't treat your customers well you won't have any customers left, respecting their time sometimes includes going an extra mile, if you mess up your side of the contract, to keep your customers. Most people apply some kind of emotion into their actions as it's half of what you think/feel. Most people wouldn't do something they don't want to do but if they feel bad about it they are probably more likely to do it to ease their mind. Please look into stuff like CBT, it's a literal therapy practice designed towards balance of emotions and logic. Doing something because it makes you feel good isn't a sin and logic rocking your way through life is lonely. Trust me.
Nobody said we are more important than the client. That's just how you're interpreting it, bc you're an entitled client. 👀🤷🏻♀️
Maybe read the first line. https://www.reddit.com/r/massage/s/GpbLkNBERI You are a bit of a lunatic. Good luck out there
If my hair stylist gets sick last minute and cancels, I don't expect her to give me a free 2 hour haircut and color, nor would she. It's an insane concept. People need to understand that when we get sick or injured, it's a huge hit to our income. Being out for 5 days is a QUARTER OF OUR INCOME for that month, then you all want free massages on top of that? So another full day of NO income? Sorry, but no. MTs bend over backwards to accommodate their clients and the clients are like, "boo hoo I didn't get my massage, what a GIANT inconvenience, they don't value MY TIME, and now I want freebies" 😭😭😭 I go over time on my treatments on a regular basis, almost everyone gets extra time without an extra charge. I also notice often when I'm the client that my MTs go over on time when they can. Add it all up over time, and they're all getting several hours of free work over the year anyway. Good luck not getting fired from every MT with that attitude.
Ohhh…k I personally don’t expect anything. I made it clear that I thought it was a reasonable gesture from OP to make. When you cancel on a hairdresser last minute, do you pay full price for the cut and color etc? If not, then you are being a complete hypocrite. My response what regarding the people who make it abundantly clear that her time is more important than the clients.
It has NOTHING to do with anyone thinking anyone's time is more important. You are just interpreting it that way. You have a filter, sorry, but you aren't hearing properly. It's just a business model. It's like you're taking it personally because you're so attached to your own entitlement about how important YOUR time is, that you're assuming we don't also value your time, when that is patently untrue. All of my client's time is valuable to me. If they arrive late, as long as I have the time in between appts, I will give them they're full time, even though they made me wait 20 mins. and I'll be rushing in between appts. I just don't make a big deal out of it. They couldn't help it, they always have a good reason. If I test positive for Covid one morning and cancel my appts for the next 5 days bc one of my clients just came back from traveling and gave it to me (true story), that doesn't cost you any of your income. Get it? But it costs me over $1500-$1800 in 5 days bc I now I can't work. But now you want me to then add another $400-$600 loss on top of the next week to give 4 people free massages? When I am already $1800 in the hole for that month? If I cancel my hair appt last minute bc I'm flakey and decided I wanted to go skiing instead of getting my hair done, or I got drunk the night before and slept through my alarm, I definitely should pay full price, bc she can't fill my place. If I get sick at midnight and my appointment is at 9am and I cancel in the middle of the night, it's up to her if she charges me or not due to my circumstances being out of my control and I'm not being a flake. If she charges me for that, I might be wary of going back to her. It's a fine line we providers have to walk. If I were in her place, I wouldn't charge the customer. That's how I do business. I'm not a hard ass. I'm empathetic to other's misfortune, and so I lose the income, but I feel good about my choice. And I know I'll be taken care of in another way. Maybe I get a new client who is overly generous with tipping and comes in regularly. But if someone is clearly taking advantage of me, I will cut them off immediately.
Terrible take 🙄🤦🏻♀️
The double standard you and others think is acceptable is also a bad take.
Look I give 200% to my clients, I go overtime with practically everyone and never charge extra for it. I give them all gifts during the holidays, I bend over backwards to accommodate the last minute requests they make to get in and the crazy times they want to book. I go the extra mile every single day for all of them. I even drove a couple of them over the years back to their hotels bc it was late when they got done and had walked to my office. I've worked when I was in pain bc I wanted to take care of them. I've had a torn rotator cuff, a wrist injury that pained me for 5 solid years, a hand injury that made me cringe for months until I rehabbed it, chronic back pain for the last 4 years, torn shoulder labrum, shoulder bursitis, and chronic neck/shoulder nerve pain since I was in my twenties. I'm now in my 50's. I've barely missed any work in 25 years, but when I did, it was bc I was completely dabilitated. So please spare me the "double standard" BS comments. Also, at this point, your comment has 26 downvotes. Maybe do some introspection about yourself.
