An issue I have all too often. What should I do?

[charlsmcfarlane]

I offer online training through Fiverr.

I ask that clients buy a gig to secure the session time and then, about 30 minutes before, I open the order chat and create the fiverr zoom call ready for the session.

Then sometimes, the scheduled time comes around and I'm there, waiting for the client, and they don't show up.

So I message them to remind them about it, in both the order chat and the regular inbox.

Often, at this point I get a message from them like, "hey, sorry I got held up. Be there in 5" – that kind of thing.

This is fine. People get stuck in traffic. People have to change a diaper at the worst moment. People forget. It happens.

Often, if they're on 5 minutes after the scheduled time, I'll even go over by 5 minutes so they still get the full time they paid for.

My issue is with the others – sometimes someone just doesn't show up at all, doesn't message back and, in rare cases, never talks to me again.

In this situation, should I mark the order as complete? After all, I have allocated that time and spent at least some of it waiting for them (normally about 15 minutes before I abandon the whole thing).

The issue is, they haven't had a session, which they could argue, is what they paid for. However, I see it as they're paying for my time, which I made available at the agreed hour.

In any other situation if one pays for a lesson and doesn't show up, the time is still chargeable.

Is this the same? What would you do?

[lacroix88]

you might consider getting a partial refund (beta version recently introduced by fiverr) you can indicate in the requirement box that according to your terms and conditions if the user does not show up they will be required to pay 20 percent of the lesson through the partial refund

Edited August 10, 2023 by lacroix88
misisng word

[vickieito]

5 hours ago, charlsmcfarlane said:

Is this the same? What would you do?

I know that @williambryan392 states this in his FAQs:

Quote

He also charges a $25 rescheduling fee (which shows up at the top of the order chats, so it's always on the buyer's mind that you have to make the appointment).

As long as you make it clear in your gig description, order requirements, and gig extras, there should be no issues with your buyers.

[charlsmcfarlane]

1 hour ago, vickieito said:

I know that @williambryan392 states this in his FAQs:

He also charges a $25 rescheduling fee (which shows up at the top of the order chats, so it's always on the buyer's mind that you have to make the appointment).

As long as you make it clear in your gig description, order requirements, and gig extras, there should be no issues with your buyers.

This is great advice! Thank you.