Broken Appointments

Over the past year, I have noticed quite a hefty increase in clients making an appointment then not showing. Excuses range from "oh, was that today?" to "I had something more important to do." If it's a potential client and they don't respond to one telephone call, I just assume I wouldn't want to work with them anyway.

Existing clients, of course, fall into two buckets. Those I still want to keep and those I would not be unhappy to lose. I have been toying with the idea of instituting a fee for "ghosting" an appointment. To be clear, I wouldn't charge if someone called to say they are running late (although I might if they do it every time). Nor would I charge for something like a medical emergency. I do appointments during tax season on Tuesdays & Thursdays. I might not even charge if they call to cancel an hour before. But those who don't show without a reason, especially during tax season, is beginning to irritate me.

My rationale, especially during tax season, is that I spend time planning the meeting and probably turn someone away for that slot. Although I have converted a few clients to drop-off, I still have a lot of elderly clients and others who want a meeting.

Is a fee for broken appointments workable? One downside I see is that a C client may think they can treat me like garbage for an extra fee. Any other suggestions to reduce ghosting?

Are these in-person appointments or phone appointments?

Do you send calendar invites to the client(s) when you put it on your calendar?

In-person - Yes. I do some telephone appointments but I have only had one broken telephone appointment.

Calendar invites - no but I usually confirm by e-mail if they have furnished me with one. Numerous clients insist they don't have e-mails but I suspect they do and just don't want to use that as a means of communication - even some A clients are like that. I wonder if I need to get some postcards to confirm appointments? Of course, in tax season, that may be otiose. If they call on a Friday to set an appointment for Tuesday, there is no guarantee that USPS will deliver on time.

I wouldn't be able to work with a client that refused to provide an email, or refused to obtain and check it once every one or two days. That's a deal-breaker for me, my primary communication method is email.

For in-person meetings, mostly lunch and dinner, I setup the meeting in Outlook, add the participants and send them invites (most accept and add the meeting to their gmail/outlook/etc calendar). Then I take it one step further and setup an automatic email to go out to all participants 6am the morning of the meeting. Outlook has this functionality. This email confirms the meetup time and place that day and informs the recipient that if anything has changed and they will not be able to make the meeting to email the organizer (me) asap. It just takes a few seconds more and this system has saved me from driving across town once or twice.

I have had clients who ghosted me (calls) in the past. They quickly find their way out of my practice if there's no compelling reason and it happens more than once.

I think a fee is reasonable. Doctors do it. My hair salon started doing it.

Well, my reply to ManVsTax disappeared. I hope I can remember what I said!

I had been mulling over the idea of putting a paragraph into my annual letter about the advantages of giving me an e-mail address. I think I should.

I don't use Outlook. My e-mail provider is Rackspace so I will have to talk with my website provider, who also provides access to Rackspace, to see what my options are. There is a high probability that my website provider will see this post. My practice management software has e-mail integrations with Outlook and this is something I plan to explore before next season, exciting football games notwithstanding, as it adds other functionality.

Good point sjrcpa. I just hope my wife's nail salon doesn't think of this. Mind you, her cancellations are either emergency work-related or tiredness therefrom if she's been on call.

An e-mail address is one of the first pieces of information I require from a prospective client. I do not give them an option and if they don't use e-mail, I will flat out say we cannot work together because e-mail is required for how I operate.

I stupidly took on one very elderly client last year (I think she may have died...) and she did not do e-mail. The ONLY reason I accepted her was because she lives (lived?) a few minutes away from me. I'm sending a disengagement letter, we'll see if it is returned to me or if I get a panic call from her.

Get their email address(s) - Invoice using PayPal - a great feature is hitting the "remind" button, auto sends reminder Invoice and how easy it is to pay using any bank card.
Hit your no-show disrespects a PayPal Invoice.
If they object - its time to have a conversation about the "value" you bring to them.

I do use Square and rather like the Reminder function. I have it set to send reminders at 3, 7 and 15 days. When I get an e-mail from Square saying they've sent a 15-day reminder, I make a diary note for a few days hence to send them one of my e-mails just checking in and asking if they are keeping well. The last paragraph is one sentence, asking them to pay my fee if they are not too ill. I think most folk take that well. Probably imagining the Scots accent in their head, which nobody can get mad at.

So, it seems the general view is to get e-mail addresses. I have some clients (more than I'd like) who are in their 80's and who insist they don't use e-mail. I am going to make a special effort to collect them this season.

