Earlier this month, I had a doctor’s appointment. When I scheduled the appointment, the receptionist tells me to arrive 15 minutes before the appointment to complete my insurance paperwork.
The day of the appointment, I arrive 15 minutes early. I complete my paperwork and take a seat in the waiting room. Forty-five minutes after my scheduled appointment, I’m called in to see the doctor. My schedule is booked solid. Most days like most people – my schedule is booked solid.
In the grand scheme of life that 45 minute delay is nothing. It is a minor inconvenience. While waiting for my appointment, I reschedule my meeting. Life marches forward.
That doesn’t mean I have to like waiting.
As a business owner, I respect my client’s time as valuable. I have a lobby in my office. I strive to keep it empty.
When a client schedules a two o’clock appointment – I do everything I can to start the appointment at two o’clock. This doesn’t mean that I’m perfect. Sometimes emergencies happen. Sometimes an important phone call or meeting goes longer than expected and there’s nothing I can do about it.
If you have a regularly scheduled appointment (not a real estate closing where times often change out of my control), show up on time, and and our meeting begins more than five minutes from its scheduled time- I will buy you an appetizer and a beverage at a Max Restaurant. I will hand you a $25 gift card to the Max Restaurant Group for your inconvenience.