People arriving late for appointments

[ex-x-fire]

Is this a new trend that people have? It seems more lately this has been happening at the shop I work at & the late people just don't get it.They act like nothing is wrong. Basically the reserve a bay like they reserve a table at a restaurant & the job has to be done in X amount of time before the next appointment, myself, I think being 5 minutes early is on time.

 

[3xpendable]

I know how you feel. Im a rv tech and I teach owners how to operat their new rv. I have had to work thru lunch so many times because of late folks. Got to get them gone tho have more classes right after lunch lol

 

[OccupantRJ]

Offset all appointment times, then everyone will arrive either on time or early. if anyone has to wait, make it be them.

 

[pop pop]

Do like the Dr's. office. Overbook and +30 min on each one. If you want them at 9:30, set the appointment at 9:00. If they aren't there at 9:30 the one you wanted at 10:00 will be.

 

[thightower]

It bugs me to be late for anything and hate waiting on people.

 

[thesilverone]

I waited 30 minutes for a guy from craigslist to buy a tool box from me. We met in the middle (distance wise) in a restaurant parking lot. "I had to get gas" he said.

 

[RV77]

It bugs me to be late for anything and hate waiting on people.

X2

 

[rmc115]

It seems to be whatever is best for them, no one else matters. I don't work through lunch for anyone. Mike

 

[Turbo_Prop]

Offset all appointment times, then everyone will arrive either on time or early. if anyone has to wait, make it be them.

That is why people come late to appointments.

 

[Hghgrad]

I can't stand being late for anything. I tend to give myself an extra 30 minutes to get anywhere further than about 30 miles away.

My drive to work takes me 30 minutes, 17 miles away. I leave an hour Before I need to be there... Gives me time to relax for a few before I start getting stuff ready to go.

 

[ex-x-fire]

Thats how I operate too.

 

[Danglerb]

I was born late and haven't changed.

If you don't want people to be late, TELL them what the deal is, and suggest they arrive EARLY. Otherwise just shift the time and let them think they are late.

 

[larry_g]

My mother ran a beauty shop and scheduled all appointments. If you showed up 5 minutes late you did not sit down, you were rescheduled. None of her regulars were ever late. I am not late for anything but my wife is. For me to make an appointment in town I'll leave 30 minutes before the app. Wife will leave 15 minutes before and its 10 miles to town.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[KPSquared]

I firmly believe that 5 min early is on time and "on time" is late.

My buddies learned very early that if I said I was leaving at 9, with or without them, I meant it

Being late just shows the other party that you believe you are more important and that your time is more valuable. I don't tolerate it and I usually **** down the throat of people who can't grow up enough to figure out how to leave 5 min earlier.

 

[firebox40dash5]

I don't know if it's a new thing, but it sure isn't isolated.

I can't count the number of times I've had customers at work miss an appointment by half a day, or half a week... and then still think they're getting their car back at the previously agreed time. Sorry, no, you had a reserved spot, and we pushed back other customers because YOU were going to be here. Then you didn't show, so whatever was here took your place. If you're lucky, when I finish that job, there won't be anything else for the day, and then I'll start on yours. Hope you don't need any parts, because the parts house is closed.

Had one seriously make an appointment for a laundry list- tires, brakes, a bunch of other stuff; was supposed to show up midweek and be ready for work Monday. They drop it off about 6pm Friday... and ask if it'll still be ready to go Monday by 8am.

 

[Danglerb]

Sounds like a great way to drive away customers.

 

[reyna14]

I pride myself on my punctuality and am always ear. I don't like being on time because it pisses me off. People who are habitually late drive me up the walls.

 

[2oolhound]

IF I'm going to be late I phone BEFORE the appointment time and warn them and explain why and when I expect to be there. Folks appreciate that and I've only had to do it once in the last 3-4 years when I got caught in traffic. I was only one minute late in the end that time.

When I had my photo studio I've rented props and spent 1/2 a day building a set only to have the client not show up so I guess I learned the value of keeping appointments.

 

[03protege]

While I do set appointments I am the one going to the customers house so I have no issue there.

Where I do have a problem is that customers do not understand I will have your item ready X weeks from the time you give me the deposit.

I tell them it will be a 3 week turn around and 2 weeks later I get a check and a phone call trying to set up a day 1 week from then to accept delivery.

 

[softailgarage]

I used to show up early, it was great! not making mad dashes out of the house and rushing traffic, trying to get to work on time THEN I started reading an online forum called, "Garage Journal". Late to dinners, late to appointments, sit down at the desk, pull my boots on, glance over my shoulder... and there it is, on the computer screen, "Garage Journal". 20minutes later... ****, late to work... AGAIN

 

[Southern]

I'm about to hate on a whole bunch of you in the next post.

