Cancellation fee? Agree or disagree??

[Vixen DeVain]

I don't know how many of you ladies face this situation, BUT today was the day that broke the straw on the camel's back...
I don't know how many of ya'll have other jobs or sources of income, but this is my one and only job. I rely on my scheduled appointments to pay my bills. Gent's, when ya'll go to work every day.. I know you expect to get paid for the time that your there. TIme, time& 1/2 for over time.. yadda yadda.. but.. you expect to get paid.. correct.. ??
When you come in, your boss doesn't say to you that .. well.. he only had XX in his pocket, or whatever..
You'd be pissed...

So, after booking an hour show this afternoon. . It wasn't 20 min from time of session and this gent says to me.. ok.. XX for full hour.. ?
No, no, no... that isn't my rate. My rate is all over my showcase, both websites and it's no surprise what I ask.

So, expect next time there will be a $100 cancellation fee... I rely on that session, to pay bills, etc.. THIS IS MY JOB...

Is this fair?? What do ya'll think?? Guys and Girls Alike.. Please.. I"d love your opinion..

*muah*

[knuckles22]

Vixen... I certainly understand your frustration.... but.... lemme ask this.. how would expect to collect the fee? It isn't exactly the same as a Dr... where they can collect the next time. Or an attorney. If you tell him that you will tag it to his next session.... umm.... he wasn't willing to pay the whole fee this time... he def isn't going to pay extra the next.... he probably just isn't going to come back. It sucks... Personally.... I don't look to negotiate the price... I look at pics and reviews... and determine that it's worth it... if so... I schedule... you know?

[knuckles22]

Based on your pics though..... you def justify your price... WOW!

[Roger.Smith]

How would you begin to enforce that? It's not like you can take someone to a collection agency for canceled appointments. Canceled appointments and NCNS are just part of this game we call the hobby, just like injuries are a part of football. Some people aren't that bright, some people don't have respect for others. You just have to accept that sometimes plans will fall apart and plan accordingly.

[DFWhobbyguy]

Sure - charge his ass up next time he asks for a session, or put him into DNS wasteland.

Cancellation by provider or hobbyist due to unforseen scheduling conflicts sometimes happens, and I'd expect the party that got stood up to be disappointed but understanding.

Cancelling b/c you don't have the correct funds for a provider's donation amount is an a-hole move. Dudes like that make us all look bad. Conversely, gals that NCNS or upsell cast a shadow on the ladies.

[Guest053013-01]

Straw that broke the camel's backLook up the straw that broke the camel's back in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The idiom the straw that broke the camel's back is from an Arabic proverb about how a camel is loaded beyond its capacity to move or stand. [1] This is a reference to any process by which cataclysmic failure (a broken back) is achieved by a seemingly inconsequential addition, a single straw. This also gives rise to the phrase "the last/final straw", used when something is deemed to be the last in a line of unacceptable occurrences. Variations include "the straw that broke the donkey's back", the "melon that broke the monkey's back", and the "feather that broke the camel's back".

One of the earliest published usages of this phrase was in Charles Dickens's Dombey and Son (1848), where he says "As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back", meaning that there is a limit to everyone's endurance, or everyone has his breaking point. Dickens was writing in the nineteenth century and he may have received his inspiration from an earlier proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs as "'Tis the last feather that breaks the horse's back".

[Vixen DeVain]

Knuckes22-Thank you, Doll
Roger.Smith & DFWhobbyguy-> I agree with the both of you about not having the ability to 'collect' and being understanding etc... I just think its a dick head move... to not have the correct funds and try to haggle what they think is appropriate..
whatever.. right?? =) Would love to see yall.. show ya that my donation is worth every last penny..

[mtabsw]

I disagree. The ones you MIGHT be able to collect from are the good guys you want for regulars. It won't change the ways of the assholes.

If you do go that route, you should also be prepared to state your own compensation plan to reward those who are left waiting when a real life problem forces you to cancel on them.

One of my pet peeves is the lack of concern for the hobbyist time, lord help us if we're an hour or more late, but with some of the providers, that's more the norm than the exception. When it happens to me, I move on, since I have yet to hear "let's knock xxx off the fee for today since I ran late".

[BLM69]

Its a part of the hobby, When a provider cancels or just doesn't show up, Do they owe us money for lost time and expenses? I know it sucks for you but we as clients have felt like that many times. good luck

[Sleepy363]

Originally Posted by mtabsw

I disagree. The ones you MIGHT be able to collect from are the good guys you want for regulars. It won't change the ways of the assholes.

