Do you know how to manage booking cancellations?

On occasion, you may be asked in the morning, or even halfway through the day, to pause your work by the client. This can create stress for developers, lost visibility for Bench Masters, and frustration for clients if it’s not handled properly.

Scenario: Mid-day cancellations

Developer X shows up in the morning and starts working on feature Y as per CRM Service Calendar.
Client calls and says:

“We’re sorry but we have to pause the development of feature Y because XYZ.”

The reaction from Developer X should be:

“OK, I will call my Account Manager and make sure future bookings are cancelled until further notice.
For today, is there anything else I can work on so you get the best value out of the rest of my day?”

Note: Same-day cancellations still incur that day's costs. If there is nothing more you can work on, and the client is unhappy, refer the client to your Account Manager.

Scenario: Standard booking cancellations

When a booking is cancelled in advance, communication should be clear, timely, and automatic so that all parties know what’s happening.

Developers need to be informed directly so they don’t turn up to a project that no longer needs them.
Bench Masters need to know immediately so they can reallocate the developer to another project.
Clients need reassurance that future bookings are cancelled correctly and their Account Manager is handling it.

Best practices

Always notify the developer directly when their booking is cancelled.
Send an automatic notification to the Bench Masters when someone becomes available again.
Update the booking system immediately to reflect the cancellation.
Provide context when possible (e.g., “Client rescheduled project to next quarter”) to reduce uncertainty.

Examples

Developer John was booked for Project X, but the client postponed. The cancellation was processed in the booking system, which notified John and flagged his availability to Bench Masters. Within hours, John was reassigned to another project.

Figure: Good example – Both the developer and Bench Masters were notified and could act quickly.

Developer Sarah’s project was cancelled, but no one informed her. She showed up ready to work, while Bench Masters were unaware she was free. Sarah ended up idle for days.

Figure: Bad example – Lack of communication caused confusion and wasted available resources.

By ensuring developers, Bench Masters, and clients are all kept in the loop, booking cancellations—whether mid-day or ahead of time—can be handled smoothly, minimizing frustration and downtime.