Pushing sense of urgency to clients when traveling

[Jarrod_Uncut]

So the other day, I had somebody texting me while I was driving from one area to the next. Since I was posting ahead of time in a city I would be open to stop in if I had an appointment, but I wasn’t doing that blindly with no appointments. Stopping in cities requires a hotel, obviously to stay and host. But I often have a plan B alternate route in case I don’t. In this case it was exactly that, because if not I was going to go a different direction: (me in blue)

 

In my head I’m like: dude, can you just tell me when you can meet? Eventually I ended up getting annoyed and telling him off because, why are you hitting me up for an appointment if you’re so busy with other people? I don’t like to send off a client but, many times people text when I’m commuting between locations and instead of just doing what’s being asked: they try to turn it into a conversation and what they “might” or “maybe” be able to do. Like no, I have to make a decision before I get to the next exit because one road goes in one direction, the other road goes in another. Once I get on either, it’ll either be too late to turn back, or take extra time if I do turn back around. 
 

This is why on my RM auto reply I’ve recently updated it to add questions like:

Host/Travel:
City You’re In:
Days/Times:

In this particular client above case, I shouldn’t have had to pick around and figure out when he could meet. It would have been nice if he just initially stated when he was looking for, but it seemed to me he was just poking around to see if I was actually in town 🤦🏾‍♂️
 

I often have to convey: Even if my ad shows in a place, it doesn’t always mean: A. I’m there yet and B. Even if I am, I may only be planning to go for specific booking and limited time. Not just hanging around with unlimited time to burn.

Edited February 28 by Jarrod_Uncut

[Milo Janus]

Why blank out your Rentmen name? 

[Jarrod_Uncut]

6 hours ago, Milo Janus said:

Why blank out your Rentmen name? 

Because after a set amount of time, I can’t edit it. Millions of years from now 🦕, someone may be aimlessly looking up my RentMen name 🤷🏾‍♂️ 

[BostonDadType]

@Jarrod_UncutOne again the way you are ranting and raving over this subject, points to why you're struggling in this business.   I've said it before and I'll say it again, if your posts on here in any way reflect the way you communicate and treat potential clients, then it's no wonder clients ghost you or stand you up.

[marylander1940]

21 minutes ago, BostonDadType said:

@Jarrod_UncutOne again the way you are ranting and raving over this subject, points to why you're struggling in this business.   I've said it before and I'll say it again, if your posts on here in any way reflect the way you communicate and treat potential clients, then it's no wonder clients ghost you or stand you up.

Some potential clients play games, ghosts, and stand-up providers because they love the feeling of empowerment the get. Sad but true!

@Jarrod_Uncut is an honest poster.

I know providers who constantly have to tell clients: "just let me know whenever you know your own schedule and we'll go from there". 

[Jamie21]

Some clients are just notoriously vague. I think it comes with the work. I don’t like it, it’s frustrating, I agree with @Jarrod_Uncut . Some clients are just window shopping or indulging themselves in an ‘I might hire’ fantasy. 

I tend to work from a studio in central London. I don’t live there but I’m often in the vicinity and I see clients there or at their hotel or home if it’s reasonable travel distance. Many times I finish my day, make my way home or to do something else and a potential client will message “hi, are you available this evening?”. Too late…I left the studio. Had they asked earlier I’d have probably seen them. 

Others message about availability in coming week. I provide days / times and hear nothing back. Then they message on the day and ask to book. Too late! I made other plans or took another booking because they didn’t take their opportunity when it was there.

What do these potential clients think I’m doing? Sitting around all day waiting for them to make their mind up? I’m sorry to have to decline them of course, but I do think that if you want a good experience with someone decent then it’s highly unlikely they’ll be available for you at the drop of a hat. 

 

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

3 hours ago, Jamie21 said:

notoriously vague

I'm going to use this moniker on one of the blacklist boards.

I also want it on a tshirt.

[Jamie21]

59 minutes ago, BenjaminNicholas said:

I'm going to use this moniker on one of the blacklist boards.

