What does “By Appointment” Mean?
August 21, 2023
When you call to inquire about getting your equipment repaired, I will tell you at some point that I work by appointment: you’ll need an appointment to drop off your equipment and you’ll need an appointment to pick your equipment up when the work is completed. I would think that any person who has ever had regular medical or dental care, or had their vehicle serviced, would understand what that means, but to my surprise, I sometimes get a customer who thinks it means they tell me they’re going to come by today, or tomorrow, or soon. Or, it means they can come by any time after their appointed date and time.
I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. An appointment is a mutually agreed to time and date. I don’t tell you when you must come and you don’t tell me when I must see you. What I will do is tell you when is my first available, and if that’s not convenient to you, I’ll tell you what future days/times work for me, and before long we’ll hit upon one that works for both of us. Since I work out of my house, I can be flexible with my hours, but I must limit the number of people I see on a given day, and I must avoid having more than one person here at the same time, out of respect for my neighborhood.
Here’s a few other things that work:
* If you’re a few minutes early for your appointment, that’s okay. On the rare occasion that I’m not here, I’ll be back by the appointed time.
* If you’re a few minutes late, that’s okay. My next appointment is at least an hour after yours, and our transaction will probably take no more than a few minutes.
* If you can’t pick up your equipment for a few days or even weeks after repair is completed, that’s also okay.
* If you’re not able to make your appointment, that’s okay too, I appreciate your letting me know and we can reschedule.
*If you miss your appointment, that’s an inconvenience to me, but there’s no penalty, we’ll just need to try again another day. Call me!
I can usually give you an appointment within two or three working days, but if I am busier than usual it might be a week or maybe even more. Please be patient, I’m not trying to make your life more difficult.
