Potential scheduling dilemma

[orlandopiano]

I have a completely full schedule so I've had to turn away new students. A lot of these new students start with me at the beginning of the summer, as that's when I get openings due to students taking vacation, going to camp etc. My problem is what do I do towards the end of the summer when my old students return? What if I have no place to put those returning students? Who do I give preference to- The student who has been with me longer but took the summer off, or the newer student that presently holds that time slot at the end of the summer?

This issue has never come up before, and everything always seems to work out in the end, but I am afraid this might be the first year that it does happen.

[cora]

You should give priority to returning students. It's completely fair for them to take the summer off and expect to find you available to them in September. Plus, presumably you are more interested in their long term success than in just your temporary financial advantage.

[m1469]

Nobody should just expect that you have held their spot while they are on vacations, without paying you for that slot.  Essentially, a person pays for the slot in your studio.  In my studio, they either need to pay to hold their slot, or they can leave and return as though they are a completely new student and they are left with what is available.  Dance studios do this, as do other educational places.  If you are holding that time as though they were there, shouldn't they also pay for that time ?  They can't expect you to sit there losing money just because they have decided to leave for a while.

If they don't wish to pay, do warn them that their spot will not be held and that there is no guarantee that there will be any slots available when they return.

m1469


ps-  If your business suffers, and eventually folds, because financially you are not making it since you are not making consistent wages, it may or may not affect your personal long-term interest in your students' progress.  But more than that, if you cannot make ends meet financially, you would not even be in business to continue helping them.  I don't think you are actually on the brink of folding, but it's the principle of the matter anyway.

[orlandopiano]

Wow, two responses, and two completely different opinions. I appreciate the input. I think I agree with m1469 more, but I think I 'll need to build up the courage to tell them they need to pay for lessons they're not taking (even though that only seems right). 

[m1469]

he he... the other part is that, of course if they are willing to reserve their slot, then you do reserve it


I forgot to say that before.

m1469 

[cjp_piano]

m1469 is exactly right.  I require my students to stay enrolled for a minimum number of lessons for the summer.  If they don't and still want to have a spot in my fall schedule, then they pay for the summer anyway.  This is only fair. 

You shouldn't let them take the whole summer off leaving you with openings, holding their spot for the fall.

[timothy42b]

When they don't play all summer, how far do they regress?  Do you spend the first month getting back to where they were before? 

Just curious.  We held my daughter's spot by continuing during vacations, it seemed reasonable to me as the paying parent.  If not I would have assumed I would be back in the pool competing with everybody else when the year started again, no special privileges. 

[pianistimo]

sounds like they need more piano instructors where you are teaching.  it has never been a dilemma that i know of at several uni's i've been to because there was always someone to take piano students that was well qualified.  even if the worst happens, and a student gets transferred to someone else - at least they're still studying piano.

i would think, with your very good students, you'd ask them before they left for summer vacation if they were returning.  if you tell them you have to know and have a deadline of two or three weeks (after which they will have a much harder time getting you back) it will put the burden on them to decide.

the ones that don't plan probably aren't your best students anyway.  then you can input the really good summer students you have.

[cora]

As the voice of dissent, I think this is all about good customer relations. If you are really worried about money, simply tack on a dollar or two to your rate and thus average the reserve fee you would get over the course of the ten months. It's much nicer for the parents to feel that they are always getting something for their money, and that you are loyal to them and value their patronage.

Kids are so overscheduled these days, they really need the summer to take a break. It's also so nice for me to not have to worry about them for eight weeks. I can be more inspired and ready to teach them in September. They all come back having grown, and  ready to undertake the new year.

All you have to do is save a set amount each month, so that you too can enjoy the break.

[lagin]

I agree.  Whether I take the summer off or not, I am still guaranteed a spot.  My teacher actually thinks it's a good idea to take a break now and again.  What we do is, if we want to return in September, we fill out a form in May and hand it in.  That reserves our spot.  I think we also give a small non-refundable deposit of $25.00  Not much, but if everyone does it and you have a bunch of students, it makes up for it if someone doesn't return after their deposit.  It's a good idea to have extra forms ready at the end of the year recital for those who forget.  We have all of May and part of June to fill them out and hand them in.  After a certain date in June, the teachers' spots become *open* to newcomers and fair game.  If you were too late in handing in your form, then it is your fault that you lost your spot and not the teacher's who gave you a chance.