Cancelled Jobs

Matt73 · 05-03-2008

Hello all, can anybody give me some advice of how I can combat cancelled jobs. I've had a couple of customers over the past six months cancel fairly big jobs at short notice, leaving me idle for a week at a time. How can I get these customers to commit or are there any safe guards I could put in place to try and cover myself? any advice would be helpful. Thanks Matt.

**Sir Ramic** · 05-03-2008

Theres not much you can do. After all you could book your car in for a service and then cancel on the day, what can they do?
If you were supplying materials you could ask for payment up front. I dont think they would cancel then. Customers can be funny sometimes.

GazTech · 05-03-2008

Originally Posted by Sir Ramic

Theres not much you can do. If you were supplying materials you could ask for payment up front. I dont think they would cancel then. Customers can be funny sometimes.

If the job is booked in...then ask for materials money as a deposit, and the labour upon satisfactory completion.....Gaz
----

Originally Posted by Sir Ramic

Theres not much you can do. After all you could book your car in for a service and then cancel on the day, what can they do?
If you were supplying materials you could ask for payment up front. I dont think they would cancel then. Customers can be funny sometimes.

most of the time lol.

......lol

**enduro** · 05-03-2008

Explain to customers you have to take a booking fee, as customers in the past have let you down, if they wont, say to them if they cant make the commitment to you you cant make a commitment to them.

**Daz** · 05-03-2008

Hi Matt,

Did they cancel or postpone?
I often try to make a customer feel "pain" if they try and cancel but if they are postponing I reserve the right to charge them for my idle time if short notice and I can't bring another job forward.

Afterall, my dentist threatens to charge me if I cancel an appointment and he can't book another patient and my doctor reserves the right not to treat me if I mess him around!

**brian c** · 05-03-2008

theres not a lot you can do tbh,except what sir ramic says.....i wouldnt give anyone money up front if i was buying materials if i was the customer...no way so its not nice but its the way itgoes,ive had it happen a couple of times and it does brown you off.customers eh...cant live without them!