I am inclining towards a fee for broken appointments and also for extensions. The latter will be for more than the anticipated time to do the extension and my plan is to credit the balance against the preparation fee. I have half a dozen clients this year that asked me to do an extension then never showed. I'm thinking $100 or $150 for the extension. Not sure about the level of fee for a broken appointment. It has to hurt just a little but I will also need to justify it. I don't publish my hourly rate but I will state it if a client asks. So those who know roughly what my hourly rate is will be able to work out the time that the broken appointment fee covers. Of course, there is opportunity cost as well, but that is a hard concept to explain to many people.

When I toured Scotland playing some of the finest, historic and challenging Championship Golf Courses, i.e. The Old
Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Club, Turnberry Golf Course & Hotel, Prestwick GC, Glen Eagles Golf and Resort and later galleried at the British Open that year held at Royal St. George's. Indeed the Scotts were very hospitable to their guests.
The older Scotts would reminisce about the War Years, and tell tales about family members in WWII and how the Yanks were their to assure their freedom from Nazi slavery - indeed they tippled with us Yanks wee into the summer night.
Our tour guide was Pro Golfer Ben Crenshaw (2-time Masters Champion) who led us on tour of the Honorable Royal &
Ancient Golf - a very private club - you see on TV appearing directly behind the 18th green on the Old Course St. Andrews. The doors are opened for only a select few and I was lucky to see the entire museum, including 500-year old
golf clubs and gutta balls. As well as the British Open Trophies from Old Tom Morris who won it in the 1860s.
The Governors put out a spread of local sea food and priceless bottles of scotch, they told us not to be shy about eating and drinking to our hearts content and we indulged their hospitality.
Indeed the Scotts are a beloved people.

I notice you didn’t mention Muirfield. I suppose nobody in your party knows a high-ranking judge, eminent surgeon or decorated army officer.

I was brought up at a time when many of my dad’s friends either fought in the Second War or Korea. My home area was home to many nationalities that fought in the Second War. Most of the Americans went home but for, especially, the Poles, Scotland became their home. No hero’s welcome for them. So they stayed where they were appreciated. Indeed, the chairman of our local football club was a Pole who had flown fighters during the war. He set the standard for those of us who followed him. Scots have been welcomed in many parts of the world and we try to reciprocate when people come to visit us. The old “joke” about Scots hospitality- “Of course, you’ll have had your tea” - is not always accurate, just like the stereotype of Americans being brash, arrogant and a few other less pleasant words is not a fair reflection.

Indeed, I did miss Muirfield Golf Club (The Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers), the Club was formed
in 1744. It makes claim to being the oldest verifiable organized golf club in the world.
It is a very private club - in order to play it, a guest must be accompanied by a member.
Like Augusta National Gold Club, only a handful of members are local, most reside far away.
The club does on rare occasion allow guests privileges' through the Club's Golf Pro. The story goes
that Golf Pro Tom Kite (US Open Championed) made arrangements to play with four (4) in his group,
at the start he was advised to play a 2-ball competition (alternate shot by 2-player teams). He disregarded
the request, so on the 5-hole was removed from the golf course for playing 4-balls, not following the tradition
of play.
Another rule Muirfield has is a member may sponsor another for membership, but if the behavior of the
applicant is attributed to the sponsoring member, thus if he's deemed unworthy and kicked out of the Club,
so is his sponsor. The application of the this rule makes getting sponsors very difficult.
When touring Scotland, we had an appointment with the CEO of the distiller Glenlivet.
You see the swimming pool like vats filled with grain and yeast, the huge copper boilers where
they collect steam (the spirit) singe oak barrels and pour (picture a fire hose) the spirt into the keg,
sealed with molten wax and stored (under seal) in earthen huts in a vast field. Aging to be uncorded
12 or 18 years later.
After the tour of the distillery - the COE took us to his private office, open 30 bottles or so of his
private collection and poured shots for us, well not to spurn his hospitality drank my fill at 11 in the
morning on an empty stomach, I was walloped.
Lastly, every pub you enter has a keg of Guinness Larger at the ready, nitrogen charged,
a wonderful libation.

No shows are a HUGE pet peeve of mine, and in my area, it is acceptable in local culture to totally ignore appointments.

Wow..... I just can explain in words how rude I think this is. I'm getting worked up thinking about it.

