Who do you think is most responsible for cancelled appointments? The “cancel-er” or the “cancel-ee”?
You should probably never say this to your manager, but isn’t there something oddly satisfying about a cancelled appointment? Of course, there are critical appointments so time-sensitive that you absolutely can’t miss. But, then there are those not-so-important appointments…perhaps too many of them.
This topic came to mind when Evan from Sioux City asked me a simple, yet important question for a little “Q & Dave.” What should one do with the time when an appointment gets cancelled?
These types of cancellations are expected to a degree. When they happen, it’s usually not you. It’s them. However, if appointment cancellations in your calendar become a “trending topic” in your workday, it’s a sign that your appointment scheduling system is in need of repair.
People may be getting the impression that they can squeeze, pencil, and jam appointments into your calendar at any given time. Additionally, because most everyone is struggling—severely—with time management, odds are they need a reminder from you the day prior to the meeting.
In my opinion, appointments should be set in stone, or they shouldn’t be set at all. That way, when someone cancels, you’ll know they have a good reason. That’s when you can move on to more pressing matters.
How do you manage cancelled appointments?
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