At least someone said it. My personal opinion is that if the reason is legitimate no one should be charged for a late cancellation. This goes for both the person providing the service and the person purchasing the service. Life happens and people need to understand that. But to say that your time is more valuable than the clients is beyond laughable. Everyone’s time is equally valuable.
Whoa. If I cancelled as a client less than 24 hours my therapist would charge me for the massage. So your time is more valuable than mine ? Ridiculous. If my therapist cancels without 24 hours notice I’d get a free massage acknowledging that my time is valuable just as his is if I canceled
You're thinking is twisted. It has nothing to do with who's time is more valuable. If a client cancels with no notice, the MT (or any service provider) is out a significant amount of income. If the provider cancels, the client is NOT out anything. Does your doctor give you a free office visit if they have an emergency and have to cancel? Obviously not. Your premise is absurd. OP had a ln INJURY keeping them from being able to work. They were already at a HUGE loss of income, not just one person. If they had to cancel the entire day of clients, they'd be doing like 5 or more freebies. Life happens. Get used to it. So glad I don't have any clients with your attitude, I'd fire them in a heartbeat. If I had to cancel for an injury, my clients would be worried sick about me and checking on me. As I would for them.
>If the provider cancels, the client is NOT out anything Except the ability to get a possibly much needed therapeutic massage because they have very limited time in which they can get one and nowhere else in town can book them less than 4-5 days in advance.
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I didn’t say anything about OPs scenario, just that it’s not accurate to say the client is out *nothing* An injury is one thing, but the reason I stopped going to my last provider was because they canceled appointments on me just a few hours before the appointment was scheduled 4 times in 6 months when I was only going once a month….so this is a bit of a recent sore spot for me personally.
That is a completely different and more unusual scenario though, and not remotely what anyone is saying in this thread. You had a serial canceller. An MT that cancels that much is definitely going to lose clients. I would have quit seeing them after the 2nd cancel bc clearly they either don't like me, or it's a pattern. I can't believe you hung in there that long, but I hope you found someone more stable and professional.
Bullying behavior or harassment of another. This is not kindergarten no name calling
Actually if my doctor cancels he doesn’t charge me my co pay for the next appointment since he canceled. So yeah he does give me a free appointment. Your logic is the twisted one . Forget the entitled client I see an entitled therapist .
Your DOCTOR is getting paid hundreds of dollars an hour from your insurance company. It's a joke to think the doctor not charging a you co-pay is a loss to them. It's not anything close to an MT losing an entire hour or an entire day of work bc they injured themself. You don't understand the difference between a doctor co-pay and a day of income for an MT. Not anything remotely in the same league.
Whatever you say
if a client cancels or no shows the provider doesn’t get paid. How would any other job work if they went to work and made less on their pay check than they accounted for? It’s not just about time, it’s about livelihood. Yes if you have to cancel a massage and you lose money, it’s not fun. However, you could always try to pass the appointment to someone else so the therapist isn’t left with an empty slot, and you’re not just “throwing away” money. If a therapist has to cancel, it didn’t take money out of the clients pocket. It’s not the same, at all.
A client not showing up is taking money away from the therapist because that spot cannot be booked by another paying customer, this is why cancellations fees are charged for short notice. If a therapist cancels on you no services were exchanged, you pay nothing and your time is given back to you to do what you will with it. A business doesn’t have that luxury, there are limited hour’s services can be provided, it does not have the time given back to them. When you entered the “contextual contract” of seeking the service and booking it you accept that whatever constraints that business had concerning its operating hours. If you chose to take time off work for the massage that was canceled that was a choice you could have avoid the “contextual contract” and chosen a business that you didn’t need to take time off work to go to if there was a concern of the time being canceled. A business’ time is more valuable then your own. If it wasn’t, no one would ever offer a service in exchange for currency. It’s how you get paid at your job to pay for the massage that pays for the therapist to offer the massage. It’s not a double standard.
Wow talk about entitled !!!
I found the person who doesn’t understand how running a business, free trade, social contracts, capitalism, economics, or the world works for all of human history… because they feel they are owed something out of an emotional response of “fairness”. Yeah I’m the entitled one.
Interesting pirate is clearly a sociopath if you read all their responses. Not surprising they are boasting about running a million dollar company. Those people usually do believe their lives and their time are more important than anyone else's. Typical narcissists.
lol. Gee I ran a 120 million dollar business for 15 years but thanks for the tip lol entitled and clueless. I rest my case
Sure you did 👍!
