Explain your cancellation policy

Your cancellation policy probably lives in three places: the website, the intake form and the memory of whoever is at the desk. The trouble starts when a client calls an hour before an appointment, or asks about a fee after a missed visit. Now the policy has to be explained to a real person who may be upset, by someone who wants to be kind.

Kindness is where the wording slips. "We can probably work something out" becomes an exception you never meant to offer. A softer paraphrase leaves out the detail that matters. A bare copy and paste with no greeting reads like a penalty notice. Later, the client remembers one version and your form says another.

This kit separates the two jobs. You paste in the published policy from your website or intake form, and the kit quotes it without changing it. The warmth goes around it. You choose the moment: ahead of a first appointment, in reply to a question about the policy, or after a late cancellation or missed visit. Then you choose the channel. You can add a general description of what the person asked and how to reach you to cancel or reschedule. You get a main message, a shorter one and a second-channel version. One tip: if the policy reads badly when quoted in full, fix the policy before you fix the message.