Sample Admin: No-shows

Here are some sample admin messages you can send to your community.

ADMIN: NO-SHOWS

We've been receiving a growing number of complaints from members - mainly from people offering items when others don't turn up to collect as arranged, and from people asking for items who never get a reply but see the item still sitting on the offers board.

To help with this, please:

• describe an item as accurately as possible, and add a photo if you can - this gives anyone interested a better idea of whether it's what they want
• mark an item as Taken (or Received, for a Wanted) as soon as possible - please don't leave it until you next have something to post
• if you enquire about an item and it's not what you're after, let the other person know rather than leaving them wondering if you'll confirm
• if you've arranged a date and time to collect and need to change it, or change your mind, please let the other person know - we all hate no-shows

Please treat other members politely, as you'd wish to be treated yourself, and help build a friendly community.

Thank you for being a member of $groupname. If you have any queries, we're here to help.

Kind regards,

$myname
$groupname volunteer
$owneremail

.............................

ADMIN: NO-SHOWS

Dear $groupname members,

Could we politely remind everyone that if you've arranged to collect an item from another member, please show up. Not showing up to an arranged collection is really unfair.

If you've changed your mind, or something comes up that stops you making the arranged date and time, please let the member know as soon as you can. Plans and minds do change, we understand that - but it's frustrating when someone has gone to the trouble of photographing an item, posting it, liaising with responders, choosing a recipient and arranging collection, only for that person to never turn up and ignore further attempts to get in touch.

We're all in this to look after our local environment and help each other out. Basic courtesy and good manners are the least we should expect from each other. No-shows are discouraging for otherwise generous, good-willed freeglers who just want to help their community. Please do the decent thing: show up, or cancel as soon as you know you can't make it.

Most of our members are brilliant and do show up. But for those who don't: remember other freeglers can leave you positive or negative feedback using the thumbs up/thumbs down rating. The more thumbs down you build up, the less likely other freeglers are to choose you to receive their items. We want this to be a service people can rely on, so please help us keep it that way.

Thank you for your understanding and co-operation.

Kind regards,

$myname
$groupname volunteer
$owneremail

.............................

ADMIN: NO-SHOWS

Hanging around and the person you're waiting for doesn't show up? No-shows are frustrating, and the main source of the complaints we receive.

From experience, the best ways to avoid them are:

• Ask for a phone number in your reply. It's easier to text directions, check on the day someone's still coming, and deal with any last-minute problem.
• Ask people to say which item(s) they want and why. Anyone who doesn't reply is probably not that serious about it.

If you're getting something for free, it's only fair to be polite and thoughtful about pickup arrangements, as most people are.

I'll admit to once being a no-show myself - I suddenly remembered I was meant to be collecting some Freegle items. Luckily I had a signal, so I was able to contact the person who'd promised them to me, and she kindly agreed to rearrange. Now I set a reminder on my phone whenever I'm picking up or handing over an item.

So please make sure you're genuinely going to show up when you say you will - a reminder on your phone can help.

Kind regards,

$myname
$groupname volunteer
$owneremail

.......................

ADMIN: NO-SHOWS

This message is sent to all members of the $groupname community.

We occasionally have problems with people not showing up to collect items, or changing their minds. If you're getting something for free, it's only fair to be polite and thoughtful about pickup arrangements, as most people are. So please make sure you're genuinely going to show up when you say you will.

If you're not sure you can make it, let someone else take the offer instead. People talk - if you get a reputation as a no-show, members will pass you by for someone else. Sometimes a genuine last-minute emergency crops up; if you can't make it, it's just courtesy to say so. If you were waiting in for someone, you'd want the same from them.

When you post an Offer, you can choose who gets it however you like. There will always be some no-shows, but you can reduce the chances by choosing carefully.

First-come-first-served isn't always the best approach. Some people jump at an item with a quick "I'll take it" without really thinking it through, then change their mind and don't show. Waiting a while before choosing also gives a chance to people who aren't online all day, and a later reply might turn out to be the better fit.

Instead, consider taking some time - a few hours, or even a day - to weigh up your responses. Someone who takes the trouble to reply politely and explain why they want the item is more likely to show up, or at least let you know if they can't.

Once you've chosen someone, let them know, but hold off sending your address until they reply again. Someone willing to exchange a couple of messages is very unlikely to stand you up. Once you've told someone they can have an item, please don't change your mind and give it to someone else unless the arrangement falls through - and if you do, let them know.

Not all no-shows are deliberate. People get lost, have car trouble, run late from a meeting, or have any number of other reasons for missing the time. Exchanging phone numbers helps you both stay in touch if plans change.

Even so, sometimes a no-show still happens. Keep the replies you received, just in case, so you can move on to the next person who wanted the item.

And because one day you might be the one who can't make it after all, try not to be too hard on people when it happens to you - they may have a good reason.

Thanks,

$myname
$groupname volunteer
$owneremail

Back to Admins