I know I’ve been like that before. When I fucked up my back I’d feel good and make plans and the next day I might be out for a week in bed. Then I’d feel good again and make plans. Rinse repeat.
My buddy was like this a bit ago and turned out he had cancer.
Yeah, I'd be reluctant to be too upset about this. Given the context that they've been loyal for 4 years and now they're flaking consistently, I be more worried and empathetic than anything else. Something's going on their life.
I wouldn't expect them to share their personal lives but I'd notice to shift in their pattern and get it. I've been there.
I'd be like, "I'm going to cheat on you for a bit but I want you to reach out to me when you're more able to take me back on. There's a $25 visa gift card waiting for you at your place of work and I'll be thinking about you and sending positive vibes your way. Stay strong, Love."
As a retired nail tech who's had to do this (see my story up there somewhere) you are the kind of client I'd walk over hot coals with freshly skinned feet to take care of. Thank you for being that person. ❤️
As someone with a chronic illness, last-minute cancelations are sometimes unavoidable and usually last-minute because I'm trying my hardest to push through.
Now, this person could be a flake, or they could have something going on that they shouldn't have to disclose. If it bothers one that something is being canceled frequently, talk to them to see if a different time or day would be better, or if they think it would be best for one to seek out another option for whatever service is being provided.
I cannot begin to be so attached to a massage therapist that I'd put up with 3 in a row cancellations. The whole point of a massage is to relax, not deal with last minute cancellations one after another.
Yeah, if this was a health issue that was gonna take awhile to recover, it's on them to clear out the calendar and get better, but most people can't afford that. I'm torn, I wish I was psychic and get the whole story.
I've been the receptionist who's had to make multiple cancellations for sick colleagues who didn't get better as fast as my boss said they would...
It's... not fun for anybody. Honestly OP is a god damn saint because even the nicest patients lose their shit by the third cancellation. Totally understandable but as someone who has no control over any of it and has to be the one to break the news it's my least favourite part of the job.
In OP's case though it sounds like the person they have the appointment with is the one cancelling, so they should have a better idea than I get at work where I have zero access to my colleagues' medical information.
Our latest one... the sono got sick or something, I wasn't at that site when it happened, but I know a bunch of her patients had already been rescheduled when she then went and broke her leg and had to have surgery. I was covering that site straight after it happened, so I had to reschedule a month's worth of appointments, I was sent the same email she'd sent our boss that stated she should be cleared to work a month later. The patients were furious because they'd already been rescheduled twice.
I was deployed to another site afterwards but didn't work for a few weeks because of a family emergency.
When I came back i found out that the sono's estimate had been wrong and the doctor had made her wait another six weeks before she could go back to work, and her cover could only do a couple of days a week. I can only imagine the phone calls the other receptionist had to make when those patients had to be rescheduled a fourth time, I felt awful.
I mean, even in that case while I'd have sympathy for the massage therapist, I still just can't understand OP's continued scheduling with this person. Even if you really love their massages, after the first two, just go somewhere else for a bit and come back when presumably the dust would have settled.
Oh, my family ran an auto shop, and we had one of those guys, too. Complete nepotism hire for a family friend in return for some other favor I can't remember. That man taught 10 year old me ALL the excuses an alcoholic can make. After 2 small claims cases from a result of being too drunk to put coolant caps back on and the whole never showing up to work sober thing, my Dad finally pulled the plug even though everyone else in my family contested because they didn't have to deal with his bullshit.
But, to his credit, he cleaned up his act quick after getting fired. But he had been shuffled around town a couple times before that, my Dad was the one that finally put an end to bullshit.
You'd think people who can afford it could manage their calendar better with health issues, but I had a doctor once cancel my FIRST appointment because... she was going to have her baby that week. No, not an early delivery, but a planned due date, and I got an appointment canceled a month out that i had scheduled 5 MONTHS earlier.
Sounds like the massage therapist is going through some shit and could use some empathy. Massage therapists have a hard job. They require their bodies for their living and when they struggle with health issues, it’s awful for them. They often have to provide their own health insurance, rent space, pay for liability insurance, etc. in addition to all of the other expenses adults have, so if they struggle to work they can fall into a major financial hole.
Doesn’t mean OP shouldn’t find a new massage therapist, but whatever’s “mildly infuriating” for OP, is undoubtedly majorly infuriating at best (for the MT) and completely devastating at worst.
My sister is a four time cancer survivor. Not in remission quite yet. She is a massage therapist. And this happens. Especially two years ago she had to have two more surgeries. But all her clients know her situation and she has other therapists she sends them to. She works for herself.
sometimes, its time to move on. I had similar excuses (not with scheduling) from a car dealership of 4 years. Gotta let them take the L and learn from the hard lesson of losing business.
OP needs to fire them. This is beyond unprofessional. Im an LMT of 15 years and run a medical massage company. I would never allow this in my company, wtf. OP needs to find a more stable and reliable LMT.
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u/Sue_Generoux 1d ago
What, exactly, is this person cancelling? A haircut? A surgery? Context, please.