<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=windows-1252" =
http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META content="MSHTML 5.00.2614.3401" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#fff8e0>
<DIV>Hi, Roy:</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I do all I can to avoid no-shows by calling the day or evening =
prior to any
and all appointments, to insure that I and the client are on the same =
page, so
to speak. No confirmation, no appointment! If I get an =
answering
machine, I insist on a callback by the next morning. If I discover =
an
empty house in spite of my confirmation, I employ a cell phone to call =
the
customer while parked in their driveway. If there is no answer, I =
leave a
message on their answering machine or give them 15-30 minutes to make an =
appearance. After that, I drive away------ totally pissed =
off!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>If they are a regular client and this is a first offense, I will =
accept
their apology as part of my "first-time, all is forgiven" policy, =
especially if
it is due to an emergency. If they are new, I inform them that an
additional compensatory charge will be added to the tuning or service =
fee.
If they object, I suggest that they find another technician. I =
don't want
clients who have no respect for my time! However, the long and =
short of it
is that blown appointments are part of the business, cost us money and =
introduce
stress into our lives. We simply must take adequate steps to =
insure that
they remain infrequent occurrences in our otherwise seamless =
schedules.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>By the way, if I must drive 50 miles for a tuning, I prefer to lump =
it in
with other jobs in the area. At least that gives me something to =
possibly
fall back on in such cases.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>David Nadworny</DIV>
<DIV>Somerville, MA</DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:nadlane@earthlink.net">nadlane@earthlink.net</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Date: Wed, 4 Aug 1999 07:22:51 -0500<BR>From: "Roy Ulrich" <<A
href="mailto:ulrich@rangenet.com">ulrich@rangenet.com</A>><BR>Subjec=
t: Re:
Let's hear it!<BR><BR>Question: How do the rest of you handle =
"no-shows"?
You know, the<BR>occasional people that make an appointment 50 miles =
away and
aren't home<BR>when you get there?<BR><BR>Roy =
Ulrich<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>