Comments on: Putting Teeth in Your Studio Policy: Redefining the Cancellation Policy

By: Angie

Angie — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:45:43 +0000

Thank-you for this post!

This has always been the part of teaching that makes me cringe… but I do have to put bread on the table. In the past, I have had a tendency to be very lenient – too lenient! I have come to realize that is is better for both the student and I if we stick to the initial policy without wavering. This also applies to students arriving late to their lesson – in which case, they often assume that we will also finish late. This is something I have to work on so that the student respects the scheduled time and practices good punctuality.

Best of luck to all the teachers and students in 2010!

By: Will Hay

Will Hay — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 12:37:35 +0000

I use a 24 hour’s notice cancellation policy, providing I get sufficient notice I allow students to cancel and either use that slot to catch up with some admin or rearrange other students to fit in if there is time.
If students cancel with less notice then half the lesson fee is chargeable for any reason including illness.
If no notice is given then the whole lesson is chargeable.
Students pay for a month in advance so there is a certain level of commitment.
In exceptional circumstances (death in the family) I have been known to be lenient with my cancellation policy but most of the time it seems to work OK for me.

By: Christine O'Meally

Christine O'Meally — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:12:16 +0000

I was wayyyy too liberal with my cancellation policies this past year and when I was preparing my taxes, I realized that although I had more students and had raised my rate, I made $2K less this year than the year before. Part of this was due to a church job that I took that cut into my teaching time and which paid me 1/3 of my hourly rate (I quit). Part was because I was being too lenient. I figured that if EVERY ONE of my students took advantage of my too-liberal policy, I would lose $5K per semester.

I am allowing two absences per semester. This is because most of my voice students are active performers in their high school musicals and they all get sick at least once. Any more than that must be made up. I am taking Fridays off this semester – but I have designated certain Fridays as “make-up days” which correspond to days off in the school system from which I draw most of my students.

I’m flirting with the idea of giving some kind of end-of-the-year reward to students who do NOT take off at all this year….

By: Maria Peterson

Maria Peterson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:21:33 +0000

Make-up policies used to be a source of stress for me – but not anymore. My policy reads that I give makeups only if the schedule permits. Often times, I have spots available due to someone cancelling – with MTH, it is easy for me to quickly email someone who needs a makeup plus I add a makeup apot on the calendar. I thought it would take a lot of time to do this, but it really doesn’t. Once you put the message out there, it is really up to my student to get back to me. I also use my Group Lessons for makeups. This has worked great. I have 3 Group Lessons a year which is great for the students because they have a chance to interact in a casual setting. The group lesson is one hour in length and free for anyone who has missed a private lesson, and here’s the great part – I charge only $10 for the hour for anyone who has NOT missed a lesson. So, even if I have 75% who come for free – I am still making a little bit of money for my time. I have NEVER had it work out that only students who have missed come to the group lesson, so I do wind up getting paid for my time – besides, I LOVE them. It gives me an opportunity to engage in musical activities that I would not ordinarily do in a private lesson. I do the groups during the Winter, Spring and Summer breaks. All the way around, it has worked great!

By: Cindy

Cindy — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:16:37 +0000

Great ideas! I would suggest giving atleast a months notice when you change a policy. I restructured my policy recently so I don\’t lose income to my occasional absence or holidays. I have been billing by the month for many years and charge for the lesson when the student is unable to attend (even when ill). I state in my policy that I cannot use the slot for another student as the time is reserved for your student, and parents are understanding of this. I do give makeups, but with 50 students, it can be a real hassle and I\’m considering not offering any. I used to charge for 5 lessons in those months that have 5 weeks. I now charge for 4 weeks every month and use the 5th lesson that happens 4-5 times a year on every day of the week for a makeup if I am unable to attend for illness or another reason. I state in my policy that if the 4 lessons per month average becomes upset, a credit will be given. Now I can take off holiday weekends and using a 5th day of any other month as a makeup for those days. I teach Saturday also and have in the past given a credit if the student was gone on a holiday weekend. Half would be gone and I lost alot of money (about $2,000 per year between monday, friday and saturday lessons!) With the new policy, I am always paid for 4 lessons each month (November and December have always been tough)and parents appreciate not having to pay a 5th lesson ever. I do prorate lessons in the summer just to keep most of my students coming since I can\’t take off 3 months each year. I also don\’t think those that take off the summer make good progress, but I would love to take the entire month of August off! My policy states that students are expected to attend lessons in the summer. If a student is in town and chooses not to take lessons, there is no guarantee of a fall lesson time. I have kept most of my students during the summer since I added this policy, and most come regularly!

By: Sandy

Sandy — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:37:46 +0000

I am considering trying an experiment next year where I schedule some extra minutes for each student every other week. Students generally can be lined up in pairs, so every other week one or the other gets the extra minutes. These minutes are going into my “make up” bank for that student. Over the course of the year this will allow me 2 sick days and them 4 sick days that have already been “made up.” If none of us are sick, they come out ahead. I don’t have to panic if I get the flu, and I don’t every have to schedule make up lessons. Has anyone ever tried this before?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:14:44 +0000

I don’t give makeups. However I do offer a swap list AND I offer what I call bonus group lessons quarterly. I don’t charge for these group lessons so if a student does miss a lesson that quarter for whatever the reason that essentially is their “makeup”. If they don’t- then it is a “bonus” lesson.

Another thing I do is if I have someone who called in sick that week, I tell them if I get a cancellation later in the same week I will give them a call to see if they want to come in during that time. If not, I’ll just see them next week.

By: Sharon Schwanitz

Sharon Schwanitz — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:32:25 +0000

Good comments regarding all aspects of student cancellation, but how do you handle cancellations when you, the teachers, are ill? In the past four weeks I’ve dealt with the flu followed by an upper respiratory infection. Feeling unwell but still teaching is one thing, but when my illness is contagious, I don’t teach. Yes, my income suffers, but my health and the health of my students is top priority, and I know that the parents appreciate that consideration. A few parents will schedule a makeup lesson, but most don’t.

By: Gay Greene

Gay Greene — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:07:17 +0000

I have 18 piano students, in addition to my job as Associate Music Director at St. Therese of Lisieux Catholic Church. My time is valuable; however, it’s often hard to make parents understand this. My policy for make-up lessons is very simple: if there is illness in the student’s family, or the student is sick, I offer a make-up lesson – it’s up to the parents and students to decide if they want to take this time. Since my students pay at the beginning of each month, the moms and dads are usually ready for that make-up, in order to get their money’s worth from the lesson. If there is no good excuse for missing a lesson, there is no make-up time and the parents will be charged for that missed lesson.

By: Toby Fairchild

Toby Fairchild — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:23:23 +0000

Lots of Great ideas. Thats one of the strengths of this website. One thing to mention. It’s much easier to have a fairly restrictive policy on paper and occaissionaly bend it for good students that the other way around. This gives you leeway and flexibility at your discretion. Having a timid and leanient policy on paper will come back to torment you over and over because you have created very low expectations from the client/student and therefore you are to blame for the headaches you will receive. -Toby Fairchild