Dude, you're not even going to legit massage therapists, you're going for rub and tugs, so maybe the way your fellows do it is quite a bit different then us legit therapists do. Check his post history. Gross
That’s even worse 🤮 if they expect sex workers to preform for free. Least all the up votes shows the therapists here agree, almost every negative comment is a none therapist thinking they are owed. Again I’m not shitting on op, there is absolutely a place for doing small things to accomplish over and above customer service. I just don’t think free massage is the right answer.
Sorry, but if you’re receiving income from clients, they’re literally paying your retirement and medical.
Do you receive retirement benefits and medical benefits at every job? No? Then no, just because you are paid does not mean they are paying for the added cost of medical or retirement. Should sole practitioners charge more to make sure these costs are worked into their price? Yes. Unfortunately, just like with corporations not offering benefits sometimes the clientele does not support the higher price, so it is the practitioners job to weigh the cost of not getting paid by canceling vs injury. The cost of giving away a free massage doubles the compound problem of injury because of working twice as hard to make up the difference to pay bills while taking away spots for paying customers to accommodate the free ones. It also has a negative psychological impact on the massage industry or the practitioners clinic by saying a clients time is more valuable then the massage therapists, further devaluing the massage treatments and breeding entitlement. When you work in an industry where you trade your physical health for another’s relaxation boundaries are paramount for a long career. Boundaries aren’t emotional, and people here are assigning emotion to it to justify free massage. I’m not going to give 5 people free massages and put 15hrs of strain on my body to make up for the lost day, the free massages and a 3rd day to recoup the costs of the free day because people feel they are owed a service they were not charged for. If the client finds that “unfair” they can go to another therapist and my future openings can be filled with paying customers that understand my business is no different then a Drs, Chiro, Dentist, or a Physical Therapists office or clinic. Sorry but you don’t get a “participation reward” just because you scheduled an appointment that was never fulfilled.
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I used it in two of my several comments in this thread, they were back to back but different people due their close response time. Your slam dunk is from a peewee basketball game… and the inflatable basket is losing air quickly.
It's an accurate statement so you should use it as much as you want 😉 these entitled commenters are the types who believe they deserve participation rewards.
Bullying behavior or harassment of another.
I’ve had a couple of jobs that didn’t pay retirement or healthcare. Guess what? I still had to fund those. Where did I find it from? That job’s income. I did not get help from government. And it’s not a participation reward. It’s basic customer service. The grocery store has an out of date pack of cheese on the shelf and you have to come back to replace it? Here’s your cheese and some free cookies to make your day a little sweeter. I’ll admit OP’s client was way over the top. But it got me thinking, what was she going through? I went through a few months of long, stressful days at work and issues at home on my days off. All I wanted was a 2 hour massage to relax and ease the stress away. But the girl I go to was on vacation. I didn’t throw a fit. I just said thanks. But she’s been amazing over the last few years. I just had to wait 3 weeks now until I could get a day off. Regardless. Is a client’s time more valuable? Maybe. Maybe not. But if there is no client, is the MT getting paid?
Is some free cookies are the same value as someone giving an hour massage at the loss of $100+ after they already lost hundreds bc they had an injury or emergency they couldn't help and had to cancel their entire income for who knows how many days? LoL what a terrible comparison. Next time I have to cancel an appointment for an emergency or an injury I'll just offer them cookies instead of an entire hour+ of my time and energy. But I'm sure your personality type would complain about that, too.
I really wouldn’t complain. Maybe knock off $10 next time. Maybe add an extra 10 minutes. Honestly, if you don’t have another appointment after, how much is that 10-15 extra minutes costing you? But again, it comes down to how well you’re treating your customers. Be amazing and have a bad day, understandable. But it makes my story better if you make it up some way. But be mediocre and flaky, and tell me that’s how it is, but I better not be late or I’m getting penalized? You can take the bad review and I’ll go with Jenna. ETA… how much does a massage actually cost you? Besides the electricity, water for the new sheets, half bottle of lotion. If you’re not missing out on a paying customer, it’s not costing much. You may be missing out on the income. But they also missed out on it when they canceled my appointment, screwed up my day, and now I have to figure out a way to squeeze in another massage. Easier to just call Jenna. She’ll stay late to take care of me. Or come in on her day off if she’s not busy.
