The moment they say they want to cancel
No problem. Can I ask what changed? If it is something I can answer, I would rather do that than leave you worrying.
The tech is already there, so you have to pay.
If it is the cost, the tech can look first and give you the price before touching anything.
You booked it, you cannot cancel now.
If it has stopped on its own, that is good news. Would you like the tech to check it over while they are there?
Then why did you call?
Set this up when the job is booked, not at the door
- Say the call-out or trip charge on the booking call, plainly, once.
- Say how late they can cancel for free, and put it in the confirmation text.
- Send an on-the-way text, so a change of plan reaches you before the truck does.
- Give the tech one sentence to use at the door and the office number to hand over, so nobody improvises about money.
When they still want to cancel
Understood. As I mentioned when you booked, there is a trip charge once the tech is on site. If you rebook this week, I can put it toward the repair.
Fine, but you are paying for our time.
I will note it on your account. When you are ready, call me and I will find you a slot.
Do not bother calling back.
The three ways this goes wrong
- Leading with the fee. It turns a question into a fight.
- Letting the tech argue on the doorstep. Money conversations belong with the office, not the person at the door.
- Inventing the policy on the spot. If they did not hear it when they booked, charging it now is the version that becomes a review.
A cancellation at the door is either a worry you can answer or a policy you already explained. Ask first, then be clear, and either way the customer leaves without a grudge.
I answer the phones for contractors, and I say the trip charge and the cancellation window on every booking call. callbobai.com