One of the unpleasant aspects of running an office like ours is the need to charge a fee when a client cancels an appointment with less than 24 hour notice or doesn’t show up at all for their expected appointment. We do this because of the way that our office visits are structured. Our sessions are hour-long, one-on-one affairs and if we’re missing a client that we were expecting, we still have staff that needs to be taken care of.
Some clinics have their therapists see multiple clients in the same period; one on the exercise machines, one with hot packs and one getting manual therapy. This is usually coordinated with the help of one or two physical therapy aides. If a patient doesn’t show up, it’s less of a loss because they are others in the circuit.
While that style of care in other clinics may work quite well, we’re set up to provide personalized care with a personal approach. When we miss one client, we have a more significant loss and we need to recoup that loss. Unfortunately, it’s necessary.
The lovely snow that we’re having is an opportunity for me to soften that harsh blow. Very plainly, we would rather have you cancel your visit, even with short notice, than to have you risk your safety on the slick or snowy roads. We would be happy to waive any late cancellation fee if you think it imprudent to drive in these conditions. We just ask that you give us a call with as much notice as possible.
Winters are rough, but together, with a bit of flexibility and patience, we’ll survive until the spring blossoms come.