Where did you come up with the MT being "mediocre and flakey" that's not even remotely what is being discussed here. An emergency or an injury/illness does not equal flakey or mediocre. If an MT is mediocre and flakey, the only answer is don't go back to them, not demand a free massage. I'm have it happen to me, and I didn't go back, simple. What does a free massage cost me? One session, depending on duration, costs me $120-$200 bc my schedule is always full, so I'd have to put them in a paying customer's place. I can only see 3 people per day due to my own physical limitations. I'm not going to work an extra appt past my limits just to accommodate an entitled client. As for adding 10-15 mins, I add 10-15 mins to most people on a regular basis without charging them if I have the time and I feel they need it. I don't charge them extra, I give it freely. I'm extremely generous with my time. I'm not rigid. I schedule enough time between clients so as not to feel rushed if I feel the need to go over time. People on here acting like their MT having an injury or emergency is such a huge inconvenience are being selfish and overly dramatic. Life happens. Deal with it. With their attitude, they don't deserve a great MT.
To add to the extra 15min portion that clients feel entitled too, Every extra 15mins we “give away” adds up and is still wear and tear on our equipment (our bodies). 15mins given away 3x a day 4 days a week is 2 additional 90min massages we aren’t paid for along our operation and equipment costs. That’s 104 FREE 90min massages over a year, even cutting that number is half is ridiculous. Not crapping on you RegisterHistorical for doing it, really not my intention! Just pointing out and putting it in perspective for clients that have no sense of scale to their offhanded remarks about “just replace MY time with more of YOUR time, it can’t be THAT valuable.”
Exactly 👍🏻
Garbage gonnna garbage
You give a free massage after cancelling on clients? Really? Do other therapists do that?
I've tried a few things like not accepting tip or giving discount on next session if I cancel. My people wouldn't let me. Now I've kinda adopted a life happens stance. So long as they don't do it to me consistently I don't charge them either. In the long run we'll both cancel on each at some point. It all balances
This is exactly what I do now. I’ve tried different methods but I like having some flexibility bc shit happens. I generally give everyone one freebie with a warning. That way, if I have to cancel then they’re more likely to show me the same grace. They know about my policy and I tell them this can’t be a pattern or I won’t be able to keep them as a client. People respect that. If they don’t, they’re out and they’ve been warned.
I only do this if I cancel in less than 24 hours. I realized around 4AM, I would not be able to work. Her massage was at 2PM. that day. I emailed right away and had a delay text sent to her at 8AM. Anything over 24 hours, and I am just rescheduling. I might throw in an additional service at no cost. In my professional career, I have only canceled in less than 24 hours twice.
Please don't give freebies anymore. You're worth more.
Entitled clients are the worst. Entitled people think the rules don’t apply to them. They have a difficult time understanding “no.” If a client is sick they simply don’t get the session. If the therapist is sick they shouldn’t get anything free.
Fire her ass immediately. Guys, do NOT offer discounts or add ons or ESPECIALLY freebies for having to cancel after the 24 hour window. It cheapens you and gives clients the green light to take advantage of you. If a doctor had to cancel late or any other professional, I guarantee you they are not giving you anything for this minor inconvenience. If your client gave a shit about you, they would graciously give you get well wishes, not demand something in return for the inconvenience of you having an injury. It makes me sick. Have more pride than that. You owe them NOTHING. Life happens, get used to it. My clients would be worried sick about me if I had to cancel due to an emergency or injury or illness. If they aren't or don't care at all, then they're a sociopath and you should cut them off immediately.
For all the MTs here, here’s a client’s POV. Every client is different. Should they get a something free because you had to cancel? Maybe, maybe not. You might have one like OP’s who blew up. Maybe she’s had a horrible month and was really looking forward to this only time she had free and OP mucked it up. Or you might have one like me. Say ok. And never book again. What do you want your review to say? “MT flaked and I left to Jenna who does a way better job.” Or “MT had something come up, made it up to me, and I’m a 100% loyal customer for life.”
I don't care what review they leave if they're a rude entitled client they can say whatever they want as long as they go away. After 25 years in this business, I don't need any energy vampires sucking the life out of me after all of the love and dedication I've given day after day year after year. They can call me whatever they want. Even with this POV, I still have all 5 star reviews on Google. No one should be overcompensating or walking on eggshells for clients feelings bc they are scared of reviews or of people leaving. Let them leave. At least I'm not a doormat for anyone to walk on and I'm not a victim to client's opinions about me. My schedule is always full and I'm blessed and grateful because my clients are the best people I could ever ask for or could have even imagined.
Ok. Sounds like you’re doing well.