 

[Southern]

Rofl, lots of ragging going on in this thread.

1) I think a few of you should stop whining about customers being late. They're showing up to give you money so you can buy food for your family. The only time you should cry is if they don't show up at all; otherwise, shut up imho.

2) Anyone that professes to "hate" waiting needs to take a chill pill. Someone made you wait 5 hours? Alright, you've got a gripe. Someone made you wait 20 minutes? How much time do you waste on a day to day basis watching TV or surfing the internet, and all of a sudden your 20 minutes is preciously valuable? Grow up, relax, look around, take in the scenery, meet someone, make a phonecall, read something. If you're stressing about having to stand around for anything less than an hour, you're stirring up unnecessary drama.

3) The practice of offsetting appointments to make customers wait on you, and denying service to anyone who's late is just a great way to drive off business. Remember the whole "they're trying to give you money" thing? Maybe you guys should be a little more accommodating. Either that or you're ******' rich and swamped in so much work you don't know what to do with yourself and couldn't care less about pleasing someone attempting to give you money.

Being late just shows the other party that you believe you are more important and that your time is more valuable.

I lol'd at this. Come off of that high horse, you look silly.

I don't like being on time because it pisses me off.

Rofl. Being satisfactorily on time "pisses you off?" You must be a real treat when it comes to anything else.

I waited 30 minutes for a guy from craigslist to buy a tool box from me. We met in the middle (distance wise) in a restaurant parking lot. "I had to get gas" he said.

He was bringing me several thousand dollars and I had to sit for like a little bit, is was horrible! The humanity! How did you survive??

I've an idea, how about we all just take a big deep breath and realize there's people in the world with actual, real, legitimate problems, and y'all having to wait on someone doesn't even make the first 10,000 pages of the list.

 

[larry_g]

Southern what you fail to realize that a business that runs on scheduled appointments does not have the luxury of accommodating a latecomer that throws off the daily schedule and pisses off the rest of the days customers because your not dealing with them at their scheduled time. Losing a customer that tries to throw the daily schedule off is better than upsetting the whole bunch that come on time after Johnny come lately.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[camarotoolman]

At least they show up sometime. Around here they don't even come after I spend 10 min. giving directions, ans. a 100 questios about what I'm selling. Now, I tell them to call when they get to my hood. Flip side is going to the doctor, 1st. appointment at 9, you don't see him until 10:30

 

[mtkst19]

Mind you, i am one of those barely on time to 5 mins late people. I simply am not an early bird. Get me past 11am, and then everything is smooth and i go from a on time/late to on time/early type of person.

i have had customers who burned me on appointments. By that i mean order in parts, set the date, and no call no show. One time, i can forgive. 2 or more times--not going to work. Those customers who burned me multiple times when they call now needing their car worked on asap the answer is always Sorry, im 2 weeks booked out can't help you... That is how i handle customers who continuously flake. As they cost me money. an empty bay sitting for the hours they had scheduled is like negative money. That spot could have been filled.


as for being late, it does toss a wrench into plans when you have schedule and pay based off hours turned etc. I generally give a 30 min grace period. If they cant make it with in 30 mins or have the courtesy to call and explain, then the next car comes in ahead of time and that person simply gets rescheduled.

I had a gentlemen show up 2 hrs late and expected me to get him in. Sorry, thats a tad to late. If you are still driving the car and it is not a major safety concern--you can reschedule. If it is a major safety concern, then leave the car and ill wok it in a timely fashion or go elsewhere.

 

[darkk]

With me it's a matter of principle. If you're late I won't inconvenience the next person. You wait or you come back. A job takes *X* amount of time,I don't inconvenience myself either, my lunch, my break, time to go home, I'm gone. I don't rush for any one. Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

 

[Southern]

Southern what you fail to realize that a business that runs on scheduled appointments does not have the luxury of accommodating a latecomer that throws off the daily schedule

Being a business owner myself, I understand this.

However, I have structured my business in an intelligent way so that the entirety of my daily operations doesn't hinge on the punctuality of each client.

If the whole day becomes a huge cluster when one customer is 10 minutes or even an hour late, the fault isn't the customer's for being late, the fault is yours for running an inefficient operation. Employees deserve better leadership than having someone put them in a situation like that.

When a client is late here, we can easily adjust, adapt, and roll on to the next thing, making room for the client when they do happen to show up. It's not only good business, it's good management.

Edit: For the record I'm not talking about extreme lack of punctuality like mkt is. That all seems completely reasonable. I'm mostly talking about the hubub about people being rescheduled or having to wait when arriving inside of 30 minute windows or less. But yeah if someone's 2 or 3 hours late without calling and wants to get worked in, of course they're gonna have to reschedule, and probably stinkeyed a little bit for good measure.