A cancelled appointment recorded nothing about why it was cancelled. So when a customer rang to ask, the honest answer was “it is marked cancelled, but I do not have a reason recorded” — the least useful thing your receptionist can say to somebody who rang up to find out.
Cancelling from the dashboard now takes a reason and an optional note, and records whether it was you or the customer who ended it. Your receptionist can then answer the question properly next time somebody asks.
If you charge for late cancellations, your receptionist says so and hands it to you. Add the terms as an instruction on the new AI Instructions page and mark it “hand this to a person”. The caller is told the charge applies before they ring off — rather than finding out when it reaches their card — and your receptionist never takes the payment, waives it, or promises either way. That is your decision to make.
What changed
Cancellation records now carry the reason, optional notes and whether the business or customer cancelled. The change helps the next person handling the enquiry explain what happened rather than seeing only a cancelled status.
It is especially useful when a caller asks why an appointment disappeared or when staff need to review patterns in cancellations. The explanation stays with the booking instead of depending on someone remembering a separate conversation.
Before and after
Before this update: A cancelled appointment could show its status without a recorded reason, leaving the receptionist unable to explain why it had been cancelled.
With this update: The dashboard cancellation flow records a reason and optional note. The receptionist can use that recorded context when answering a later enquiry.
What it means for you
Choose an accurate reason and add a short note when the category alone is insufficient. If your policy includes a cancellation charge, describe the policy in AI Instructions and require handover for the financial decision.
The receptionist does not automatically collect or waive a cancellation charge. Explaining a policy and recording a cancellation are separate from deciding whether a payment should be taken.