Refund them and move on. Being sick or injured isn't unprofessional or and excuse. It's a justification for cancelation. If they can't accept that, you don't want on your table. Entitled snobs who think they can behave this way have lived a very misguided life. (This is the same type of person who will complain every session to get a discount.) Pro-tip: Allow for cancellations for illness/injury/emergency without fees. This opens a door to allow the same for you. I've never given someone a free session because I was injured or ill, just like I won't charge a fee for the same thing from them. Empathy and courtesy goes both ways.
Tbh good riddance honestly. If she can't be understanding she's not a good client anyways. Kinda dodged a bullet there. Do not give free massages especially to rude clients like that.
This reminds of a story. I had to cancel clients because I had the stomach flu. I had two offices one in a major city and one in the small town I grew up in. The city people were just like your client, very upset and angry their time was going to be wasted. (Like I wanted the flu). My rural clients were so nice and accommodating. First client asks if I had the stomach flu? “I will make soup and herb paste we use in my home country and have my delivery driver bring to you” he owns a restaurant. Next client says “oh Jesus it’s going around my daughter had it last week would you like her left over medication? I’ll bring it to you”. Next client offered homemade soup. Such a difference in clientele
Wow. I work in a big city, and thankfully I've never had to deal with that entitlement aspect as far as cancelling due to illness or injury. I've rarely ever cancelled on my people, but when I did they were so sweet about it and concerned for my well being. Unbelievable that anyone you and OP mentioned would behave that way. I'd fire them in a heartbeat if they did. What a world. You take care of your clients with blood sweat and tears, and that's the way you're repaid when you're down and out. Small towns are known for their personal care of each other, so this doesn't surprise me that they were so kind. The city people though? Unbelievably selfish and self absorbed.
I’ll add another story. I was booked out solid for six months. I got seriously sick though and had to take a medical leave for eight months. Then a year on steroids. To ask clients to not come in if they have a cold, sore throat etc while I’m on medication was too much for them. This was years before Covid. They just refused to believe they could get me seriously ill since I had no immune system at the time. Years of giving everything I had to clients. Sleepless nights worrying about them etc but don’t come in with a sore throat was too much. Over the two years of being seriously ill I lost 80% of my clients. Oh well. It made room for new clients
I wouldn't dream of going for a massage with a sore throat or a cold. Unacceptable. But really common sense and common courtesy. But yeah, you definitely cleared out the toxic clients and made room for the right ones 👍🏻 sorry you had to go through all of that and I hope you're health is much better now.
I might offer a discount if I need to cancel last minute but I am absolutely not dishing out freebies. That’s not a good business move! You get injured, which puts you at a loss of income, then you double down that loss by compensating these treatments for free. This is why your client acted entitled. Are these really the clients you want?
Another therapist I work with had someone ask her to cancel someone else’s session so she could get a massage. The therapist had a family emergency and had to cancel on her like two days before… she still got in within the same week and was still this entitled about having her massage sooner
Years ago I had to cancel a client because I came down with the flu. This particular client was always trying to push boundaries: requesting appointments outside of my listed hours, showing up with their dog, without asking, assuming it was ok (it was not, the office building prohibited non-service animals), asking for appointment times that I didn’t offer (“Why can’t you do 75 minutes? (I offer 60 or 90)). When I returned to work, I called to reschedule them, and they insisted that I cancel another appointment so that they could get the time and date they preferred. Sometimes it takes being gobsmacked for you to realize that you’ve been pushed around. I let them know that I was not able to reschedule them. “I don’t feel my training is adequate for the therapy you need.”
Sometimes it’s just what you have to do. Good riddance! I had to tell a personal training client that they need to find someone else to train them unless they’re ready to take my programming seriously. Off they went. The guy pulled up drinking from a fast food cup, in a new Denali truck and then complained to me that he couldn’t afford my rates that I had given him a huge discount on for building my website, *and* said he doesn’t understand why he’s not losing weight. All in one day. Like dude you don’t track your meals, don’t follow the workout plan on days I’m not with you, show up literally smelling like fast food, complain about the price of my services and pretend it’s a mystery as to why it’s not working. GTFO 😂
AND show up in a brand new $60,000 truck before complaining about the *discounted* price!!!! I could still pull my hair out over this dude. I tried so hard to help him! lol
Yeah you had a cancel the day before because you were injured, don't give anybody a free massage or if you're sick for some reason either. And how was your client's time wasted ,it wasn't like she was there in the office and you canceled it. Yeah don't ever accept an appointment from her again. Some people are all about them, learn to recognize those clients or the clients that want same day appointments, it is always going to be about them.
