How many chances do the parents get?

[deirpg]

Hi there!

I have 17 students right now, and in September, I expect to get phone calls from potential students who I'll to turn away.  About three of the parents are NOT at all committed to their child's piano lessons.  For instance, one parent bounced two cheques, has not shown to two lessons.  Another parent reschedulled with me and didn't show to the reschedulled lesson and hasn't returned my phone call.  (Her daughter is finishing at the end of the month so I'm not too worried.)

How many chances do you give parents like these?

[monk]

Some parents just want to get rid of the annoying brat for an hour, so they send him/her to piano lessons, particularly because they have heard that "music making is good for kids".

And yes, there are assholes and morons who have kids. As a teacher one has to confront this fact from time to time...

If you have another students waiting for lessons and if you don't need these particular students out of monetary reasons, just kick them out. Waste of time for all involved.

Best Wishes,
Monk

[bernhard]

Monk is correct. If you let, people will take advantage of you.

So how many chances I give parents like the ones you described?

None whatsoever. I ask for payment in advance. On payment day if a cheque is not handed first thing in the lesson the student is sent home. They never forget it next week.

Both of your students above, if they turned up at my house would be politely informed that their place had been taken up by another student, since I assumed they had given up on piano lessons. They would be welcome to join the waiting list again if they so wished. But I do not have to tell you that they would be waiting forever.

Just in case I give you the wrong impression, I am not really money oriented, and I will go out of my way to accommodate a parent’s financial difficulties if they inform me about it, But I do not take lightly to lack of consideration/respect/appreciation which the attitude of your students seem to indicate.

I would get rid of them. (of course, if they were in a car crash and are all in hospital and that is the reason they have not phoned, then it is an entirely different matter).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.