Drum Lesson Cancellations

[TomasHakkesBrain]

One for you teachers out there. I have a lot of difficulty in running a cancellation policy for my lessons. The policy is half price charge within 24 hours or full lesson price within 1 hour of the lesson.

You are dealing with the general public so they will try and riggle their way out of anything but its not like you are some tax collector they are suppost to be thankful for what you give them as a teacher. I had this kid who missed 6 lessons in about 4 months.

His mother a lawyer tried to contest everything from phoning 1hour and 20 mins before a lesson, phoning but me not receiving a message (later proved they didnt phone but wouldnt pay the fee), even saying they had a family berevement but when i asked the kid he said they hadnt had a berevement. Its doing my head in ive tried to be so specific to ensure fairness for myself and pupil. I dont know what else to do without getting shafted.

They waltz up in their BMW 4wdrive's boasting about their exotic holidays and you cant even work a full week and get paid for it. (rant over)

[ermghoti]

Rule #1: anybody who signs a cancellation policy, and then hires a lawyer to contest it, finds another instructor. You are under no obligation to take money from assholes.

As far as I'm concerned, if somebody agrees to use your time for service, then opts to not take that time, without allowing you an opportunity to reschedule that time for a constructive purpose, owes you 100%. Frankly, I find your policy to be way over-indulgent, my instructor charges on cancellations within a week, and I don't have a problem with that.

[Michael G]

You have a cancellation charge? I really don't see why, unless this is your sole job and teach professionally in a studio and need to get money anyway you can. It is just to make you more money sometimes and people look to that kind of thing when they look at teachers, gives them a chance "judge" you without knowing you, so you could end up losing future students.

[drumbandit]

''' you have a cancellation charge? ''

There was just serveral paragraphs on cancellation charges and the post is called 'drum lesson cancellations', worst rhetorical question ever.

If i don't turn up or cancel my drum lesson I still get chared because my drum teacher still
has to sit for half an hour I'm just not there.

Tom

[TomasHakkesBrain]

Rule #1: anybody who signs a cancellation policy, and then hires a lawyer to contest it, finds another instructor. You are under no obligation to take money from assholes.

As far as I'm concerned, if somebody agrees to use your time for service, then opts to not take that time, without allowing you an opportunity to reschedule that time for a constructive purpose, owes you 100%. Frankly, I find your policy to be way over-indulgent, my instructor charges on cancellations within a week, and I don't have a problem with that.

You misread..the pupils mum was a lawyer and she contested everything above. Hmm i would like to hear what other teachers/pupils cancellation charges are i might just make it a flat 24 hours and you pay for the lesson..unfair?

[H20]

Well, I am a lawyer, and the behavior of this person just goes to show that most of what they say about lawyers is true. Not to mention that she is enabling irresponsible behavior in her child, but that's a discussion for another day.

Both my son and I study with he same instructor. We're both very busy, which leads to cancellations. The rule at the shop is simple--call a day before, no charge--cancel within 24 hours, pay for the lesson.

It's only fair--the instructor's time is valuable, and if we take it without giving an opportunity to fill the spot, we ( I ) get charged.

The solution to your problem is simple--fire the kid and get rid of his mother. Who needs it? You're not gonna get paid anyhow, and if you want aggravation, there are lots of other things you can do.

I occasionally have clients who behave like that--after more than 20 years in business, there's only one way to deal with them--tell them to hire somebody else. Eventually they're all gone, and you have people who pay your bill and appreciate your work.

Good luck.

[James_E]

As a student, not a teacher, I'm fine with any reasonable cancellation policy. Yours was quite reasonable. If you make any meaningful portion of your living based on these lesson fees there has to be some structure to it... people need to respect your time and desire to get paid for the time you dedicate to them.

[ermghoti]

You misread..the pupils mum was a lawyer and she contested everything above.

You mis-punctuated :) I stand by my advice, and echo H20.

[delta]

Speaking of cancellations, I have taken a month off from lessons from my teacher and told him about it a week before. He wasn't too happy about it, and tried to get me to pay "half" a month's worth of lessons to "reserve my spot". I told him I'd risk it.

I'm still taking lessons with the teacher. I mean I feel bad, I know that his lessons are a source of income for him, but if I know if I'm going to be busy the next month or so and not be able to devote the time needed to practice, then I'm going to halt lessons to save me some money. Do any other drum teachers see a problem with this?

[TomasHakkesBrain]

I see teachers around here starting to charge by the month. One month = four lessons. Which gives the teacher his/ her money at the beginning of the month when they need it for bills, etc. You choose four dates within the month when you pay and if you miss one there is no rescheduling, you just continue with your next date. Lessons can not be carried over to the following month. A pretty good and fair idea I think.


with that though there is no room for flexibility for fortnightly pupils, and some parents might feel they may lose out if they are busy or whatever. This system would only work for 10% of my most hardworking and attentive pupils who come rain or shine anyway.