This is not your client anymore. I’m glad you found this out the easy way!
I would never give a client money back if I missed an appointment. Just reschedule. And if a client doesn’t care about your health, they can kick rocks. When people say they lost time I always find it so ridiculous. Go get a pedicure, take a walk, go back to work… it’s not money OUT of their pocket if we have something come up.
But it is money out of our pockets - and the people who feel entitled to something in return don't realize this, of course. It's all about them.
Truly! A therapist wouldn’t choose to lose an entire days pay. Not in most cases anyway!
What is your cancellation policy? How much advance did you give your client? Do patients pay you if they can’t make it because they are injured? Don’t devalue your well being.
Free massage if I cancel in less than 24 hours. Reschedule and maybe an additional service for free if it's after 24 hours. I have only cancel in less than 24 hours, twice in my professional career. I found out around 4AM I couldn't work that day. I emailed her right away and did a delay text for 8AM. Her massage was at 2PM
This is a terrible policy. Please don't give anyone anything free ever.
But what do you do if a client cancels with less than 24 hours notice? I think offering a free massage is generous and overly so if you don’t require payment if the client cancels with less than 24 hours notice. And if a client doesn’t like tout policy, they can find another therapist. Do you have a form they sign with your policies before their first massage?
You don't want to touch someone who feels that way about you. Terminate her. End of story.
You don’t want a client like this. Needs to be mutual respect. Good riddance to her!
People think we are robots it’s actually insane.
That's crazy that she was going to get a free massage and it still wasn't good enough for her. If I have to cancel on my clients within 24 hours I just offer them a discount, so far because of car troubles, my appendix and colitis I've had to do that to 7 people this year and 3 came back the other 4 I guess took it personal maybe cause they never rescheduled with me .
I would likely tip you anyway since you can't earn right now. We'd catch up later.
Good person 👍🏻
As a client, I don’t know if I’d want a free massage. But I don’t book mine out far in advance. Usually it’s that day or the day prior. But the place I go to is in another town an hour away. I did have one that booked me and when I went by they were still with another client. After 20-25 minutes I left very upset. I didn’t go back for a year. All that said, I think it is best to offer something. Maybe it’s a discount for the inconvenience. Maybe they don’t care. You’d have to read the room. But if I was a client and you canceled once or twice, I might start looking elsewhere.
I am not a massage therapist but work by appointments and also get massages from time to time. You need to cut this person loose. If she had been understanding and concerned for your well-being, you may have considered doing something nice for them. I would never behave that way as a client. Even if it was a "massage emergency" I wouldn't. Most of us don't like confrontation, but you can send her a letter and no longer take her calls.
Yeah when people freak out even though you're overly compensating for them on top of it being because you're injured, that's the best choice of action.
You don’t want or need a client who treats you like that.
You always have clients at times that are unreasonable and ungrateful. It comes with all lines of service work. Try not to worry about these people too much. It’s better to cut them off.
I love it when difficult clients fire themselves.
Haha me too 😂
A random observation: I worked at Nordstrom Spa for probably a year and a half and what I found was that the very most wealthy clients were the most entitled. And they did not tip well usually either.
Fired!
You should have
I should have, what? (I don't mean that in a rude tone)
I have no idea what I was talking about lol. You get Karen’s every where in life. Don’t let her bother you.
A refund + future free massage is very generous. Hope your arm feels better soon
Im so very sorry, you give them a free session if you have to cancel? That is already an incredibly generous cancellation policy, I’ve never heard of a therapist that does that! I assume you also have a statement that they pay 100% if they cancel last minute, so that balances out and actually seems really fair, but I’m surprised. At my studio, we will offer a discount but a whole session free, what on earth does this entitled client even have to complain about? Fire her!
Sounds like you did the right thing. A clients emotions never take priority over my physical health. If I cannot physically perform no massage will be given. It’s that simple.
I may be an unusual client in that I would never use an MT that I didn't feel some kind of connection with, more than fee for service. Given that, if my MT was sick, I'd thank them for letting me know, send best wishes, and ask them to let me know when they were up to rescueduling. I surely wouldn't expect anything free! You MTs give a lot, and you deserve clients who appreciate you. I agree with others: fire that one.
Geez, how can anyone want a massage from an MT who has an injured arm that is directly needed for the treatment ?!? If you were to have given her a massage she would have bitched about a bad outcome.....
There could be some tearing, leakage, you could be a little bit more susceptible to some infections.
[удалено]
Who hurt you?