Failed Appointments
Failed Appointments = 2 Strikes & Out!
When a person makes an appointment
with a doctor and then does not show up, the doctor’s office charges the
patient for the missed visit. This charge is fair,
because the time set aside for the patient who did not show up could not
be used by anyone else.
On the other hand when a patient has a change of
circumstance and in advance notifies the office that the patient cannot
make the appointment, the office has a chance to give that time slot to
someone else. When adequate notice of appointment cancellation is made,
the patient is not charged for the missed appointment.
The Tax Assistance Program has the same problem.
When people make appointments and do not show up, they deny others the
opportunity to have their taxes prepared in the time slot that had been
set aside for them.
Or if they come to their appointment without the
necessary documents or the information sheets not completed, then their
tax returns cannot be prepared. Even if the tax client calls the
ISSA office a few minutes before the appointment to say they cannot
attend, the result is the same. The impact on the program is that the
time cannot be used by someone else.
The TAP encourages all who must cancel their
appointments to do so at least two days before the day of their
appointment.
Due to this problem of failed appointments, the TAP now
operates under a “two strikes and out” policy. This means that if you
make an appointment and the appointment time is unusable for a reason
attributable to you, then you will be allowed only one more opportunity
to have an appointment. If you fail that appointment as well, then you
have used up your two chances (you have had two strikes) and you now are
out of the program until after April 15.
If you believe that you should still have your
returns prepared by the TAP, you can request another chance from Tom Bullock. He is the only one who will reinstate you. To request such an appointment, send an email to taptax@nd.edu stating the reason
for sending the email. Be sure to include your first and last names and
your ndID number (shown on your student ID card).