Raising your rates... or not?

[dinulip]

Because of the pandemic, everything gets more expensive - food, services, etc. I am now teaching online, and considering raising (minimally) my rates. Just wondering what the situation is like out there... Are you guys raising your rates this year?

[keypeg]

Because of the pandemic, everything gets more expensive - food, services, etc. I am now teaching online, and considering raising (minimally) my rates. Just wondering what the situation is like out there... Are you guys raising your rates this year?

Are you saying that you are thinking of charging more for on-line lessons, than you did for in-studio lessons?  Are you able to offer greater value and results, to justify charging more?  If people are losing jobs / income, is that the time to raise rates for a non-essential service?

In my profession, some agencies hiring services were trying to pressure colleagues to lower their rates.  I know one teacher who worked for a school or store, that also wanted all teachers to accept being paid less.

I am not a piano teacher, but I see your question unanswered and this is what popped into my head.

[timothy42b]

Online teaching is not the same value as in person.  It can be done well but it's not quite the same.  So you should charge less.

And yet, online teaching from a good teacher is a much much greater value than in person teaching from a mediocre teacher.  and there are a lot of those.  So IF you are one of those really good teachers, and IF you have now learned to do online teaching optimally, then you should charge more. 

[michaellanglois]

I wouldn't do it if you can possibly avoid it. I agree with the other posters in that there is probably (correct me if I'm wrong) not any added value in the online lessons and therefore no real justification for a rate increase. It may come off as insensitive and if it doesn't outright lose you students, it may frustrate some of them.

Mike

Because of the pandemic, everything gets more expensive - food, services, etc. I am now teaching online, and considering raising (minimally) my rates. Just wondering what the situation is like out there... Are you guys raising your rates this year?