Question: I have a couple students who pay just for piano lessons received. If they decide not to come due to other commitments or a trip they don’t pay, (or deduct from the next check). The children bring in the check in (they are dropped off). The adult is a friend. I hate to offend these people by asking for payment when they’ve had a conflict and can’t make the piano lesson. But I also look at it, like they are “putting me out of a job” for that time slot. How can I turn this around without losing the students?
Cue the ominous music. We’re about to chat about make-up piano lessons. This discussion seems to be the number one concern among piano teachers. Mention “make-up lesson” and watch a chipper piano teacher turn savage. And rightly so – like most people, we enjoy having the ability to feed our families! Students who don’t pay or who expect make-up piano lessons or refunds for missed lessons can make a real dent in a piano teacher’s income. So hold onto your hats…we’re about to delve into make-up lesson discussion.
Out With The Cozy Country Cottage Hobby:
The issue with make-up lessons is actually two-fold. The first issue is something that both Trevor and I are passionate about; changing the perception of teaching piano lessons from being viewed as a “cozy country cottage hobby” (CCCH from now on for reasons of brevity) to a “skilled professional career” (SPC). This… unfortunately… is a tough row to hoe. How many of you have heard one of the following:
“You are so lucky. You can set your own hours and work whenever you want!”
“It must be nice to do what you love every day!”
“I wish I could work from home. Things would be so much more relaxed.”
Annoying, right? If they only knew how much effort it takes to be a successful piano teacher than those 3 statements would become obsolete. However, unless you are consistently presenting yourself as having a “SPC” people will always assume that you are enjoying the life of a person with a “CCCH” and they will treat you as though you are merely pursuing a casual pastime. With this perception, to them missed lessons may seem like they are giving you a handy break in your day where you can putter around your home… and why not do make-up lessons? You’re there in your home anyway…what’s 30 minutes? Resist the urge to grit your teeth.
If this is a hobby for you (and if you yourself enjoy a relaxed and flexible approach to lessons) then the following will not apply. If teaching piano is most definitely not your hobby of choice, but is your source of income… make adjustments to change this perception and do yourself (and the rest of piano-teaching-kind) a favour.
Be Consistent, Be Clear, Be Kind
Once you have begun to break free from the “CCCH”” stigma and truly embrace having a “SPC”, you will easily be able to make these changes.
1. All students in your piano studio need the same rules. No more drop-in lessons, no more pay as you go. You can phrase this nicely (and even drop in some self-promotion) by saying “I am fortunate this year to have a very full schedule. In order for me to be able to accommodate all of my piano lessons, your timeslot has been reserved for you for the year. Payment is due in the following manner: (fill in your payment plan here). Outline how and when to pay and what happens when they do not.
2. Everything must be in writing. You have expectations, but parents may not clue-in until they see it in black and white. Begin your relationship with clients with all expectations and piano policies clearly outlined. If you haven’t told them in advance, you can’t begrudge them for what they do or do not do.
3. Bend, but don’t break. This is most important. Don’t be a doormat, but don’t be heartless. Think like a true business person before refusing to be flexible. Weigh the potential gains and losses. My rule of thumb is if it costs less than $30 to make a client happy I will do it (although not repeatedly with the same person). Word of mouth is much more valuable to me than $30. Offering make-up lessons at your discretion will go a long way.
Make-up lessons and refunds do not need to be a part of your vocabulary. If you are presenting yourself as a professional, have clearly outlined expectations, and are viewed as being both reasonable and fair your clients will respond…. and you’ll preserve your sanity.
Richard Hurley says
Remember this, you are worried about offending a ‘friend’ and yet this ‘friend’ thinks nothing of offending you. If you let one client do this to you, other clients will notice and the disease will spread. Who’s fault is this? Yours I have to tell you.
I bend the rules for students who are with me all through the year. But for those students who only attend during school term there is a much firmer policy of no make up classes and no financial compensation. Use it or lose it.
