Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/08) */
Re: Case # [redacted] : [redacted] Dear Mr. [redacted]
Thank you for your letter dated August 31/2015. After talking to both the office manager and practitioner involved we feel that we can outline our position on the complaint.
It is our...
understanding that the client missed a scheduled appointment with a massage practitioner at our centre. We understand that from time to time our clients are unable to keep their appointments. When this happens it is our policy to review the clients previous appointment history and determine whether it is necessary to charge the no show fee. When appointments are scheduled for massage the clients are made aware of this fee and we require a credit card to hold the appointment. When the client does not show we call and either talk to them or leave a message stating that we will be charging their credit and, if they have any concerns they can call back. Most other organizations will not phone but immediately charge for the full balance and not the lesser fee, especially when the policy is clear.
We attempted to contact the client two times before charging her credit card. Our manager called a third time and left a message that she would be charging her credit card. The client then contacted the centre and discussed her situation with the manager. The manager decided to reverse the charge the same day and explained the importance of keeping appointments or giving us 24hours notice. Our message system records the date and time. Our manager is here at 8am daily and had this client left a message the first time she called we probably would have been able to schedule the now vacant appointment. If we can fill the appointment we do not charge.
The practitioner that the client was scheduled to see reached out in an attempt to communicate with her on the phone. The client chose not to return the practitioners call even though she later wrote on face book that she was pleased with the practitioner and the massage service that she previously received. The practitioners contract their business to the wellness centre. When a client cancels with short notice or no shows it directly affects their livelihood and not just profit for the wellness centre as clients may assume. The practitioner would have appreciated the opportunity to explain this on the phone or in person before reading it on a public forum such as face book or a letter from you.
We hope that this helps you to resolve this matter. In all fairness we need to maintain the same policies for all patients who see the various practitioners at the wellness centre.
Sincerely,
Dr. [redacted] and Dr. [redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The complainant received the message from the massage therapist, and once was free called three times back trying to get ahold of anybody with no answer. Having a busy schedule with two jobs and full time school load, they did not have time to leave a message to be called back at a inconvenient time again to sort out the situation. Unfortunately, at this time the client had had enough of returning a call to no answer. As well the credit card on file was not the clients. Unfortunately, the business' voicemail should be updated that the time and date would be recorded for cancellations, as it does not state this, nor do they make this a known to the client that a client is able to leave a voicemail on the weekend to cancel appointment. The client has proof of the calls to the business varying from the times of 8 AM to 9 AM where there was no answer, if the voicemail of the business stated that cancellations were able to be done through voicemail different actions would have been taken. The clients previous missed appointments were changed with appropriate time in between or were also paid for. The client did offer to come in and pay the payment in full for missing the appointment as well, and was never notified that a credit card was being charged as well. The client did not choose to return the call, but could not get a answered phone call from the business to return the call, and has proof of these phone calls as well. The client has offered many solutions to the problem when it was at hand, by offering to pay for the full appointment as the client understands that this affects the practitioner and thus was turned down to pay the full appointment which contradicts what you have stated here. The client exhausted her options that were available to try to contact the practitioner but with many calls that went to voicemail at the business with no answer, the client gave up in contacting the business. Unfortunately the client wishes to no longer be contacted by this business and they are unsatisfied with the customer service and the lack of responsibility of actions that have been taken by acknowledging the event that occurred and how the client was argued with upon their situation instead of actually reasoning with the client to come to the end solution. If the proper steps would have been taken to properly look into the clients file and information, the business would have properly seen that the client had one paid for no show, and would not have argued with the client that they had no shows that were not accurately recorded in the client file.
Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/09/08) */
Re: Case # [redacted] : [redacted] Dear Mr. [redacted]
Thank you for your letter dated August 31/2015. After talking to both the office manager and practitioner involved we feel that we can outline our position on the complaint.
It is our...
understanding that the client missed a scheduled appointment with a massage practitioner at our centre. We understand that from time to time our clients are unable to keep their appointments. When this happens it is our policy to review the clients previous appointment history and determine whether it is necessary to charge the no show fee. When appointments are scheduled for massage the clients are made aware of this fee and we require a credit card to hold the appointment. When the client does not show we call and either talk to them or leave a message stating that we will be charging their credit and, if they have any concerns they can call back. Most other organizations will not phone but immediately charge for the full balance and not the lesser fee, especially when the policy is clear.
We attempted to contact the client two times before charging her credit card. Our manager called a third time and left a message that she would be charging her credit card. The client then contacted the centre and discussed her situation with the manager. The manager decided to reverse the charge the same day and explained the importance of keeping appointments or giving us 24hours notice. Our message system records the date and time. Our manager is here at 8am daily and had this client left a message the first time she called we probably would have been able to schedule the now vacant appointment. If we can fill the appointment we do not charge.
The practitioner that the client was scheduled to see reached out in an attempt to communicate with her on the phone. The client chose not to return the practitioners call even though she later wrote on face book that she was pleased with the practitioner and the massage service that she previously received. The practitioners contract their business to the wellness centre. When a client cancels with short notice or no shows it directly affects their livelihood and not just profit for the wellness centre as clients may assume. The practitioner would have appreciated the opportunity to explain this on the phone or in person before reading it on a public forum such as face book or a letter from you.
We hope that this helps you to resolve this matter. In all fairness we need to maintain the same policies for all patients who see the various practitioners at the wellness centre.
Sincerely,
Dr. [redacted] and Dr. [redacted]
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 7, 2015/09/09) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
The complainant received the message from the massage therapist, and once was free called three times back trying to get ahold of anybody with no answer. Having a busy schedule with two jobs and full time school load, they did not have time to leave a message to be called back at a inconvenient time again to sort out the situation. Unfortunately, at this time the client had had enough of returning a call to no answer. As well the credit card on file was not the clients. Unfortunately, the business' voicemail should be updated that the time and date would be recorded for cancellations, as it does not state this, nor do they make this a known to the client that a client is able to leave a voicemail on the weekend to cancel appointment. The client has proof of the calls to the business varying from the times of 8 AM to 9 AM where there was no answer, if the voicemail of the business stated that cancellations were able to be done through voicemail different actions would have been taken. The clients previous missed appointments were changed with appropriate time in between or were also paid for. The client did offer to come in and pay the payment in full for missing the appointment as well, and was never notified that a credit card was being charged as well. The client did not choose to return the call, but could not get a answered phone call from the business to return the call, and has proof of these phone calls as well. The client has offered many solutions to the problem when it was at hand, by offering to pay for the full appointment as the client understands that this affects the practitioner and thus was turned down to pay the full appointment which contradicts what you have stated here. The client exhausted her options that were available to try to contact the practitioner but with many calls that went to voicemail at the business with no answer, the client gave up in contacting the business. Unfortunately the client wishes to no longer be contacted by this business and they are unsatisfied with the customer service and the lack of responsibility of actions that have been taken by acknowledging the event that occurred and how the client was argued with upon their situation instead of actually reasoning with the client to come to the end solution. If the proper steps would have been taken to properly look into the clients file and information, the business would have properly seen that the client had one paid for no show, and would not have argued with the client that they had no shows that were not accurately recorded in the client file.