Calling off a Booking because of illness...

Just wondering how all of you do this. Without too much information...I was up all night because of something I ate, or a virus, but eitherway, this morning I feel horrible, and am still, well...not in any shape to be putting my hands on kids faces, and I am sure not touching my paint for a few days. I called my booking and let them know that I could not be there because I was sick, and I don't feel too bad because they never managed to get me either the deposit or the contract (another story, I would have given away their time if I had another client give me a deposit and a contract...but that never happened, so...anyway)

My question is, how do you put it, what do you say? I felt awkward, I did not want to say what was wrong wtih me, I don't think it is anyone's business and that they should accept that I would not call off if it were not a really necessary, but I was afraid that they would ask...I got their voice mail, but think they may call me later (just have a feeling.)

I guess I really do need to find some other face painters in the area so that I have back up, but I don't know anyone now.

Thoughts?

I think you could have easily said what you said in your post above... that you were "up all night being violently ill and, trust me, you wouldn't want me anywhere near you or the children, let alone allow me to paint them in my possibly contaminating condition..." That says it all in a nutshell...

What does your contract say will happen if you find yourself sick? I've never had to call in sick, but my contract says I'll refund their (usually nonrefundable) deposit and "make every effort to find a replacement face painter."

That is what mine says, but they did not pay me a deposit or send in a contract, so I really did not have any feeling that they had any expectation from me, since they did not bother to fill out the contract nor put down the deposit. It was kind of their luck that no one else took a booking today and bumped them from penciled in, to off my book, which I would have done in an instant if I had a deposit and a contract from someone else.

It was just an akward feeling, and something I knew I would have to do someday, and I never really thought about the nuts and bolts of sounding professional when you feel like garbage.

"I am ill and I'm sorry I won't be able to make the appointment today."

I canceled once due to the illness you were experiencing... I called everyone trying to get someone to go but everyone was busy. She was PISSED... Wanted me to come anyways and was very rude... I didn't take it too personally, just sent her a gift certificate for a free hour of painting, which she recently cashed in.

If they never returned your contract or the deposit, then, it wasn't a confirmed booking anyway, right? So phoning them to say you weren't coming was a bonus... they might not have been expecting you because they changed their mind...

That is kind of how I thought about it Shannon, but I felt like I was stumbling all over myself on the phone, it just did not feel professional.

Suzy, I was really worried that if I talked to her live, she would want me to come anyway, and then be pissed off at me. Thankfully, I slept most of the afternoon away, and no phone call. It would just be gross for me to work today...I know I do everything I can to stay clean and be sanitary when I am not sick, but I should just not be touching faces and passing what ever this is to little kids, and I am not going to risk contaminating my kit so I pass it on for weeks to come either. Sick people should stay home and keep thier missery to themselves, but I really did not want to deal with a confrontation. A gift certificate is a good idea.

I hate you were feeling so bad! I love the idea of a gift certificate Suzy Luckily I haven't had to call in sick, but it's great to know what to do just in case

Hope you feel better today!

funny, I just wrote a blog post about that sort of thing yesterday... and apparently in the comments, someone disagrees with me. I think we each need to make our own judgments on where our limits are. I did a party last year that I really shouldn't have... I felt awful for the kids and the parents for how terrible it all was. When it comes down to it, you tried to find a replacement and that's the best you can do.
http://perrynoia.blogspot.com/2011/10/cold-season-is-coming.html

Thanks Perry...you made me feel better about it happening to me. I am just kind of isloated right now, and don't have back up just yet, and I had hoped to know more face painters by now that I could call when this happend to me.

I tried to post to your blog, not sure if it went throught, but the person who disagreed with you lacks the perspective of a parent with a child who has a chronic illness. You just don't realize how many kids there are out there for whom a little cold is so much more than a little cold. My Asperger child gets shingles each time she so much as gets the sniffles, so that is a a week of narcotic medication and antivirals and no school or public contact so that she does not expose others to chicken pox (which is the responsible thing for us to do to protect everyone else) so, I for one, REALLY appreciate it when sick people stay home and do not play martyr for a gig or anything else. A cancelation for illness is a hit we have to take, even if it means a losing a little word of mouth. Rest assured, there are enough parents out there, like me, who have kids with these kinds of issues who will speak up when someone bad mouths a person for having the good sense to protect everyone else from a comunicable illness!

I just wanted to do it in the most professional way possible, and I felt like a bumbler on the phone tripping all over myself. I know I had to do it. What I had going on was just as gross as a clown with a runny nose, and worse, none of the parents would have been much the wiser that I could be a walking germ factory of the really bad kind. If I had a runny nosed clown hand my kid a balloon animal, it would piss me off! No way could I stop them from wanting it...but these parents would not even think to battle their kids to not get painted so that they did not get sick (If I had been able to make it through the party...)

I feel better about it at least, and I feel a little better this morning. The dry toast this morning for breakfast has not caused me a problem. On to some tea, and broth. Maybe later on I will have some apple sauce! Whoooo hoooo!