If you do go that route, you should also be prepared to state your own compensation plan to reward those who are left waiting when a real life problem forces you to cancel on them.

One of my pet peeves is the lack of concern for the hobbyist time, lord help us if we're an hour or more late, but with some of the providers, that's more the norm than the exception. When it happens to me, I move on, since I have yet to hear "let's knock xxx off the fee for today since I ran late".

Yep... 100% correct.

Vixen, would you compensate hobbyists if you cancel? Or is our time worth nothing? If you expect it one way, then I would hope you would do the same if you have to cancel.

[SimplyGwen]

It just sounds like he was trying to haggle with you at the last minute and didn't want to pay your full rate. I have had this happen a couple times and chose not to see the guys. I have a cancellation policy which states if you cancel on me two consecutive times, I will not book with you again. I don't impose a monetary penalty for cancellation/rescheduling as I understand that it is at times necessary to cancel on either side. I think two consecutive times are reasonable, anything more is irresponsible.

In the situation above, if you really needed the cash, you could choose to see him, but only for a fraction of the time as you see appropriate. I wouldn't make it a habit to negotiate, but in the future, be sure the you have directed the guys (if they are new) to your rates page, so they have no excuse not to know the rate beforehand.

[threepeckeredbillygoat]

Originally Posted by Yxes

Straw that broke the camel's backLook up the straw that broke the camel's back in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

The idiom the straw that broke the camel's back is from an Arabic proverb about how a camel is loaded beyond its capacity to move or stand. [1] This is a reference to any process by which cataclysmic failure (a broken back) is achieved by a seemingly inconsequential addition, a single straw. This also gives rise to the phrase "the last/final straw", used when something is deemed to be the last in a line of unacceptable occurrences. Variations include "the straw that broke the donkey's back", the "melon that broke the monkey's back", and the "feather that broke the camel's back".

One of the earliest published usages of this phrase was in Charles Dickens's Dombey and Son (1848), where he says "As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back", meaning that there is a limit to everyone's endurance, or everyone has his breaking point. Dickens was writing in the nineteenth century and he may have received his inspiration from an earlier proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs as "'Tis the last feather that breaks the horse's back".

Yea..... So she didn't say it right. But surely you got the point, right? Do we really need the lesson?


Back on topic, that definately does suck Vixen. NCNS's happen all the time, not quite lack that, but they happen. It takes a special kind of dipshit to call 20 min from appt and say I am going to pay less than your rate, if that's indeed what happened. All I can think is that he expected you were depending on some money and might allow a discount to get the biggest part of it.

I don't think there is anyhing wrong with saying "$100 extra if you ever want to see me now for wasting my time". I feel the same way about a guy who gets NCNS by a lady. I think its ok for him to say, "hey I wasted so much time and effort when I went see you, I would expect a discount next time to make up for it if you want me as a client".

A doubt it will pay off in either instance but in some cases it might. I definately would have stood my ground as you did and not let him get away with deciding what he is going to pay for a session. 2 points for you.

[Jewish Lawyer]

Bastard should fork over some cash to help out - I hope he does and I hope things get better for you.

[oldbutstillgoing]

All charging a cancallation fee does is ensure you will never see the guy again. And that may be fine. You will never get any actual cash. If you try that with a repeat customer, you won't see him again. If the guy actualy had a legit issue or really just plain forgot what the rate was, you will never see him. Maybe he was just trying to get you to drop your rate. If so, do you even want to see him again?

As unlikly as it sounds, I actualy went to a session with a lady without ever looking at her rates. Thanks goodness I already knew her socialy so when I asked it was just embarrissing to me and she laughed.about it. I I had plenty of cash and thank goodness she charged me a very resonable rate. Actualy cheeper than her advertised rate. The point is, things do happen. I have never broken an appointment but have been stoodup many times. I just move on. I give the lady a few days to explain what happend. If she had a good reason, then I give her another chance. If not I never see her again. And yes, I have forgone chances to make money becasue I had already scheduled a session I did not want ot miss.

[samantha thom]

Living paycheck to paycheck or appt to appt is never my style....I don't get financially strapped from missing/declining a few appointments especially if something just doesn't feel right in the way the gent treat me in email/phone or any forms of conversation. Save money for a rainy day so if the same scenario like this ever happens again, you don't have to get too mad and just say 'thanks but no thanks' to the cheapskate haggler and move on with your day. :-)
And cancellation fee policy is useless in my opinion cause there is no way you can enforce it.