[Michlib-l] registrations/managing no-shows

Mon Nov 13 15:53:20 EST 2023

We had a children's program two summers ago with 60 registrants and about 15-20 on the wait list and on the day of, about 20 kids showed up. We made some changes. 

First, we do not post our children's events more than one month out. We had a few (or more than a few) families who seemed to register for everything up front with barely a shrug and then decide later if it actually fits into their schedule. 

Second, a week or a week and a half before the event, we email all the registrants and ask them to confirm, notifying them that if they don't confirm we will (and do) cancel their registration. I don't believe we have ever had anyone complain that their registration was cancelled, but we have had several registrants tell us that their plans had changed and we were able to move people up from the waiting list. 

In the same email, and also in a separate email to the waiting list folks, we explain that we will hold their seats only until the start time of the event, If they are not present, we will allow people on the waiting list to attend. 

We also started having a page at each event with a clipboard and the registration list checking off names. We hadn't done that before. 

In the beginning, this took a few emails to get everyone to confirm, and also for people to know our new policy, but now it's much more straight forward and requires much less time. 

Until just recently, we had only done this for children's programs, as our adult programs rarely had a waiting list. But we now find ourselves in that situation even for adult programs sometimes, so we are implementing this process for them, too. For adults, I am insistent that we do not require registration for any adult programs unless they truly have a maximum number who can attend - like an art class with finite supplies, a cooking class, etc. All lecture-type events we advertise as "registration is helpful or encouraged, but not required." This is also a change from our prior policy. 

Last, one lingering problem we have is one or two families who consistently confirm and then still don't show. We are considering taking the drastic step of basically banning them from children's programming for 90 days or something. (At their friendly library!) We're obv trying to find a gentle way to say that, or to come up with a better solution, but it remains a problem. 

Deb Hemmye (she, her) 
Library Director 
Huntington Woods Public Library 
26415 Scotia Road 
Huntington Woods, MI 48070 
248-543-9720, ext. 686 

From: "Michlib" <michlib-l at mcls.org> 
To: "Michlib" <michlib-l at mcls.org> 
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2023 2:13:16 PM 
Subject: [Michlib-l] registrations/managing no-shows 

Hello all: 
We struggle with folks who register for events-- and then don't cancel, they just don't show up. Registrations fill up, folks who want to can't register-- and we end up with some empty seats/materials left over. 

We used to use a "wait list" function-- but 
a.) our calendaring software was unable to process a short-notice cancellation and notify the wait list that a spot had opened and 
b.) People don't cancel-- they just straight up don't show up. 

We've updated our email reminders to nicely stress the importance of canceling, and we've stealth boosted our slots by 10%-- and still.... 

Anyone else have this problem? Any ideas? 

-- 
Jean Fellows 
(she/hers) 
Programming Coordinator 
Grand Ledge Area District Library 
131 E. Jefferson St., 
Grand Ledge, MI 48837 
517-627-7014 

The Grand Ledge Area District Library is situated on ancestral, traditional and contemporary lands of the Anishinaabeg – Three Fires Confederacy of Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi peoples-- land ceded in the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw. For more information, see the article from Central Michigan University Library: [ https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__blogs.cmich.edu_library_2019_11_26_the-2D1819-2Dtreaty-2Dof-2Dsaginaw_-23-3A-7E-3Atext-3DIn-2520the-25201819-2520treaty-252C-2520the-2Cliving-2520on-2520the-2520ceded-2520territory.&d=DwMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=sW0QtgsUF_VTgHYbMLAYDX2ikQwQhwFgtcNmyu5STJQ&m=D4PZtMLBGWtWr1y0HBpoH-XQAxUPvIW9NIPohQtVJPqJybEjuk7OfENsaPSKra6n&s=MwdkR7El7twTJ_lL0hLBAxZyJ7nUYaM8mWbmFZ9Vg4w&e= ] [ https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__blogs.cmich.edu_library_2019_11_26_the-2D1819-2Dtreaty-2Dof-2Dsaginaw_-23-3A-7E-3Atext-3DIn-2520the-25201819-2520treaty-252C-2520the-2Cliving-2520on-2520the-2520ceded-2520territory&d=DwQFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=sW0QtgsUF_VTgHYbMLAYDX2ikQwQhwFgtcNmyu5STJQ&m=D4PZtMLBGWtWr1y0HBpoH-XQAxUPvIW9NIPohQtVJPqJybEjuk7OfENsaPSKra6n&s=Gko1oolzJfXJLTaNQOU5kCHNn0MMOqQfcNBwCq0tQIc&e= | https://blogs.cmich.edu/library/2019/11/26/the-1819-treaty-of-saginaw/#:~:text=In%20the%201819%20treaty%2C%20the,living%20on%20the%20ceded%20territory ] . 

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