BRAT diet for you today dear! Bananas, rice, apple sauce, toast!

It is all in the way that you present it to the parents and if you are REALLY sick, it will come through your voice as sincere. Of course we don't want to "ruin" their party, but we all have to look at the bigger picture. Even entertainers get sick and how much more upset is everyone when Billy Joel or some other huge star has to cancel a concert due to illness when each of them has paid hundreds of dollars for their tickets? Does anyone say they'll never buy a ticket for their concerts again? Maybe, but most people will suck it up and keep going.

BTW, I'm sorry you had trouble posting a comment on the blog... I had to post my reply twice before it showed up too. Not sure why it is doing that

Just wante you to know that you had a supporter in the parent realm for calling off when you could pass something on, even if it were just a little thing...not always so little!

I hate bannans...I know, I know, postassum, but yuck. I think we have some bannan laughy taffy in the trick or treat candy I just got..

I have never cancelled, one day I was so ill I wasn't sure I could stand up...but I also knew the client and unless I was dead, there would be no accepting a cancellation, so I sanitized ALOT and wore a surgical mask.
One other time, had the same up all night kind of illness, I called the mom and let her know, and thankfully SHE chose to cancel. LOL
I really need to get a contract....and some firm plans and guidelines! LOL

I'm glad you brought this subject up. I have been wondering the same thing. I have worked through illness, but I have another situation that might not allow me to attend a booked gig that I have a signed agreement for.

I have a standing gig every New Years, for the last four years and again this year, but this year I will be very pregnant, due date is ten days after the gig. I'm a little concerned about having to cance, or quit part way through, due to labour lol

I have never had this as an issue before and definitely won't have again. What would you do? Anyone?

It is hard to say, even if you have had other babies, they can all be totally different, and you can feel different from pregnancy to pregnancy. I was working as a MUA with my second, snd I was going to work up to my due date, but had to call off about two weeks early becuase I just could not do it any more. I worked the day before my first was born, so you just never know.

I think I would contact the client and ask them how they want to handle it, that way, they know what the chances are, and they know that you are willing to do what ever it takes to make sure that they stay a satisfied customer, even if that means that you play it safe and help them find a replacement (but only for this year, since you will be back in 2012!)

Good luck with it!

I'm so glad to have come across this thread. Very useful information! I really like Suzy's idea of a gift certificate and if worst comes to worst and there's no cancelling, a mask is a good way to go!!

Well, it's my fourth and each of them, just like their mother, have been late. So I was hoping for the same this go-around. I do however, find it more and more difficult with my giant belly, cuz I can't get in close enough to the client anymore

With a long-standing client like that, I'm sure you have a good relationship with them. I'd contact them soon to let them know and work out the possibilities.

You are a brave lady! 4! 3 about killed me. I cannot imagine what 4 would be like! Mine were all over the place, one on her due date, one early, one late...but you are lucky to be predictable!

I don't know if it would help, but I did not have trouble with the more shallow chairs when I was pregnant, but I probably would with the directors chairs because people sit so far back. You might look for a more shallow chair, or see if you could put a pillow behind them so that they sit forward and swing their knees to the side...I am short too, so my belly was about chair hight or lower.

Do you have another trusted artist nearby that you could call & have as an emergency fill-in? Then if you can't make it, and they can't either, you can let the client know you really tried to cover them?

Hi Criss,
I am in exactly the same position atm. I am in my third trimester and booked for gigs all the way up until my 38th week. I have modified how i work a little bit....I prefer to stand and have the kids in a directors chair at this point. I think i'll also bring another seat for me to use if i need to get off my feet. I will also be mindful to take breaks and stretch. If baby decides to come early or something, i will try to find a replacement. I don't think anyone can get too upset over someone going into labour! There are a couple of other ladies in town that might be willing to cover if i ring around. Perhaps you can arrange something similar?

I've never had to do this, but I also like the idea of offering a gift certificate or discount to the client if i can't make it. Help keep relations intact and all that.

Gamezgirl, I see you said you wore a surgical mask. I caught a cold from a lovely child who coughed in my face last week. Now I have a gig on Sunday and was considering the surgical mask. How was that received?

First of all, if they don't confirm the booking, there is no booking. It took a while but I had to teach myself to value myself enough to adhere to the guidelines of my own contracts. If I'm not willing to hold to them, I can't expect a client to do it, right? That being said, I wouldn't have given them a call about illness ... Again because there is no booking.

Second, if I'm sick, I let the parent know that I'm ill and offer wear a mask if it something communicable like a cold, or a refund if they don't want to risk it. If I physically can't do it, let the client know immediately and then I try to find someone to cover it. This has only happened once and it was because I was actually in the emergency room. The client kind of got an attitude about it at which time I told her that I would see if the doctor would be willing to have my IV removed and release me against his orders and if so, I'd be there. I think I made her feel like an arse for getting upset about her painter being in the ER instead of painting at her 3 year old's party. 😈