A customer called me for an appointment to do electrical work. The customer called me Tuesday night and scheduled a job that same week at her house for a Thursday morning at 8:00 AM. I arrived at her house and she said “I already got the job done.” I said, “why didn’t you call me and cancel the job? You didn’t tell me you got someone else.”
When a customer hires another professional and doesn’t call and cancel the first scheduled professional, they should be charged a show up fee. I took the time and I scheduled the job. There are other jobs in line. When I started writing up an invoice this customer said, “you didn’t say it was going to cost to come out.” I responded, “you didn’t ask for an estimate. You asked me to come out and do the job.”
She contacted me and said she “needed this job done. Would you come and do it?” I said yes, I’ll be there Thursday. She said OK. So, that Thursday I show up at her house with a helper and she said she had the job done. No cancellation call. I told her she owes me a show up time charge.
There are 3 factors here to consider. First, this customer didn’t ask for an estimate of the job. Second, this customer scheduled a definite appointment for a specific day and time. Third, this customer didn’t call to cancel the job. When you call for an appointment and say you need me on the job, then I’m coming. There is a reason I charge for a show up fee. I am in business. I never collected but that was wrong of her to not cancel a scheduled job.
Another customer asked me one time, “what’s the difference? Can’t you just go to another job?” I explained that the difference is my money, my time, my gas and I loss time to come out here to your job and I didn’t get anything for it. You didn’t pay me. If you schedule a job and then have someone else do it, at least have the decency to call and cancel the first professional you scheduled. I didn’t collect any money from that customer. Do you think someone should be charged for not canceling an appointment?
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