Finally, this policy is a good barometer of where to set my fees. If clients pay for classes they miss regularly, I realize that my fees have fallen behind the overall economy and it is time to raise them.
Joyce says
As I was reading the opening paragraph, it made me think that this “person” was totally a “reactor”. Reacting to a situation instead of having a clear plan in place. Thank you for responding in the ways that you did. I will post the paragraph from my policy that has been a lifesaver in this. I also have them pay every month by the 5th and a late fee is charged if paid after the 10th (a 10% of balance owed). I also give them a newsletter the last lesson of the month with an invoice attached – also sent as a pdf file to the parents’ e-mail.
from my policy (hope it helps someone :>)
“MISSED LESSONS: No credit will be given for missed lessons. It is up to you to initiate make up lessons for any absences BEFORE your missed lesson. Make up lessons are dependant on spots being available. As a courtesy to the teacher and students needing make up lessons, please let the studio know of any absences A.S.A.P. See the website at http://www.joyfulsounds88.com and click on lesson openings for make-ups (before you call the studio).”
Kristen says
When I have holes in my schedule, I list the time spots as available for makeups. These times are posted on my online calendar for all of the parents to see so that they can claim one if needed. However, I am also clear that these times can be removed from the schedule at any time and no makeup is ever guaranteed should they miss. This has worked well for me for several years.
I think it’s super important to have a written studio policy that applies to EVERYONE and that is handed to them when they begin lessons with you (and posted on your website if you have one). It’s nice to be able to make the policy the “bad guy” when uncomfortable situations arise, especially with people you know on a personal level. You can simply politely refer them back to the part of the policy in question. I also review this policy annually and make updates as needed.
Rebecca Brown says
A piano teacher friend and I commonly use the phrase “make-up hell” during flu season and after a bad winter storm. I don’t usually use words like that, but it describes the situation well.
I highly recommend written studio policies….and requiring a signature from the parent and/or student stating that they have read them and understand. I also recommend charging for lessons on a monthly basis, rather than weekly. When the student is thinking in terms of reserving that spot for the whole month, rather than week by week, they tend to respect their time slot more.
I also came across a little trick by accident. At the beginning of each semester, once lesson schedules are finalized, each student is sent a copy of my teaching schedule with their name highlighted. I make sure I black out all times of the day that I am not available to teach at all. Here’s what happened the first time I sent this out…. Several looked it and commented something like, “Wow! You are really busy! How do you have time for your family?” Bingo! All of a sudden, they realized that it really is a problem to try to move even one student’s lesson to another day or time. This little step, combined with a written policy stating that I will only make up lessons that are missed due to illness or emergency, has virtually eliminated all requests to make-up a lesson for minor things.
My policy even specifically states, “Unfortunately, we cannot make up lessons that are missed due to ball games/practices. Please make sure your lessons are scheduled at a time that will avoid this conflict.”
Making this shift from a “CCCH” to a “SPC” wasn’t easy, but it has made things so much better. I lost a couple of students, initially, when I printed up policies, went to monthly billing, and starting charging an annual registration fee. A family I loved working with, and had become friends, even accused me of being money-hungry. But…..within a year, my studio doubled in size and I was able to move forward with my dream of opening the complete studio I have now (14 teachers on all instruments, and already up to 150 students after one year). And that particular family is now taking lessons at my new studio and not complaining at all about those policies.
Hope Noar says
I have run into the same thing about makeups, so here is what I do. I charge by the semester. Some of the old timers pay by the month, and they are fine. But all new people pay three times a year. All missed lessons must be made up or paid for. Occasionally, someone does not pay, for a missed lesson, but not too often with this approach. When they pay by the semester, they tend to lose touch of their missed lessons. Also, I have students trade with other students if they need to miss a lesson. This usually works very well. You can be firm about your policies, but break the rules once in a while. The week of our big Oct snowstorm, I cancelled the entire week. Most of my students paid for the lessons with no hassle, a few I made up, and one deducted the payment. So for a bad week like that, I only lost one lesson. And that is the reason that the semester payments work. Set them up with all new students who take.
