Hi,
Feel a bit bad and worried bout consequences (some clients can be a bit bitter - been reported a few times from randoms, false reviews and revenge posting my real name on a forum)

I cancelled a booking (4 hours prior to the meet time) from a guy who travelled far to meet me. He seemed genuine and nice before I cancelled.
Issue is.. I'm pre-menstrual, depressed and feeling tender, bloated etc. Just not in the mood AT ALL! So I cancelled all bookings for the evening. The loss of income is a shame but I don't think I can handle it.

Just wondering how you guys go about days you are just not feeling it?
Any advice or mindset (as I'm serious about working and building a good reputation).
Thanks!

At least once a week I wake up and think "NOOOOO, not today" and I come up with a million reasons as to why I should stay in bed an hour or two longer. Then I mentally calculate if I can move anyone around in order to get a longer lie, then I eventually drag myself up and get ready in a mad dash because all that procrastinating cost me 30 minutes when I knew I would have got up and went to work on time anyway. Once I am there and in the flow, I am happy I went.

So to answer the question, I don't cancel. Unless there is something very wrong which limits my ability to work, such as a period or illness. I recently had a terrible issue with a new IUD which left me bleeding for months - extremely heavy for the first week. I explained to my clients that had booked in advance, some were happy to go ahead without sex, others rearranged. And I mainly sponged it for the whole two months.

I work this way now because when I first started and until around the first year mark, I was terrible. I would cancel all the time, or forget to even cancel on clients and have angry messages saying they were standing at my door. It was very unprofessional of me and to be honest, I only got away with it because I was "new" and everyone wanted a piece of me. I was dealing with a lot of personal problems back then so it is surprising I even made it to work consistently.

Now? I don't treat my clients with such disrespect, I value them and I try my damn hardest to keep to my agreements. I'd say I have a good reputation due to this.

Moral of the story - get yourself to work if it's just an off day, you'll feel better for it.

I don’t think you should feel bad.

I get quite a lot of advance bookings-  I’m pretty scatty, sometimes I forget about them until they confirm the day before, or I am overwhelmed with personal life.  Not feeling 100% and many other  reasons.  And admittedly this happens quite frequently.

My view is the client is paying a lot of money for the booking.  I would rather them save their money for when I am in a position to give them a great service.  There are plenty of other women they can chose from, or they can use their hand and save loads of cash! It’s not the end of the world...

I’ve never had an issue with clients kicking off.  I always apologise... and they always return (luckily)

I’m sure that if you didn’t feel under the weather, you would of done the booking- it’s a financial loss for you.

I cancelled a client the other day but that was due to the fact that I knew he was going to be difficult (with following directions to get to me) than because I wasnt in the mood. If it was just because I wasnt in the mood I would just fake it.

I've not done this so far. I work through my period, business as usual.
I had IBS torture for 4 years and took those days off.

Also the prescence of a deposit is an incentive, if I cancel a booking I've taken a deposit for it makes me look hypocritical and I'd have to spend time refunding or rescheduling. Something I want to avoid.

I don't think I've cancelled more than 1 booking in 4 years, that one was a genuine diary entry mistake on my behalf. I didn't enter the booking, then when a regular asked for the date the day looked totally clear. Only at confirm time did the mistake come to light, the regular confirmed first. New client later (I give a by time which is same for anyone), I admitted my mistake by the time I offered him an alternative time he'd cancelled his hotel. I returned the deposit paid immediately. He assumed I had knowingly double booked in favour of a regular (I hadn't told him whether the other booking was a regular or a new client). Taught me to be sharper with my diary, I now enter bookings immediately even if I'm out somewhere personal, doing something else. Not made a mistake since, it's coming up to 4 years since that incident.

Prior to that I'd cancelled twice so probably 3 times in 6 years.

Before this I was unreliable due to a chaotic lifestyle alcohol and drug issues, never going back to that again.

I don’t see that the OP has done anything wrong. Guys also cancel us. None of us have to have sex if we don’t want to. Four hours warning is time enough for them to find another lady.

If I know a guy is travelling a long way to me ie Manchester to London(it has happened lol) then I try to discourage him and ask him to wait till I’m nearer his area. Simply because things can happen. But they don’t always tell you if they travelling.

When I’m working late at night I only accept bookings from guys who are on there way “now” because if it goes quiet I won’t stay awake.

Years ago someone told me he was in the area for other reasons, work I think. It was during the time when I was having serious issues, I had to cancel on him at confirmation time too ill to work which he accepted very well. He got in touch at a later date asking to rebook and could he have a discount. I tend not to offer a discount because my cancellations are genuine, and the few occasions I've offered the person has been suspicious however I did reply with a discount offer. At this point he suddenly flipped told me he'd specifically travelled to my area, the discount wouldn't compensate for his long journey, wasted fuel and time.

Wow!

I have no idea how far someone is travelling, some punters will use a cover story or don't want me to know how close or far they are. To me all bookings are important be it someone 2 minutes or 200 miles away. Many do travel specifically , many incorporate a visit with other reasons to be in the area.