A couple of years ago, I got a land line telephone recording machine message from my Dentist. “Ms. Jacqueline, you have an appointment. We are wondering where you are since you have never missed an appointment. Please call our office as soon as you can to reschedule. Please remember that there is a $25.00 no-show fee if you do not arrive in the next 15 minutes. Thank you.”
Arrgh! I forgot to mark my calendar and did not get in for my semi-annual teeth cleaning. I had missed it and it was too late to ‘save’ this appointment, so I would have to re-book. I called the Dentist once I heard the message and was able to squeeze into another appointment the next day. When I arrived the next day, the receptionist looked sheepishly at me and said, “We have to charge you a no-show fee for yesterday.” I sighed and said fine and I paid the charge. I had missed the appointment. It was a lesson for me to not waste other people’s time and to be more diligent on honoring all my schedules I make.
Recently, I have had a couple of encounters with new clients not doing the same and it made me wonder. I am a professional in my own respected field, and like a Doctor or Dentist, should be respected as such. So why should I not have a “no-show fee” for people who book an appointment? The antics of people I encounters early on in my practice solidified my belief that it is “fine” or “OK” to be late or stiff people of their time that could be used for various other things and also other clients. Case in point, many years ago, I received a call from someone asking if they could “come right over”. I gave them my approval since it was three in the afternoon. They didn’t show within a reasonable amount of time, so I commenced making dinner for my family. About 6:45 pm, as my family is gathered around the table, the doorbell rings. It was two women; one stating she was the caller from the afternoon. I asked her why did she not come “right over” as she stated on the phone. She told me she wanted to wait for her friend to come (as she also wanted to see me) and that she didn’t have a babysitter for the kids and was making dinner for her husband. I had to turn her away as I told her I was not going to let her tardiness interrupt my dinner with my family.
Yesterday’s confusion by a client got me to thinking about how professionals in the spiritual world are actually regarded and treated by the general populace. Thanks to reality television, it could appear that psychics, tarot readers and spiritual workers live is spacious, self-cleaning homes with supportive family members who drop everything so that Mommy can drive all over the East Coast and do readings in clients’ homes. Perhaps the image taught to the populace by the media is that sit all day in a building and are territorial ethnic rivals who go about trashing each others palm reader shops while boasting that we have to defend our honor as such.
In addition, those shops and shopkeepers who continue to tell clients “It’s OK if you’re late.” speaks volumes on how they run their business. Did you know that one client who is 15 minutes late can then make the last client of the day’s appointment over two hours late. Imagine how you would feel if you were the last client of the day? Business owners who do not set parameters in advance regarding late arrivals and “no-shows” are asking to not be held in respectful regard and may indicate that you are so desperate for business that you will jump through hoops or agree to anything to be busy.
This could be so remotely far from the truth than it could possibly be. Professional readers are conscientious of your precious time as well as theirs. When rootworkers are not on the phone with clients, they may be brewing oils for magical work, lighting candles, harvesting plants or traveling to purchase herbs you need in your spiritual bath and also taking time to read the Bible or other informative texts, meditating or even spending time with their family, who will change their schedule for them so that they can get their work done.
Dear reader, if you book a reading with me or any professional rootworker or spiritualist, please do your very best to keep your appointment and do not fuss and carry on when you are assessed a “no-show” fee. that time that was set aside for you could have been used for another client who truly appreciates the gift of that worker.
Tarot by Jacqueline and Rev. Sister Jacqueline has a policy that is in various places on her website and also contained within the confirmation e-mail sent to each client at the time of booking a reading.
