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When is ok to keep your next client waiting?
Recently I worked an event that shared space with 2 other therapists. One was known for giving extra time to his clients when ever he could. His advice to me was you should always give them extra time if you want to win them over.
The other was so used to being her own boss that she was late for almost every appointment and had to comp some time to one client because the next appointment would not wait.
My question is where is the line and how do you resolve the problem in the future?
Views: 315
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lauren on
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I am bad w/ going over on time with massages and I know this, therefore I schedule accordingly. I don't think it's ok to keep your next waiting, it looks unprofessional & some clients won't return simply because of that. As far as the guy who said that you should always give extra time to win them over- I dont agree. I work w/ other therapists, many who don't go over on time, and I dont see that a majority of people go to me because of the extra time I give, or that anyone doesn't go to the other therapists because they give strictly an hour massage. If you do quality work, that should speak for itself.
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Permalink Reply by I. Paul Dunsdon on
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Thanks Lauren I have to agree with you. The work should speak for itself.
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Permalink Reply by Darcy Neibaur on
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Only keep the next client waiting if they are early. That is the philosophy of where I work. We begin every session on the hour and end at 50 minutes till the next hour. When a client runs late they get cut.
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Hi Darcy,
Thanks for the feed back. That was how it was when I was in school, and it was drilled into us. Now that I am on my own I see the value in both sides. Do you ever give extra time when you can?
Darcy Neibaur said:Only keep the next client waiting if they are early. That is the philosophy of where I work. We begin every session on the hour and end at 50 minutes till the next hour. When a client runs late they get cut.
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No, we are not allowed to give extra time unless it is requested and paid for and the schedule allows it. A LMT was fired for giving extra time about a year ago.
I. Paul Dunsdon said:Hi Darcy,
Thanks for the feed back. That was how it was when I was in school, and it was drilled into us. Now that I am on my own I see the value in both sides. Do you ever give extra time when you can?
Darcy Neibaur said:Only keep the next client waiting if they are early. That is the philosophy of where I work. We begin every session on the hour and end at 50 minutes till the next hour. When a client runs late they get cut.
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Permalink Reply by Emma Torsey on
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Never!
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Permalink Reply by Harry Banek on
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When I have worked seated massage events, the person organizing the event defined the time for each session. If it was 7 minutes, I'd provide 7 minutes once I had adjusted the configuration and the person was settled in the chair. So 7 minutes + 3 minutes for in and out and adjustment = 10 minutes. If there were no other people waiting would go over the 7 minutes. However, other therapists at these events paid no attention to the time limit and based session length on what they as the therapist thought was needed for that particular person. As these sessions were intended as introductions, I thought that tailoring the length of each session to each client was not adhering to the organizer's request.
In my studio or on a house call, I provide a session of at least 60 minutes when the client has requested a 60-minute session. I start my count-up timer after everything is setup for the session -- cradle, top sheet, bolster, hot pads. I end the session within 5 minutes of 60 minutes. I schedule my 60-minute sessions in a 90-minute time frame which allows for an intake for updates and requests for the client and a close after the session for review of the session, payment, and scheduling a next appointment. I then have 30 minutes between appointments. So if I have a 60-minute session at 1 PM, I am completely finished with the client by 3 PM (including removal of sheets and cradle cover and resetting sheets and cradle cover) and next appointment is at 3:30 PM.
If a client is 5 minutes late I call the cell and home numbers and because most clients live nearby, anyone who has forgotten an appointment (despite a reminder 24 hours prior), will have enough time to get to the studio and usually have the full session that was scheduled. When the client is really late, I hold to being complete within 90 minutes of the scheduled time for a 60-minute session.
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Permalink Reply by Vlad on
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I don't think it's ever a good idea to keep a client waiting. It shows a total lack of respect and it's very unprofessional. They've to put up with crappy service in so many other areas of life, I make it a point to make sure that I don't keep them waiting and I always schedule a 30 minute break between clients because of that reason.