I also want it on a tshirt.

Or vaguely notorious. That’s what I am. 

[Jarrod_Uncut]

11 hours ago, BostonDadType said:

@Jarrod_UncutOne again the way you are ranting and raving over this subject, points to why you're struggling in this business.   I've said it before and I'll say it again, if your posts on here in any way reflect the way you communicate and treat potential clients, then it's no wonder clients ghost you or stand you up.

I would rather address the other guys who replied, but I’m going to still address you:

You seem to ignore or are just ignorant to the fact that: some of the things I discuss are a cause and effect situation. 
 

I know it sounds easy and convenient to use my posts as a reason for everything…but you have to think bigger than that. Just like I said about deposits, I wasn’t asking for them because things were always going great, I started asking only when weird things kept happening. 
 

What I post on here has nothing to do with someone contacting me trying to book a visit in a different city, and him  beating around the bush despite me letting him know: I need to know soon.

Now alternatively the other day: a client reached out and even though it was a same day delivery booking in a city 3.5 hours from me(faster than Amazon lol), he reached out early in the day and sent deposit as soon as possible. We met and had a great time.

The other guy coulda worked out to, but then when he’s already showing distrust over my deposit which proves he hasn’t read my ad: my patience automatically got shorter.

Edited March 1 by Jarrod_Uncut

[Jarrod_Uncut]

On 2/29/2024 at 2:02 PM, Jamie21 said:

Some clients are just notoriously vague. I think it comes with the work. I don’t like it, it’s frustrating, I agree with @Jarrod_Uncut . Some clients are just window shopping or indulging themselves in an ‘I might hire’ fantasy. 

I tend to work from a studio in central London. I don’t live there but I’m often in the vicinity and I see clients there or at their hotel or home if it’s reasonable travel distance. Many times I finish my day, make my way home or to do something else and a potential client will message “hi, are you available this evening?”. Too late…I left the studio. Had they asked earlier I’d have probably seen them. 

Others message about availability in coming week. I provide days / times and hear nothing back. Then they message on the day and ask to book. Too late! I made other plans or took another booking because they didn’t take their opportunity when it was there.

What do these potential clients think I’m doing? Sitting around all day waiting for them to make their mind up? I’m sorry to have to decline them of course, but I do think that if you want a good experience with someone decent then it’s highly unlikely they’ll be available for you at the drop of a hat. 

 

Good point made. This is where I also wish the RM platforms were a bit more expressive about availabilities and such. “Available now” is just not always doable, even though “online now” I suppose is a compromise.

I know the auto reply on messenger is about the best it gets when it comes to being able to explain availability.

But fast forward: I dealt with this EXACT same scenario again couple days ago. I went to a city for 1 night only, but I was giving myself until about 6 pm the next day for any other clients to book. So in the meantime, I went to Starbucks, shopping and to the gym. 
 

Sure enough, one client was dragging things on for a bit…eventually couldn’t even end up meeting himself. Another was going to be an hour away. Granted, this was all on A4A: the same site where people take their sweet time anyway. Some people, you can only deal with in a capacity where you have nowhere else to be. 

[+ APPLE1]

When I am traveling, or see a traveling provider, it's often about how pretty or special they are. I will reach out, and inquire about what they are providing. I may rearrange my schedule, pay a little more, or send a pic and lengthy description if they are pretty enough or offering something special. If not, I decline to rearrange my schedule, pay more, or jump thru any hoops I don't find necessary. I don't expect the provider to be upset with me for not accommodating him, and I am certainly not upset with the provider not accommodating me. 

It's really no different than any other goods or services I purchase. If I go to a newly opened McDonald's, I am not paying $30 for a burger, waiting in line for 20 min, or making a reservation-it's not that special! I can go down the street to another McDonald's, a Burger King, or a steakhouse to satisfy my hunger. I may go back to that same McDonald's tomorrow to see if there's no wait. 

Edited March 2 by APPLE1
Typo