Rebecca Brown says
I’ve contemplated the semester pay idea. Does everyone just make one payment at the beginning of the semester? Or do you set a semester rate, and then allow them to divide it into 2 or 3 payments that are more manageable?
Lisa Stowe says
I’m sorry to say, that after almost twelve years, I am feeling a bit burnt out. I have everything in writing, yet STILL have issues with a few long-timers who seem to think it does not apply to THEM! What really annoys me is when I see the same family’s facebook photos of MONTHLY excursions to Disney, Bahamas, and gambling cruises!!! I’ve heard every excuse from “things are tight right now” to “oops, I forgot my checkbook AGAIN” to “I’m sure I already paid you!”. I’ve tried all sorts of different methods over the years, but what seems to work best for MOST (other than the few completely inconsiderate dolts) is having them pay for the entire semester.
I divide it up into monthly payments, or they can choose to pay the whole semester up front, and get a $15 discount. (Even then, I had a wealthy parent who is a business owner herself, complain that the discount should have been a FREE lesson ($25) instead of the measly %15.Can you believe it? Some will even SIGN the contract and STILL make up their own payment plans, paying me when they get around to it! EVEN WITH reminders, LATE FEES, and CALENDARS given out and posted! What I’ve learned is this: Do what works best, but know that there are always a few that will not respect your time and policies. I try not to get bitter, but at the same time, I am forced to get tougher each year. This year may be my last, as I think it may be LESS stressing to go get a regular 9-5 somewhere! Good luck to everyone. I know it is not easy.
David Barton says
I think this is a really difficult subject, and there are no easy answers. In my 10+ years teaching, I’ve tried a variety of different policies, none of which have been particularly satisfactory. Someone always seems to manage to find a loophole or I cave in under the pressure of not wanting to damage reputation.
The majority of the people I teach here in the UK are learning for fun – I don’t have a problem with that, but it does impact upon the way they see lessons – as soon as something else crops up, it’s often the first thing to go.
My policy at the moment is that all lessons are to be paid for unless I choose otherwise (either a refund or a make-up lesson). Only on one occasion have I needed to actually refund someone (genuine reason), but plenty of make-ups requested. Obviously, the initial issue is do the slots exist to make the lessons up? With such busy lives, people often have very narrow requirements about when they can and can’t come which often makes trying to rearrange lessons impossible. On more than one occasion, I’ve had to explain to people that I can’t simply ‘magic’ free slots out of thin air!
Whether I offer to rearrange is dependent on a few things: (a) Whether they are normally reliable/pay on time etc., (b) What the reason was and whether it seems genuine, (c) How much notice was given. Even then, it’s a minefield, and there’s no clear definition of any of these things.
When I look around at the other sorts of activities people do – swimming, gym, dancing etc. – this problem doesn’t seem to arise. A term’s lessons costs ‘x’ amount, and if you miss them, that’s tough. I’ve never been sure why private teaching should be any different, but invariably, it is.
Part of the way I look at it is that once people have booked a lesson, they haven’t just booked my time for 30 mins, they’ve booked my preparation time, admin time etc. as well. Depending on the notice given (i.e. it’s too late to utilse the slot for anything/anyone else) I sometimes feel that giving make-up lessons is almost like offering freebies…
Diane Paul says
I have tried all sorts of different ways of dealing with missed lessons, fee payments, etc and have a written contract but many of them don’t read them. My students are required to pay for their lessons 4-weekly and to pay in advance. If they turn up without their money, I ask them to go to the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ round the corner before giving them their lesson. Invoices go out every week (time-consuming), either given the lesson before payment lesson or sent by email. Some lose the invoice or ‘didn’t receive the email’, some ‘forget’, they will pop it in during the week (which they don’t) or will pay next week. I never move anywhere without a bit of cash in my purse and my debit card; amazing how many don’t have any cash or card on them the day of payment. So refusing to give them a lesson until they pay up is tough but is the only thing that works. I have stopped makeup lessons because if they have already robbed me of my time/income for their missed lesson, I am certainly not giving them another chunk of my valuable time. Some from the past have insisted on paying on the day and because I’ve tried to fit in with them and a number of adults who work rotas and chop and change every week, it has made me very stressed and wanting to give it up. I had no idea this job would be so stressful when I began 10 years ago and it has affected my health. And despite all the verbal and written requests not to come if they or their children have coughs, colds or anything infectious, they continue to do this, another stress-inducer. I find all the comments on this site very helpful and encouraging, so it looks like a change of contract for my students again after the summer break!
