Yes. I absolutely do address it with them.  I do not "need" or desire to work with people who are perpetually late.  I value my time. It is all about setting boundaries and expectations with people, including clients. 

I have addresseed this issue in the following manner.

"Perhaps we should schedule our appointments for a little later than we have been.  Seems they are not convenient for you and you are rushing to get here and still manage to be late."  

If you don't make it about them, people just don't care.

I do in the form of these action steps and polite comments:

• they arrive at 2:20pm for their 2-3 meeting, I still usher them out at 3pm.
• They arrive late for their tour of homes: 6 homes in 2 hours becomes 3-4 homes with the time remaining.
• I politely let them know that I can not be late to my next meeting, but how they utilize or waste their time I've reserved for them is up to them...to a point.
• Oh by the way, I leave after 15 minutes when I've driven somewhere to meet someone and they do not show up on time, nor call. I've had many calls at 16-30 minutes past the hour asking "where are you, we're here now?". I let them know I was there early and waited 15 minutes, but that I thought they flaked so I left. Typically this is rental applicants and agents though, rarely my own clients.

yes, in no uncertain terms.... no scars on my tongue!!  that's a pet peeve of mine....I'm never late...and if something might create that, I call ahead and warn of it...and/or offer to reschedule if necessary....

Yes & I ask them to put themselves in the sellers shoes. They are waiting on us just like any other appt.

I set expectations early -  if they were raised by wolves, I let them know they need to find another Realtor.  The domino effect of their rudeness is something I no longer make time for.

Absolutely, time is money

I would not berate them but would do some more constructive notices like calling an hour ahead, sending texts to see if they are going to be on time so you will not be left waiting.

I think it shows lack of interest and I usually have other customers throughout the day who do not share the trait. Yes, I have to let them know as soon as possible in order to be fair.

No. I never mention they are late.

However, I do make certain the opportunity they wished for is no longer available.  "I have a 3 o'clock I must attend. We will need to reschedule this." or, "Had to lock up. We need to reschedule."

To communicate the importance of punctuality I do two things. 

#1 Always be early myself.

#2. Use precise times. For example:

      "I'll be there at 11:27."

They will be watching from the window to catch you arriving at 11:30.

After modeling, when an appointment is set, use precise numbers to convey the importance of punctuality. 

If the disrespect emanates from a buyer agent, let them know 15 minutes past appoint you will lock the door. Then send their broker a bill for $250 for services provided. You will not be paid, but the message will be clear, time is to be spent wisely and not wasted.

Finally, it is always a good practice to build in time adjustment mechanisms like vacant homes.

I have a conversation about it, and they usually greatly improve their on-time arrival performance.

Gloria Valvasori If I am 15 minutes early, I consider myself late. I don't give clients an opportunity to be consistently late. Once is excusable twice is rude and they are history.

 Consistently late?  I will drop them.

Time is more valuable than money, and I can't work with a hot mess.
I can deal with circumstances beyond control, delayed flights or acts of God if apprised timely.
I find that the ones that chronically disrespect time also disrespect the work that we do.

I make adjustments and if I have a chronic late buyer tell them the appointment is earlier and email and text the day before and day of the appointment. The apps sound useful! I usually do not encounter this problem..very seldom.

I lake the appointment for 15 later  than I tell them

Yes.  Worst case (when I dated a girl who always ran late) I told her the event started 15 minutes before it did.  Worked well.  :)

I will definitely have a discussion but, for the most part, this is not an issue. In the past few years, it has been the occasional prospective tenant for a lease listing which I now tend to group together with others who want to see the property to avoid needless waiting and to create a certain urgency.   

With some people no app will help, including agents - it goes both ways.

My mother taught me that being on time is the same thing as being late.

The app is a great idea for reminders, but some people are just chronically late and this won't likely cure that. I have done what Lyn Sims does on a couple of cases where it had to be addressed.

I don't work well with anyone who is late.  I am very prompt and expect others to be as well.  If it ever becomes and issue I do address it with sellers, buyers, agents and vendors.  

I tend to schedule others at an odd time such as 10:10am instead of an even time.  I find this works best and it seems to set an importance for the schedule.  Try it next time...I find this consistently works.  

Since we work on an appointment business; yes I will!

you bet!

Gloria,

I like Christina Hayes app idea.  Some people just have a late gene.  We have an aunt and uncle who managed to be late regularly.  The solution was to tell them to meet a half hour earlier than necessary, and that worked.  I agree with you that it is disrespectful to all parties.  A

Time is money and respect!

I've had customers that were late and had good reasons, but haven't really had to deal with any that were consistently late. If that were to happen, I'm sure I would address it rather than just get upset about it.  

Consistently late and if it is a significant amount of time. 5 - 10 minutes isn't so bad unless it's causing me to run late.

I certainly inform them that if they will be running late I would appreciate a phone call.  If they aren't respectful, then I would certainly make it clear that I need them to keep to our appointments, since my scheduling may affect other clients as well.  

Yes, I certainly would.

They get a calendar reminder when they need to leave their home or office in order to arrive "on-time."  That typically signals them to text me that they are running about X minutes behind.  I put that time to use making a stop or parking in front of the house, making calls.  I don't like it and I totally agree that it is disrespectful but, I make the most of the time while I'm waiting.

I was brought up on the mantra, "If you're not 15 minutes early to an appointment, you're late!"  

Yes. This is another good reason to have prospects meet you at the office.

It depends on the clients and their excuses.

I would bring it up that if they are late for their scheduled appointment to let me know 30 minutes in advance, as we might have to reschedule it to a different time or date.

YES, I always have a talk up front about scheduling and if some one is always late, i will address it. Most often the initial talk does the job

Clients not so much...The customer is always right but they are never wrong

Stuff happens, so I make sure to be in touch with them THAT day to confirm and, when I get there on time (actually, I always get there early because THEY might be too), I send off a text and/or call to find out if they are nearby.

Interesting, because just this last week we were waiting for the LISTING agent to meet us. That did not sit well with my buyers. When we wanted to go see it a second time, my buyers mentioned that we should "hound" her to be there on time. She wasn't! Clients don't forget this stuff either. Made her look "scatty" (my clients words). PS. In Hawaii, often the listing agent has to let you in. Serious drawback for sellers.

I made adjustment accordingly. Some are just not puncture.

Absolutely. 

The first time I will give them a pass, but after that will need to cut their time off for the next client and remind them I have appointments afterwards.   If it persists, I will discontinue working with them.  It is disrespectful.

I've become a crusty old man and unload on clients when they consistently steal my time.  I then spend time and energy backtracking as we close escrow.

I will wait for 20 minutes but not longer, unless I get a call that my client has been delayed.   If a client forgets that we had an appointment, they get one chance to be sorry and the second time I fire them.    

There is a classy way of doing it by noticing to them that ,"We will not be able to visit all the homes you wanted to see today, since you were late arriving and the listing agent was very specific on the window of time for the visit."

Your time is money and when they disrespect your time, they are wasting your money.

Not really, although I agree with you - I try to schedule them enough in advance and expect lateness anyway

Yes, I do. Diplomatically, but I make it clear that I can't sit around waiting on them.

Yes

This has never been a problem.

Fortunately, I have not encountered this issue much.  However, I did have one potential tenant for a lease listing who was habitually late even after I sent text and email reminders the day before and the morning of.  The third time she arrived 30 minutes late without a text or call, so  we mutually agreed that it was best to terminate the agreement.