I recently scheduled an appointment with one of the more successful and popular realtors in my area who was referred to me as a new client and he just flat out couldn't care less that the appointment "slipped his mind". When he asked me to reschedule, I bluntly told him, "no, please find another firm".

New client no-shows get the axe, every time.

For current clients, I know it sounds a little "gamey", but my staff is trained to make appointments "scarce" and to put the no-showers into the penalty box.

For a legitimate reason, no "penalty" is applied.

But for, "I was busy rearranging my sock drawer, so screw you and your appointment" excuses, we apply a "2 week penalty".

Subsequent no shows are 4 weeks.

They don't know that this is not really the case - and that we could really take them the next day if we had to. But now that they realize that it will take them a month to get in to see me (and their taxes will require an extension - too bad), they start showing up.

Imagine that.

It's like that appointment with the medical specialist that takes 6 weeks to get. You darn sure do not want to miss it.

Perhaps it is childish, but we have seen success with it.

I sent reminder emails the day or night before. Only take appointments Wed and Fri and my meeting office is 30 minutes from home office/day to day operations.

If a client misses the appointment I roll the dead time into their bill, at least 1/4 hour. I can usually use the rest to return calls and emails.

If I drove there specifically for their appointment I would likely fire them immediately for a no call no show. The only one I've had was a detective who was up all night for a crime, I let it slide.

I use an online calendar that leaves reminders. I rarely have a no-show. Not sure if that is it or my target demographic.

I bill clients for missed appointments but I don't generally have too much of a problem with them. I use Microsoft Bookings which sends a reminder the day before the appointment.

My biggest pet peeve is clients being sick and coming to appointments -- I'd rather reschedule an appointment than get infected during tax season.

Thanks, all, for the thoughts. Having been reassured on the principle, I just have to find the words. That is where my darling wife will come in. She has the diplomacy that befits a psychiatric nurse.

Nova, the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers making such a claim is a bit of a stretch. It is generally accepted (much to St Andrews' annoyance) that the oldest course in the world - certainly the oldest extant course - is Musselburgh Links. Sadly, it has now been reduced to a par-3 course within the confines of the racecourse and play is not permitted on racedays. They started out, I believe, at Leith Links before moving 3 or 4 miles to Musselburgh. They played there until the 1890's then moved to 15 miles down the road (and further away from Edinburgh) to Muirfield. They were tired of competing with the riff-raff for tee times. Muirfield is one of the finest courses in the world and deservedly so, but most of its members are insufferable. Most of the decent ones simply moved to North Berwick and played the West Links there.

I only work with clients that we will have mutual respect.

I have missed /forgotten a handful of appointments in my 25 years.

I BEG forgiveness as I am professionally ashamed of it.

I accept that it happens.

If any client does it more than once, I normally just release them. If they cancel on short notice more than once, same thing.

Imagine doing that to your lawyer or dentist.

My GF comments about her hair appointment, "Oh, I'll just re-schedule" If I were her stylist, I'd fire her.

It is a complete lack of respect.

So we need ask ourselves... are we OK being treated like a barber? I'd rather NOT have those clients.

The only meetings I take are with new clients before tax season or after tax season to review returns. Meetings during tax season are a huge waste of time during a period where there is no time to waste. Hell, just scheduling meetings is a waste of time. We provide an excellent, brief, customized organizer, checklist customized to prior return and an excellent questionnaire. Those tools eliminate the need for a meeting where clients hand us their documents page by page. Most clients would rather not have a meeting anyway.

I bill clients for missed appointments but I don't generally have too much of a problem with them. I use Microsoft Bookings which sends a reminder the day before the appointment.

My biggest pet peeve is clients being sick and coming to appointments -- I'd rather reschedule an appointment than get infected during tax season.

Dear Client,

Due to time constraints during tax season, I am all but eliminating in-person meetings with my clients. Since the inception of the pandemic, meetings have been very limited and have proven to be unnecessary in most cases. Email and phone communications allow me to best serve my clients and meet their deadlines. If I determine a meeting is required, we will schedule one. Time and health concerns are also a major consideration in this change. Having a lot of meetings increases exposure and the likelihood of my getting sick and being unable to work at a critical time. And meetings increase stress by reducing time available to meet my clients’ tax deadlines.

Thank you for understanding. Remember, I am always happy to meet with you after tax season to review your returns.

Sincerely,
Your Tax Professional