By David Tepera, May 18, 2022

Being a small-business owner and a medical trainer, there’s really only one issue we deal with frequently that’s frustrating. This is when a client cancels a training session with less than an hour of set time or does a no-show.

Now, we do understand that emergencies happen. But, there are those who do this on a regular basis. Bottom line, you don’t respect people’s time. Of course, this issue is shared by every business that sets appointments. Especially, those deemed as non-essential services such as nail salons, hair styling, personal training, wellness spas and so on.

What people need to understand, even though you might think some services are only a luxury, it’s still a business. Time management is one of the most important factors to run a successful business. When one client doesn’t commit to their scheduled time, it’s a waste and loss of money.

Let me break it down a little further from our business plan, which is similar to others. Between Tina, Dylan and I, we each train 10 to 12 clients a day. This means our first client starts at 4:30 a.m., rotating each hour through 5 p.m. Plus, Dylan works until 8 p.m. during the week, including weekends. Our goal each day is to get in the zone and create an exciting and productive environment.

Now, at least 95 percent of our clients give plenty of notice when they need to miss a training session. This allows us to rearrange others and fill in their time slots. This keeps the day moving and helps others have an opportunity to possibly train at a better time. As a business, there’s no money lost, no down time, and the day stays in the zone.

For all us business owners, when you continually cancel at the last moment, even though we’ll give you courtesy, just know we’re not happy about it because you just threw a kink in our day.

This is why some businesses will charge you a cancellation fee. We’ve never charged anyone for missing a session. We’re here to help you obtain a better quality of life. The only way you’ll ever reach your goals is through consistency. Otherwise, you’re wasting your money. Just remember, we all want respect, so make sure you’re courteous of other people’s time.