[negativeattitude]

with that though there is no room for flexibility for fortnightly pupils, and some parents might feel they may lose out if they are busy or whatever. This system would only work for 10% of my most hardworking and attentive pupils who come rain or shine anyway.

If some parents can't obligate themselves to get their kids to class one hour per week, maybe these are the students/ parents you should no longer deal with.

[Ufipman!]

I agree with the charge by the month method. The student must reserve his time slot for the month. The 24 hour policy just doesn't work and isn't fair to the instructor when students consistently cancel before the deadline.

Would anyone here put up with going to work, putting in the hours and then having to hear "Sorry, your not getting paid for 2 out of your 5 hours today because Bobby went to go see Pirates of the Caribbean and cant make it" and "Elmer's got a headache and his mom wants him to stay home" and so on...? Everyone gets paid for their time and so should professional music Instructors.

Be clear that there is a commitment for lessons with you and the student must be able to commit to a full month. That's not asking too much for serious and responsible drummers. In a 5 week month if lessons are $20 each, and the student cancels once, it's only costing them $25 per lesson instead, that's a nice way to look at it.

[NUTHA JASON]

i keep it friendly and flexible. i sometimes need to cancell a lesson myself as well as my pupils. i just keep a watch on the situation and talk about it if it becomes too regular. after a few months of lessons, once the pupil and family begin to really value your instruction then it is appropriate to change the conditions of the arrangement. set up a meeting with the parents, give them a detailed assessment of their child's progress and projected development and then suggest more regular lessons and ... ta dah, paying for a term of lessons in advance. i do this in ten lesson blocks. once they agree and scratch the cash together you give them a reciept which also contains terms and conditions, including a cancellation policy that protects both parties without taking advantage. i like the 24 hour or more advanced notice is free idea.

that said, each pupil is different. some of mine are too poor to even consider paying such an up front sum. These guys are usually the most courteous anyways though.

j

[dizkneelande]

with that though there is no room for flexibility for fortnightly pupils, and some parents might feel they may lose out if they are busy or whatever. This system would only work for 10% of my most hardworking and attentive pupils who come rain or shine anyway.

it works for me and my teacher and it also works for my student

[Ufipman!]

Keeping it friendly like Nutha said might be the most important factor. You do not want to scare the students or the parents away. I have to stress though that when you allow the 24hour policy and you have many students, it most often gets taken advantage of. I know of instructors with 30 students a week or more and they count on that income like everyone else counts on their job's paychecks. Canceling multiple times a month in advance can ruin your expected income and make you consider getting a job doing something else... and that is sad.

[drozzy]

If this troubles you so greatly, ask for a full school terms payment upfront. Offer them a slight discount to do it this way. That way, they will be more inclined to intend, or lose their money (i once had tennis lessons based on the same principle)

I just charge a small weekly fee, given to me when i finish the lesson. If it gets cancelled, so be it, I should be studying anyway!

[Flamacue]

I like the idea of charging them upfront for the week/month. In that if they refuse, you can simply refer them to the negligent attendance record, and you just want to be firm with a policy which they just can’t seem to respect. Then if they don't like it, they can stop coming. It works better then up front telling them to find someone else. Enforcing your policy is the only way out of this mess...

[Flamacue]

You have a cancellation charge? I really don't see why, unless this is your sole job and teach professionally in a studio and need to get money anyway you can. It is just to make you more money sometimes and people look to that kind of thing when they look at teachers, gives them a chance "judge" you without knowing you, so you could end up losing future students.

When you're 15, things like this don't make much sense. Go out, start a business, and see how important a reliable income becomes...then you'll have a better appreciation for why a cancellation charge is applicable, and clients leave you very little choice but to demand that from them.

[masonni]

I like running lessons like this.
Pay by the month. 1st lesson every month the student pays for the whole month (on avarage 4 lessons). If they can't make one of the weeks and didn't tell you on the first of the month they need to call me at least an hour before their lesson. If they call me an hour ahead of time I will give them a make up. A day they can come in and make up the lesson they missed. If they don't call me an hour before, or they just don't show up... they loose the money for that lesson.

[jeffwj]

You have a cancellation charge? I really don't see why, unless this is your sole job and teach professionally in a studio and need to get money anyway you can. It is just to make you more money sometimes and people look to that kind of thing when they look at teachers, gives them a chance "judge" you without knowing you, so you could end up losing future students.

I don't get Smooth Jazz's post. If you work at McDonald's you will at least make minimum wage. There are plenty of teachers out there who do not have cancellation policies. They sit around in their studio making $0.00 dollars an hour - especially this time of year when the weather starts getting warm and people want to go swimming, biking, etc...

