My last client canceled on me 20 minutes before a deep clean yesterday

I had blocked out four hours for this lady's house in Oakwood, drove 25 minutes to get there, had all my gear loaded and ready. She texts me at 8:40, says she forgot she had a contractor coming and needs to reschedule. That was the third time she moved the date on me in two weeks. I get it, things happen, but this is how I make my living, you know? Every no-show or last minute cancel eats into gas money and time I could book someone else. I already turned down two smaller jobs to fit her in. So now I'm sitting in my van wondering if I should drop her as a client or give her one more shot. Has anyone else dealt with a repeat canceler like this and actually got them to stick to a schedule?

1 comments

1 Comment

jakeperry16d ago

Man that's rough... I've been there too many times honestly. At some point you gotta think about your own time and money. Three cancellations in two weeks is a pattern, not bad luck. I'd send her one firm message saying you need a non refundable deposit upfront for future bookings, like half the job cost. If she flakes again you at least get paid for your trouble. Most people who are serious about keeping their appointments will agree to that. If she pushes back or gets weird about it, just let her go. There's always another client who actually respects your schedule.