Charging for hours booked but not worked

[OddFodd]

One of my USPs is that I only charge my clients for the hours I work (ie I don't round it up to a day rate so if a project takes me 6 hours, I charge them for 6, not 8).

I don't often get booked in advance and a project takes as long as it takes.
Occasionally though, someone will ask me to block out a particular day for them which can mean I turn down/delay other projects in favour of the booked work which then doesn't materialise.

I'm beginning to think I should actually charge something for holding that time. Because of the nature of what I do, I can't really start doing something else so I'm hanging around, waiting.

How do other people manage this?

I would hold it for free but only for up until the week before - then I would require a deposit to hold beyond that

Yep, like Blondie says. Pencil it until the week before - or until you get another offer - then chase them up. If they then confirm and don't come up with the goods I either:

Charge a half day rate if the work then comes through - so I do have some regular clients who will phone and say 'it's definitely coming' and I beleive them, so cut them some slack and charge the half, then full rate for the actual work of course.

Or if it's not going to come in at all, I charge full day rate.

I do make exceptions, and I get a lot of work from one agency so my contacts will quite often talk amongst themselves and fill time up. But really, the only way to stop clients taking the piss is to value your time and charge for it.

I never take a deposit though. I have to invoice for my work, so that would be a lot of hassle. And my big clients aren't going to give me a PO for a deposit.

A week's notice would be a real luxury! I get paid well for being available at the very last minute. So I usually don't get more than 72 hours notice - often less. There's no way my clients would pay a deposit - that's part of the reason I get danger money because there's no commitment from them.

But if (as happened last week), a client said 'please block out Thursday' on Tuesday and then I heard nothing from them all day, I feel slightly aggrieved.