Why 24 hour cancellation policy?

Posted by Lesley Powell on February 23, 2009 · 1 Comment

This is a letter written by one of my teachers, Ellie Kushner, to a client about 24 hour cancellation policy. Ellie writes so well about this.

Hi Client

I know first hand how frustrating it is to pay for a missed session. Like most in the industry, both my Alexander and Pilates teachers have a 24 hr cancellation fee and I have had to pay $90 when I have been sick. It’s a total drag, but it is the industry standard. Movements Afoot even has you sign the policy to ensure that the client understands this. It is also stated throughout the website, brochures, reserved appointments emails and at the studio.

This is how I explain the stiff cancellation policy:
There are clients who will not cancel even if they are very sick, others will cancel with a mild cold. There is no way for us to know if your illness warrants a fee by our personal standards, and so we make clear that people will always be charged. It is the client’s choice to make, not ours, if they are well enough to come or sick enough that even the knowledge of being late charged won’t get them to the studio.

I have been known to get the studio to wave the fee when a client makes clear that they know they canceled in less than 24 hours, understand the policy, and will pay. That way, I know that the client knows, that I am doing them a big favor from my own financial perspective (don’t forget, I rely on a given income and get paid by the hour only when the client pays.)

As you will be hard pressed to find a studio with a different policy, I advise you in the future to call or email your instructor at the first sign of illness. You said in your voicemail that you had hoped to be better by Monday. Be pessimistic if you want to avoid being charged. That way, if you get more sick, you won’t be charged, and if you feel better the next day, you may be able to call and get your appointment back.

Again, I know what a drag it is to pay for a service that you don’t use. I hope I was able to make the policy more understandable to you…even if it still seems like a drag!

Ellie