No Show - Lesson Cancellation fees?

[kk032663]

    I drive to their house for a lesson. This is the 4th of 3 lessons.  They called me from the doctor's office to cancel one of them.  I had a lesson last week at the same day/time.  Today, I show up, and nobody's home.  I call and get a voice mail.  I send a text.  No reply. 
I assume they are travelling for memorial day weekend and forgot about the piano lesson.  I spent a great deal of time preparing for this beginner lesson.  Perhaps a lot more than for my advanced students who don't need as many games, props, and activities.  It is rude.  I do give them a printed invoice at each lesson and they have paid me for the lessons they received.  However, I need to know how to bill for a missed lesson.  I did not give them a detailed studio policy.  What should the policy be?  Do I add something to next week's lesson?

This is a new client, so I do not wish to make them angry.  I do enjoy working with the child who is only 4 years old.  I have been excited to work with a new student who wants to be at the piano.  It is a wonderful opportunity because the parents are not musically inclined (or at least trained) and I will know if my methods are working.  I even purchased a method book from the UK because I had never seen any material like the Dogs and Birds book here in the United States.  It is based on Kodaly and emphasizes singing the tones with animal names.  Check out the youtube video. 

I hope to find more students.  Any suggestions on how to get them?

Karen Kohler

[visitor]

if it's not in writing it didn't happen
write it up and have them sign and date acknowledgement and receipt.
no call no show from that point fwd barring actual emergency should be a full lesson tuition fee and forfeited it so it must be paid  at the following lesson along with that new next lessons tuition
pretty basic
but right. nownyoull have to eat this since it's on you for not clearly setting expectation and consequences for the misbehavior

[kk032663]

Right.  I have a studio policy, but did not give it to them.  I find it hard to get people to sign agreements and they live in my neighborhood.  So, a doctors appointment would not be an emergency since they have to schedule it. Cancelling a half hour before a lesson should kick in a charge for a full lesson if they don’t give a day in advance notice.  I left a note on the door that I had been there and to call me Bach in a minuet to schedule next weeks lesson.  I left it on the door handle.  I will wait to see if they bother to call me.   

What I really want is my own brick and mortar where students come to me.  Then I could set my own hours and they could take the teachers that are available when they walk in the door!  I would love to set up a studio where we offer different group teaching opportunities to try various methods, while keeping monthly paid tuitions for pre-booked private lessons.  Signed agreements would definitely be enforced. 

[keypeg]

It's not really a "lesson cancellation fee".  It's a fee for your time which they have booked and then chose not to use.

[kk032663]

 :)Thanks.  And, I got a text....they came back from going away...her phone was on airplane mode and she didn't see my texts.  I got an apology.  That made me feel better. 

I asked her to confirm the next lesson, and made no comments about owing me.  Not sure how to handle this now.  We will see on Thursday if she pays me a little more for my efforts.

At least I am ready for the lesson which feels wonderful.  I had read that children tend to pull their elbows in too close to their bodies when playing and should pretend to have a hedgehog under their armpits.  I was at the pet store buying turtle food and found two stuffed hedgehog toys and bought them as a way to illustrate the point to this young 4 year old.  I am also watching videos about dropping the wrist and circling into the notes.  I will be looking for posts regarding this topic. 

[Bob]

I've heard of a 24 hours notice rule for canceling lessons.  The more they do that, the less I'd give them priority in lesson times though.


The airplane part is interesting in today's age.... Is it true though?  "Didn't get your message.  My phone was airplane mode."  "You didn't get my message?  Oh, my phone must have been in airplane mode."  Not that the message was sent later.

[dogperson]

I've heard of a 24 hours notice rule for canceling lessons.  The more they do that, the less I'd give them priority in lesson times though.


The airplane part is interesting in today's age.... Is it true though?  "Didn't get your message.  My phone was airplane mode."  "You didn't get my message?  Oh, my phone must have been in airplane mode."  Not that the message was sent later.

Hmmm, I just tested the airplane mode theory about cell phones. When your cell phone is in airplane mode, indeed you do not get text messages. But the minute you remove the airplane mode, the messages appear

I would vote for some type of ‘pay if you don’t pre-cancel policy’.

[Bob]

It almost needs some kind of receipt for the text message.  I've had people say they sent me a text about something but I never got anything on my end.  Who's at fault in that situation?  I'd lean toward the person sending the text message.

[timothy42b]

I was at the pet store buying turtle food and found two stuffed hedgehog toys and bought them as a way to illustrate the point to this young 4 year old.  I am also watching videos about dropping the wrist and circling into the notes.  I will be looking for posts regarding this topic. 

He/she's 4.  I'd be cautious about being too technical.  Go for enthusiasm, matching notes on piano to lines on the music, etc.

I don't think you can chase the missed payment at this point.  You weren't clear enough before hand.  You should consider getting payment for a month in advance though.  Do you pay your rent at the beginning of the month, or only after you've lived there a month and are satisfied?

[mike71]

It almost needs some kind of receipt for the text message.  I've had people say they sent me a text about something but I never got anything on my end.  Who's at fault in that situation?  I'd lean toward the person sending the text message.

OT: GSM SMS messages have an acknowledge message option - you shoul enable it from sms options or prepend a*0# or a *N# before the sms text. Be aware that some operator will make you pay to the service.

[lostinidlewonder]

...I need to know how to bill for a missed lesson.  I did not give them a detailed studio policy.  What should the policy be?  Do I add something to next week's lesson?

You can have them pay you by the term or two payments of half terms whatever works best for you and them. When I started out teaching I just did a pay as you go type system, this allowed me to hold only the few students I had and build good rapport with them. You will eventually take on students who will refer others clients to you and you can grow pretty fast from this.

Your own music teaching network needs to be nurtured and grown. As a teacher who is still building their clientele you may have to deal with time wasters, you never know if they will help you find other students, as you start getting more serious students you can be much more picky with what you put up with.

One neat system a student of mine did when they started teaching was to offer discount to lessons if students referred new clients to them. They would take $5 from the weekly lesson for each new client that stayed on with them.

This is a new client, so I do not wish to make them angry.  I do enjoy working with the child who is only 4 years old. 

Maintaining good relations with your students I think is essential even if they are terrible with their time management and communication especially if you are starting out as a teacher. Even if you are a known teacher you want your students to be treated well, even if there is a disagreement or poor communication, patience and forgiveness is important. I like to think I am serving my students not the other way around. But of course there is that line which you need to gradually draw which highlights how you want your business to be conducted. Generally you do not want to make drastic changes with your current students, if you have accepted a pay as you go system and then all of a sudden as for lump sums it can result in loss of students. This of course might be totally ok for you, it depends on your situation.

I hope to find more students.  Any suggestions on how to get them?

Targeted paid advertising helps, either in newspapers in your area, local message boards, social media groups in your area, word of mouth is great if you nurture your musical network, joining a teachers guild or a group online can net you students here and there, you can also help out other teachers get work if you know others who want lessons on subjects you don't teach. I got a number of students through my solo concerting years when I started out, so performing and playing in public, becoming a part of musical projects in your community etc, this all grows your musical network and opportunities arise from this.

[timothy42b]

I got a number of students through my solo concerting years when I started out, so performing and playing in public, becoming a part of musical projects in your community etc, this all grows your musical network and opportunities arise from this.

Yes.  This is a good approach in my area.  Play everywhere you can - restaurants, weddings (really good source of referrals, as long as you do well), accompanying, church work, etc.  If you have another instrument you play even moderately well, join local community ensembles.  That's a more social group than piano players and you'll make more connections quickly.