"Around 4"

That little statement above... drives me insane.  Yes, I acknowledge, this is not a doctor's office, as far as being on a strict schedule (most of the times... we do have busy days).  But... my time is valuable too, and I never know what to expect when people say that sort of thing.

"Around 4."  Does that mean they'll be here 3:30?  4?  4:30?  At what point should I just give up and say they're not coming?

I have my planner and it's one of those ones that can fit in your purse, so I can't write down every word someone says, so like today, I had "4 pm" written in my planner, by the appointment.  When it was 4:23, and I hadn't heard from them, I looked up their email to see what we'd said in the email.  The exact words were, "I'll see you around 4." 

It is now 4:36, and I have yet to see them. 

The reason this matters is because I'd rather not head downstairs, only to have the doorbell ring as soon as I hit the bottom step (though... that's a pretty surefire way to make it happen).  I've been working on emails for the last, oh, 45 minutes, because I wanted to make sure I was upstairs (not running upstairs, out of breath, panting) for when the appointment arrived and all.  I have plenty to do downstairs, but I'd rather be ready and waiting.... and I'm still waiting.

I did send an email a few minutes ago, and I'll check my email again in a bit to see if I get a reply.  If it wasn't for the "around 4," I would have emailed long ago... but that phrase means different things to different people.  Personally... I'd much rather have people say that they'll be here at 4, and show up at 4.  Few minutes early or late is no big deal... and a bit more than a few minutes is cool too, especially if I get a call / text / message asking if it's cool to come by early or that they're going to be late.  But... this sort of thing is the exact reason I do the deposits.  In looking at the email, this specific person actually asked me if I'd hold them a gecko... I said not without a deposit, but that they were welcome to check in the night before, and see if the gecko was still here... never heard from them since we set the appointment, and lookie this, they didn't show up.  Exactly why I don't hold without deposits...