A method of servicing a wellbore comprising placing in the wellbore a composition comprising a calcium aluminate cement and at least one gelation inhibitor, and allowing the composition to set. A method of servicing a wellbore comprising adjusting the thickening time of calcium aluminate cement by contacting the cement with a salt and a gelation inhibitor, wherein the gelation inhibitor comprises a copolymer comprising one or more sulfonated aromatic monomers and one or more acrylate monomers, placing the cement in the wellbore, and allowing the cement to set. A method of servicing a wellbore comprising preventing premature gelation of calcium aluminate cement by contacting the calcium aluminate cement with a gelation inhibitor comprising a copolymer, wherein the copolymer comprises alkylbenzene sulfonic acid, at least one methallyl sulfonic acid monomer, at least one copolymerizable nonionic monomer, and at least one copolymerizable olefinically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer, placing the cement in the wellbore, and allowing the cement to set.