I personally have a cancellation policy and my students are fine with it. If they cancel in time, I do everything I can to offer a make-up lesson so they don't lose money. I also have them pay by the month. It's the same thing parents do all the time with sports. Pay in advance for the activity - have you ever heard of someone saying they want a prorated refund because they missed a soccer practice?

Once in a while I get a student who cannot commit to a lesson every week. I politely tell them to call when they want a lesson. If I have an open space in my schedule or a cancellation, I will be glad to fit them in. They pay for that lesson only. However, priority is given to the students who are serious enough to reserve a half hour or more a week to further their study.

But a no call/no show means they pay for the lesson. In that case, I am still in my studio. I'm preparing for the lesson - making photocopies, etc...The heat or air conditioning is going. That costs money too. There may be a student that called a few days ago and I had no slot to offer them. They are sitting around much the same as I am. Mortgage, is still due. I can't tell the lender, "Sorry this month's payment is short, but I felt bad asking Johnny's parents for my pay." And does anybody know how much an ad in the yellow pages costs? Teachers have expenses too.

I guess I am blessed to have such great students. They respect my policies and I give them respect in return. Maybe my cancellation policy lost a few students, but the students that are left are the ones I treasure.

Jeff

[DestinationDrumming]

ask for a full school terms payment upfront. Offer them a slight discount to do it this way.

I pay per term. Usually six/seven weeks at a time. If I have to cancel we try to work around it by slotting in lessons at other times or by extending lessons so instead of having 30mins I get 45 for a couple of weeks. I have lessons every two weeks and my teacher has someone else who has lessons on the alternate weeks. We can manage to swap if either of us needs to miss a lesson i.e. if the other guy misses one I get a call to change my week for the lesson and the same for him.

If some parents can't obligate themselves to get their kids to class one hour per week, maybe these are the students/ parents you should no longer deal with.
Sometimes it's not just kids that are having the lessons :-) and if they turn up every two weeks on the dot then I guess it works all round.

I think it is the balance between being flexible and making sure that a professional teacher, who's mortgage payments may depend on these lessons, gets paid.

[jim314]

People need boundaries or they will walk on you. You provide a professional service. You take payment 1 month in advanced. If they cancel, it's their responsibility - you have put aside that amount of time for "them". They need to call you and reschedule. If they don't, no problem - but they have to pay.

If they don't like it, then tell them not to cancel - and no excusses. Even illness, they can make it up the next week. Leave some make up time slots open and expect cancellations - tighten up your ship or you'll go nuts! And broke.

Drum Lessons are BUSINESS. . .

[k3ng]

I like running lessons like this.
Pay by the month. 1st lesson every month the student pays for the whole month (on avarage 4 lessons). If they can't make one of the weeks and didn't tell you on the first of the month they need to call me at least an hour before their lesson. If they call me an hour ahead of time I will give them a make up. A day they can come in and make up the lesson they missed. If they don't call me an hour before, or they just don't show up... they loose the money for that lesson.

This is the exact policy I follow.. seems to be rather agreeable on both ends. masonni and jeffwj are spot on. As teachers, in or out of the studio, if the student doesn't show, you're still there. Your time is still being taken up and a lesson is still going on - just that the student isn't there attending it.

[That Guy]

What do you call a thousand lawyers at the bottom of the ocean............? a good start.


Is that how it goes?

[dale w miller]

LET ME SAY THIS FIRST> the worst part about teaching is the parents.

that said, have them sign a welcome letter that they understand the policies of the lessons.

i own a swim school and i offer one make-up for 8 or more weeks purchased in one quarter. all classes must be payed for ahead of time and the same time is reserved every week.

this is what i state:
" Satisfaction Guaranteed: If after the first class only, you decide to discontinue instruction and notify us within three days, you will only be charged for that lesson.

Make-Ups: We understand that absences can be spontaneous due to illness or conflicting plans. In that case we will make every effort to reschedule you a make-up as soon as possible. Due to the complexity of scheduling and pool availability, students may have to do a makeup on another day, or location, in order to take advantage of this policy. Make-up classes are limited to one per trimester of 8 classes or more. The make-up class must be completed before the end of the trimester for which you are registered. Please remember your time-slot is reserved for you and is carefully matched, so it is in the student's best interest to attend all classes.

Cancellations/Refunds: If after the first class only, you decide to discontinue instruction and notify us within 72 hours, you will be refunded the full amount less the cost of the first lesson. If you discontinue at any other time, the money will be held in an account for your use within a year. "

this is the only way i can keep good teachers. i pay them whether the student shows or not.

if they are not willing to do that, i would make them pay the week in advance with no cancellations. you reserved that spot for them, they should be responsible for it whether they come or not.