Cancelled by text, the night before
It is the Thursday before the late summer bank holiday. At 10pm a customer texts the kennels mobile to say their trip is off and they will not need the run for their two Cockapoos. The text is seen at 7.30 the next morning. Your terms say cancellations within a certain period lose the deposit, or pay a proportion of the stay, but the owner is a regular, the message was apologetic, and nobody quite knows whether it counts as late.
Meanwhile, you turned away three enquiries for that weekend last week. By the time someone thinks to phone them, two have booked elsewhere.
Why cancellations are handled inconsistently
Cancellations arrive by any channel, at any hour, and nobody's job is to deal with them. The terms exist, but applying them is a judgement made on the spot by whoever reads the message.
- Cancellations come by text, email, voicemail, social media message or in person.
- The time received is not recorded, so "late" is arguable.
- Different staff apply the terms differently, especially for regulars.
- Any charge is taken later, if at all, by phone or at the next booking.
- Refilling the run depends on someone remembering who asked for those dates.
The double loss
An empty peak run is lost income that you had every reason to expect. Terms that are not applied mean that loss is not offset at all, and inconsistency creates its own problems when one customer finds out another was treated differently.
Most of all, it costs you the chance to refill. A run freed at 10pm and noticed at 7.30 has already lost a night of offers, and by the time a person gets to the waiting list, peak-week callers have moved on.
Cancellations recorded, terms applied, runs refilled
We build a cancellation route that works any hour and gives staff a consistent starting point.
- Every booking confirmation includes a link to cancel or change the booking. Using it records the exact time and reason.
- Cancellations that arrive another way are logged by staff with the time received, from the same screen.
- The system works out which of your cancellation bands applies, based on the time received and the booking dates, and shows the charge your terms set.
- Staff can accept the calculated charge or waive it with a reason, which keeps discretion visible rather than hidden.
- Any charge is taken from the card on file or sent as a payment link, according to what your terms and your payment setup allow.
- The freed run goes straight to your waiting list, or is offered to recent enquirers for those dates, even overnight.
| Cancellation received | What your terms might say | What the system does |
|---|---|---|
| Well ahead | Deposit refunded or transferred | Processes refund or credit, reopens run |
| Inside your notice period | Deposit kept | Records charge, reopens run |
| Very late | Proportion of stay charged | Calculates amount for staff to confirm |
| Waived by staff | Your discretion | Records who waived it and why |
The terms themselves are yours. How they should be worded, and what you are entitled to charge, are questions for your own adviser. We make sure the terms you have are applied the same way every time.
The morning after a late cancellation
The 10pm cancellation comes through the link in the confirmation. By 10.05, the two people on the waiting list for those dates have been offered the run. By the time staff arrive, one has accepted and paid a deposit. The screen shows the cancellation band, the charge the terms set, and a button to confirm or waive it with a note.
Are late cancellations costing you?
- Cancellations arrive by text or voicemail out of hours.
- You are not sure which cancellation terms applied to which booking.
- Charges are rarely taken, or taken inconsistently.
- Freed peak runs are refilled slowly or not at all.
- Staff find cancellation conversations awkward and avoid them.