As for going over in time. That is one is one of those things were "if you do it once, they might always expect it", so I think the idea of going over just to win over a client is a mistake. So. If it so happens that someone needs a few minutes more, I'm sure to clarify that it's only for that session and explain why. But I rarely do that. The other thing about going over in time to win the client over is that the client EXPECTS just the amount of time they booked. They have a schedule too and so is it not bad form to go over? Is it not disrespectful of their time? I suppose this depends on whether the therapist asks them if it's OK, but then does it come across as desperate for business? Giving out hints that you're just dying to "win them over" isn't a good thing either in my book.
Allowing enough time for the interview is something that needs to be addressed too. When clients book, they should be made aware of the amount of time for the intake process and interview too. The amount of time spent for the massage should be for the massage only and advertising should reflect that.
I'm in agreement with Lauren in that it is the outcomes of the session for the client is what matters the most, not the time spent on them. Quality, not quantity, is always the most important. But maybe that's just me!
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I have one more thing to comment on...I have been a therapist for 6 years & have always been bad w/ keeping on time. I have never had one time where a person came back to me & expected extra time, nor have they ever asked another therapist for more time. Well, one time a person asked me, but she is very friendlty w/ everyone at the center & asked SOOOO nicely & did not expect it. There is times when my schedule is tight for whatever reason & it is necessary for me to stick to the 30/60/90 min time limit & no one ever commented. Honestly, I think most don't even realize you have given them extra time.
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Permalink Reply by Julie Onofrio on
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I don't think there ever is a good time to be late to a session. If you are giving someone extra time it should be on your own time and not someone elses. Working more than the scheduled time is a boundary violation. The client was expecting an hour and is paying for an hour. When you work longer they could think that they have to pay more. When you work longer they might expect you to do it all the time. It creates a dilemma either way.
You do not need to give people extra time to 'win them over'.
Julie
www.thebodyworker.com
www.massage-career-guides.com
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Permalink Reply by Daniel Cohen on
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Luciana,
I would answer similarly to yours. The answer I believe is closely tied to where and how you work. It is one of the factors of clients choosing a chain or an individual. Tthere are no wrong answers here if you follow the policies you or the business have set.
Luciana Borba Johnston said:Oh...I don't give extra time to "win them over" I give extra time because I love what I do. Sometimes in the moment I don't want to finish the back after a specific amount of time I want to finish when I feel the energy is balanced and I have done what is needed. If I have spent extra time on the back I don't necessarily want to skimp on the rest of the body...I have always taken about seventy to seventy five minutes to do a full body and that is almost always how long my "hour" appt takes.
I am sure it would be fine if I just stopped right at the hour but it's not how I roll ;)
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Permalink Reply by Bethany Reed on
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When it comes to my regulars, there are times when I go over. I have one client in particular who always schedules for an hour, pays for an hour, and I usually give her an hour & a half. It's not to win her over, we just get caught up chatting. But there have been other times when I've gone over. Then I will usually mention during the massage; "just so you know I may go over our time by 5-10 minutes, is that ok?" And so far, not many clients have been too bothered by it (imagine that :-D).
It helps when you're your own boss, because you can moderate that or expand on that as much as you'd like. But I generally schedule a half hour between all my clients (sometimes more) to make sure I don't infringe on someone else's time.
Now with chair massage, if the event is asking for a certain time limit, you should stay in that time limit (and I try to). But when I'm doing an event and I'm in charge of the time & "my booth", then I will give what I feel they need in a reasonable amount of time. If someone's waiting, then the person on the chair gets a specific amount of time, I won't short them for someone else. But I also won't make the person whose waiting, wait extra.
Probably the best way to resolve the "problem" is to get feedback. If you have another therapist in the office with you, ask their feedback and accept whatever they say graciously. If it's just you and the client, ask for feedback from them. Let them know that you think you may need more time during their next session & suggest that they schedule for a longer time-slot.
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