How long should I wait?

[Pompal 09.]

I have this client (she's my first real client) that I've been seeing every 2-3 weeks since October, was a referral from my doctor and I know I've helped her because she is pretty much free from pain now  She's been trying to conceive another child and she miscarried back in late April and I was supposed to see her about 2 weeks ago for her regular appointment and she left me a message that morning and said that she had to cancel, she had some stuff going on with the doctor, etc., and she would tell me more later, and asked that I call the next day, which I did.  I left her a message, said that she was in my prayers, I hoped everything was well and to call me when she wanted to reschedule.  I haven't heard back yet, and I hope that everything is okay, but part of me is thinking "does she just not need my services anymore?" but I don't want to call her again (especially if she had another miscarriage) so I was thinking of sending out the new Body Sense magazine with a quick note that I hope everything is okay and if she wants to cut back on our appointments, I'd be happy to do that.  Does anyone have any suggestions on what to say and how long I should wait?  I also have a couple of other former co-workers/friends that I've worked on a couple of times and they haven't called back.  I'm not sure how to approach the subject of re-booking/re-establishing a therapist/client relationship, and again, how long should I wait?

 

[jenny_lynn_23]

I would try calling your client one more time just to say hello and to check on her.  I would say, I haven't heard from you and wanted to make sure everything is okay.  As far as your other clients, you may after about 3 months send them a reactivation postcard/letter.

 

[sdselt]

I use postcards that say "You've been missed" -or something similar- with a catchy phrase on the back that just reminds them that massage can help relieve the effects of the daily grind, etc.As far as your client in question, I would send her a nice card that shows that you care and are there for her when she chooses to come back.  You don't even have to specify the nature of the problem - just let her know that you understand.I've found that in my practice, being thoughtful but not invasive is the best way to let them know that you care, and are more than a business person trying to make a living.  It's that extra personal touch that can make all the difference in the world.Namaste,Carole

 

[monkipuzzle]

Sometimes people get really preoccupied with things going on in their life and forget to do things like return phone calls or reschedule missed appointments.It's been my experience that the more you "chase" after a client to rebook, the less likely they are to rebook.  Worse, you run the risk of alienating them because you are pressuring them.I'd suggest you set up a system where you track when the last appointment for a client was.  You can use a basic spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel and just list each client's name and the date of their last appointment.  If they've been MIA for 3 months, send them a "Haven't Seen You In Awhile" type Postcard with a money off offer to reactivate them.A lot of this type of follow-up with phone calls, etc. can be minimized just by doing some type of direct mail to your clients every 6 weeks or so.  This is especially true as your client base gets bigger and bigger.                         Best of luck,                                  Michael

 

[Knowledge]

Hey, guess what?  My client called today and I'm seeing her next week.  I guess she was just busy!