This was originally composed on Jan 12, 2014
What is a booking fee? And why?
A booking fee is a charge for doing an in-office session. It's cheaper to do a Skype or phone session because you don't pay a booking fee. And I don't have to pay for office space because I'm working from the comfort of my home while you are in the comfort of yours. I always say if money is an issue then book a Skype or phone session. Your session results will be as accurate and clear as an in person session. I always joke around and say the only difference is you don't get a real hug, you get an electronic hug. LOL :)
A little history of why I require a booking fee when scheduling an office session with me?
I've been meeting with clients for a very long time and never had an issue but one Saturday morning long ago...I decided to start charging a booking fee because this lady booked an office session with me on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and didn't show up. I didn't get a call or email to cancel. She didn't answer her cell phone the three times I attempted to call as I waited on her arrival. I sat there wondering if she was okay or just decided to sleep in on her Saturday morning like I could have been doing!
It was a very disappointing and frustrating day for me that Saturday morning many months ago. I mean at that time I was trying to do 2 businesses and I'm a single only parent with health problems with challenges daily. I work very hard, my child has sports five days a week, sometimes six so for me to crawl out of bed at 730 in the morning on a Saturday morning to take a shower and get myself into the office by nine, I know now is and was asking a lot from my tired disabled self. Then for her to not even have the common courtesy to call or email or even answer her phone when I called her was just blatantly rude! As I sat in my office, eyes closed, talking to Spirit asking why... I heard my Angels chime in and say, things happen for a reason...
And that's when the messsage came to me to require a small booking fee to schedule an office session.
In the.. I don't know, maybe year that I've now been doing this I've had two people schedule a session and no-show. I know it makes a big difference now when someone doesn't show to their appointment at least I get paid something for the trip into the office. It's also a little compensation for the fact that another person could have scheduled a session during that time slot, so at least it accommodates my time slightly.
So today I have somebody booked at 2:15 that scheduled her second session with me a couple weeks ago and I called her 3 days ago to confirm because my spidey senses said call her plus I didn't collect a booking fee. I left her a message but I never heard back from her, and to be honest with all the dealings with my grandmother's funeral yesterday and the viewing the day before and all the preparations and family drama going on around me it never occurred to me that I didn't hear back from her. I do remember her she was a very very nice lady with relationship issues with a motorcycle gang boyfriend.
So this morning when I realized I never heard back from her I attempted to try to call her again and again left a message, because I have two other people that are trying to get in today and I don't have the time available. If she isn't coming in I could give that time slot to someone else.
She didn't answer. I still went to my office because you never know maybe her phone was lost, broken or. .. AND....the result....she didn't show and to this day (March 26, 2014) I have not heard from her.
Given her situation it makes me wonder if she's okay or not?!
These are a few reasons why I charge a booking fee. And I notice that people are more responsible when they have a few bucks on the line. If they're not going to show up then they make sure they cancel or reschedule which allows me to give that time slot to somebody else. After all I am running a business here. ;)
What is a booking fee? And why?
A booking fee is a charge for doing an in-office session. It's cheaper to do a Skype or phone session because you don't pay a booking fee. And I don't have to pay for office space because I'm working from the comfort of my home while you are in the comfort of yours. I always say if money is an issue then book a Skype or phone session. Your session results will be as accurate and clear as an in person session. I always joke around and say the only difference is you don't get a real hug, you get an electronic hug. LOL :)
A little history of why I require a booking fee when scheduling an office session with me?
I've been meeting with clients for a very long time and never had an issue but one Saturday morning long ago...I decided to start charging a booking fee because this lady booked an office session with me on a Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and didn't show up. I didn't get a call or email to cancel. She didn't answer her cell phone the three times I attempted to call as I waited on her arrival. I sat there wondering if she was okay or just decided to sleep in on her Saturday morning like I could have been doing!
It was a very disappointing and frustrating day for me that Saturday morning many months ago. I mean at that time I was trying to do 2 businesses and I'm a single only parent with health problems with challenges daily. I work very hard, my child has sports five days a week, sometimes six so for me to crawl out of bed at 730 in the morning on a Saturday morning to take a shower and get myself into the office by nine, I know now is and was asking a lot from my tired disabled self. Then for her to not even have the common courtesy to call or email or even answer her phone when I called her was just blatantly rude! As I sat in my office, eyes closed, talking to Spirit asking why... I heard my Angels chime in and say, things happen for a reason...
And that's when the messsage came to me to require a small booking fee to schedule an office session.
In the.. I don't know, maybe year that I've now been doing this I've had two people schedule a session and no-show. I know it makes a big difference now when someone doesn't show to their appointment at least I get paid something for the trip into the office. It's also a little compensation for the fact that another person could have scheduled a session during that time slot, so at least it accommodates my time slightly.
So today I have somebody booked at 2:15 that scheduled her second session with me a couple weeks ago and I called her 3 days ago to confirm because my spidey senses said call her plus I didn't collect a booking fee. I left her a message but I never heard back from her, and to be honest with all the dealings with my grandmother's funeral yesterday and the viewing the day before and all the preparations and family drama going on around me it never occurred to me that I didn't hear back from her. I do remember her she was a very very nice lady with relationship issues with a motorcycle gang boyfriend.
So this morning when I realized I never heard back from her I attempted to try to call her again and again left a message, because I have two other people that are trying to get in today and I don't have the time available. If she isn't coming in I could give that time slot to someone else.
She didn't answer. I still went to my office because you never know maybe her phone was lost, broken or. .. AND....the result....she didn't show and to this day (March 26, 2014) I have not heard from her.
Given her situation it makes me wonder if she's okay or not?!
These are a few reasons why I charge a booking fee. And I notice that people are more responsible when they have a few bucks on the line. If they're not going to show up then they make sure they cancel or reschedule which allows me to give that time slot to somebody else. After all I am running a business here. ;)
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