How Would You Handle This???

[mustluvdogs1]

I lady w/ a mini Schnauzer called for a second apt. The first was Dec. Christmas decorations were up. I said I would be there 12:30 -1PM. She did not say her daughter or dil would be there. I gfot there 12:30 3 dogs barking in yard at me. There is no visible door bell, but the dogs make up for that. No answert. I called her number and said I wasa in the driveway. I waite and called 2 more times and left at 1:15pm. I call again on the way back to my town and the DIL answers. She knew I was due at 1pm she was told. She was giving two young kids a bath in back bathroom and did not hear the dogs! Seems to me, if you Know I am coming why be in a posision to not be able to leave two toddlers in a bathtub and be out of earshot of the dogs barking? I was there long enough for her to have looked. I told her to tell Mrs R I would have to charge 25 extra to cover the [email protected] gal( and How irrisponsible, how stupid!!tomorrow it will cost more.) It is now 8:40PM no call of apology. How Rude!!!!I was nice and did not say it was rude or anything except a long distance for me to come and not be able to groom.If I send a bill she will ignore it. The first groom sh4 was nice and said the dog never looked that good before and her husband will LOVE it.He smelled like baby powder too!

[Dexy]

Thats a bummer

If she is not responding to your calls go ahead and send a bill for the full groom X2 plus the $25 and start adding monthly interest charges. Send it return reciept mail - USPS. Do not send it not certified mail - yet. This way you will have a record that each letter was delivered. Yes, she will probably trash them or it may prompt her to call.

Continue to send a bill each month (keep copies of each bill with reciept of deliveries). When the slow season hits send out one last bill this time certified and with return receipt mail.

Now, if no $$ or calls have resulted, take her to small claims court. It may cost you $45 dollars but you will not need an attorney and you will add this amount to what you are suing her for. Once you have a court date, bring in the original appointment book, any gas receipts from that day, your phone bills with her telephone # and time of call highlited, all letters and receipts of delivery in chronological order. If she does not come to court to defend herself you win by default judgement. If she shows up and being that you have this documentation you will most likely win a judgement.

If it gets to that point, get back with me and I can suggest some ways for you to collect on the judgement. I keep all of this bill collection stuff for the slow times of year, no reason to lose further $$ by pursuing it during the busy season.

Good Luck

[marcey]

I agree, however...

I used to let incidents like this eat away at me -- I took them personally and lost sleep over each one. I felt like if I pursued the $, then I would show somebody that they were wrong and I was right, and I'd feel better.

Eventually, I hope that you get busy enough that you can shrug them off to someone else being disorganized, flaky, and not worth your time as a regular customer. And let it go, remembering not to re-book this person.

I had a no-show just last week. Left them my $30 "trip charge" posted to the door. I get a call the next day saying they were "at a funeral" (which by the way is the #1 made-up excuse...and they could have called seeing as usually people have at least a day notice to attend a funeral). Anyway she seemed angry that I would dare charge $30. So I never called her back to re-book. They can shuttle their scruffy little dog somewhere else.

[Fur Elite]

I would say that you should drop this client altogether. One, they are long distance...this takes not only gas but TIME where you could be grooming dogs closer to you and making more money, less stress on the vehicle. Two, they haven't booked since Christmas. Not a "good" client. You want to focus your energy on clients who book more frequently. Three, this little incident here. Send them a bill, pursue it if you want...but I wouldn't let this eat at you. Just drop them.

[barknpurr]

You know, I have a hard time accepting that you would hold Mrs. So and So liable for her DIL's mistake. Yes, it is a hard pill to swallow that she was there and did not answer the door, but it is totally possible that she did not hear the door and just assumed the dogs were barking for no good reason. I am not one for billing a no show. To me, it's more aggrevation than it's worth. If you leave a bill for a nice client, they are offended that you would bill them, and if you leave a bill for someone who doesn't care about your service, they will never pay. Why aggrevate yourself even more? If she is bothered by your statement of billing her for the missed appointment, then she probably won't call you back to apologize. The money that you are out could have been nicely mentioned in a phone conversation with her.

I am not a fan of billing for a no show. I am a fan of walking away from a bothersome client with your grace and dignity intact. These days, I kind of look forward to a no show. It's a good break.

[c.c.]

Lisa, I tend to agree with your sentiments. I actually disagree with your first sentence. Mustluv had an arrangement with Mrs. R, it was Mrs. R's responsibility to keep the appointment. If Mrs. R delegates to her dil and her dil screws up, it's still Mrs. R's responsibility.

[mustluvdogs1]

C.C. Thanks

That is true, Mrs r. did make the arrangements never mentioning her dil who may live there. The dogs are family dogs and there is evidence the children are there often or live there all the time due to all the tous I saw in the yard. The messages were to mrs. Rs' phone. The DIL was apologetic and I was nice but I said Due to being outside my normal driving range, i would have to charge a unsuccesful attempt to groom fee. Gas was $2.89 yesterday, and today 2.98. Soon $ 3.00. a gal.I would be wasting a stamp if I sent a bill. Court? Not worth the fear and intimidation of a judge. Been there, done that in Calif.I won, appealed it and I won again. It ended up costing client $300.00 instead of the original 50. I groomed the big ol' going to be euthanized LabX.I don't often use that sad word in a sentence, so I can't spell it. It is not worth wasting my time or yours giving advice over.Thanks tho' It's Friday and one more day and then Rest!