07/09/2025
⚠️Giving a cut-off date for the confirmation of a booking for a private consultation or enrolment into group classes is not rude or threatening, it is a necessary aspect of running a business and being able to meet the needs of those who are serious about engaging our services.
Whether we are booking people into puppy or other group classes, arranging private lessons or home consultations, we can only accommodate a limited number of clients over a particular time period. As we have daily inquiries, it is necessary to get bookings confirmed within a few days, so that we know for certain whether places or time slots are booked or available and we can continue to offer free times and places as more inquiries come in or refer to colleagues when we no longer have availability.
Asking for booking forms and payments to be returned by a certain date to secure a booking does not constitute a threat. Explaining in our basic terms and conditions that if forms and payments are not received by the due date it is assumed the booking is no longer required and the client is welcome to contact us about an alternative date, is not rude, but standard practice for most businesses.
Please understand how much time and energy we put into admin and communication with potential clients and how just about impossible it is to get compliance when it comes to filling in simple forms and confirming bookings on time. While people expect us to drop everything and respond to messages and emails within minutes, once we respond, it tends to take weeks and sometimes months for potential clients to bother to get back to us and we cannot hold places and timeslots for people who want to wait until the day before a class or consultation to commit.
If you are expecting a qualified professional to:
1. Answer your call, text or email within minutes
2. Wait for weeks for you to make a decision to take up an appointment or place in a class
3. Hold a place or appointment for you indefinitely
4. Not care whether you have filled in a form with vital information that helps us to do our jobs properly
5. Not care whether you pay for our services or not
Please ask yourself what sort of person you want to engage the services of - because someone who would fulfil these criteria clearly has a lot of free time (I.e. no other clients), is totally disorganised and is not fully invested in their work.
Trying to provide a service and run a business as a trainer or behaviour consultant, where you give your best to your clients requires organisation, forethought and self-respect. We are our own accountants, receptionists, business managers, debt collectors, marketing department and personal assistants.
And we will not tolerate rudeness or be bullied into dropping our standards or boundaries. ⚠️
To all our wonderful clients who communicate kindly and respectfully and seek to make our jobs easier, you don't go unnoticed and please know that you are highly valued 😊🐾
