How to and Not to Confirm an Appointment!

Those of us who sell services know the importance of confirming appointments in advance.

I have been confirming appointments in one way or someone else since I was 18 years old. In those days I had population scheduled to come in to my martial arts studio for preliminary lessons. As a side note- I now know, as do many of my clients, that in most businesses you don't call it an "appointment" anymore. You use friendlier words like "Visit" or nice phrases like "Pre-Arranged Visit" or "Special time."

Thank You Card Phrases

Before we get to a story about what Not to do, let's give you some take-aways on what to do when you are confirming an appointment.

How to and Not to Confirm an Appointment!

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Onesie Baby Shower Invitations for Baby Boy - Set of 10 Feature

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Customer Reviews

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 11, 2012 10:33:43

Calling the morning of the scheduled time is ideal for evening or afternoon visits. Calling the day before with the client's permission to give a quick ring when you are on your way for a morning visit will acquire your visit and be sure you are not wasting your time.

Now more than ever you should confirm via phone and email. Personally, and I know a lot of consumers share this sentiment, I'd rather click and acknowledge to an email and say, "I'll be there" or, "Sure, come on over" than check my voice mail, write down the number and then put it on my to do list to call back.

Be sure to catch the message...

Multiple forms of confirmation Are necessary! So phone, email and post card, or at the very least a composition of two of the above mentioned methods.

Believe me- your prospects and clients will thank you for taking control of the situation! You are not being too pushy!

Now- How Not to Confirm an Appointment!

I know that you have been stood up before. We all have- it is part of the game! But don't let those few rude mongers ruin it for the rest of your prospects and especially, you.

When you set an appointment (Visit) and you confirm using a few methods, (Phone- email- post card, etc), show up!

A quick story...

Our house has a three car garage, abundance of room for our two cars. We park in the garage. Here in New Hampshire you are for real encouraged to use your garage, otherwise you and the ice scrapper are gonna come to be very familiar.

When stable doors are in use daily they need quarterly service and maintenance. Jamie and I received a very nice letter from the folks who installed the doors when the house was built informing us that it was time for our service call.

Sounds good to me because the big stable door is beginning to get squeaky. The fact that I accidentally backed into it didn't help matters. Anyway, we call them and say "let's do it." A nice lady on the other end informs that they are booked for the next three weeks. Happy problem for them! So I asked her, "What do you want to do?" she informed me that she would call back in a week or so to schedule something. Not wanting to give guidance to deaf ears, I said "sure!" (The guidance I would have given is to set the time now while I am on the phone). That was charge one!

She called back a week and we scheduled the service call for a week later. I told her that I work from home so all they have to do is ring or knock and they can get to work. Seems easy right? Wrong!

I get a call the day before confirming (Good work) the visit and I tell them that all is set. To my surprise, they don't show up the next day! Three days later while getting messages off of my home voice mail I inspect a message from the women at the stable door company stating that they plan on being at my home at 11Am, but they do need me to call back and re-confirm with them or they will not show up!

Since then, it has just been a game of phone tag! All they had to do was show up, service the stable doors and accept a check (and maybe even a cup my exquisite coffee.) But nooo! They assumed I would just be someone else rude monger who would stand them up because I didn't call back and tip off them that I for real was home eagerly awaiting the advent of their world supreme technicians!

She should have collected an email address or even used the address she had on file to mail me a post card if she was that skeptical about me retention my word.

How to and Not to Confirm an Appointment!