Esther Graham says
I moved and hour south and left 30 students. Since I still work my day job in that area I decided that I’d keep several of the best students and go to their homes after work a few nights a week. Make-ups are easier for me now that I go to their homes. I make up their lessons by staying 10 minutes extra for 3 lessons or 15 minutes extra for 2 lessons. Occasionally, I will stay for a complete 30 minutes extra. I have to say that it doesn’t happen too often. I don’t make up lessons that are canceled on the same day unless they are ill or there’s a real emergency. They are aware of that and don’t ask me to go against my long-standing policy.
Alexandra Weiss Toronto Piano Teacher says
The best solution I found so far regarding requests for makeup lessons from piano students parents or “skipping” the class without payment, is to NOT OFFER MAKEUP LESSONS and have it outlined in a clearly written studio policy, (with the exception of the piano teacher has to reschedule the lesson, then makeup lessons are negotiable). Swap lists, blocking out times during a year for makeup lessons, etc, does not work out well. Successful teachers do not do makeup lessons, even with 24 or 48 hours notice.
Pamela says
As a professional piano, voice & music theory teacher of 35 years, I agree most strongly with Alexandra. My husband also teaches violin & guitar privately. It is insulting when a parent asks for makeup lessons when it’s their conflict that is causing the missed lesson. When a parent asks, “Do I have to pay for a missed lesson?”, my reply is, “No. You never have to pay for a missed lesson unless you miss a lesson!” We have a very full schedule & a long waiting list. The parents sign a contract when they put their student in with us & agree to our policies. Think about all the other contracts out there. College students do not receive a tuition refund if they miss a class. Cell phones have EARLY cancellation fees. Do you ask for a discount on your mortgage if you go on vacation for two weeks & won’t be using your house then? We, as a professional group, need to step up our professionalism.
Pamela says
I found this article online & thought every teacher would like to see this:
Make-up Lessons from an Economist’s Point of View
From: Vicky Barham, Ph. D.
I’m a parent of children enrolled in Suzuki music lessons. I’d like to explain to other parents why I feel – quite strongly, actually – that it is unreasonable of we parents to expect our teachers to make up lessons we miss, even if I know as well as they do just how expensive lessons are, and, equally importantly, how important that weekly contact is with the teacher to keeping practicing ticking along smoothly. I think that it is natural for we parents to share the point of view that students should have their missed lessons rescheduled, but if we were to ‘walk a mile’ in our teachers’ shoes, we might change our minds about what it is reasonable for us to expect of our teachers.
Like many parents, I pay in advance for lessons each term. In my mind, what this means is that I have reserved a regular spot in the busy schedules of my sons’ teachers. I understand – fully – that if I can’t make it to the lesson one week (perhaps my son is sick, or we are away on holiday, or there is some other major event at school) then we will pay for the lesson, but that my teacher is under no obligation to find another spot for me that week, or to refund me for the untaught lesson. And this is the way it should be.
In my ‘other life’ I am an economist and teach at our local university. Students pay good money to attend classes at the university; but if they don’t come to my lecture on a Monday morning, then I am not going to turn around and deliver them a private tutorial on Tuesday afternoon. When I go to the store and buy groceries, I may purchase something that doesn’t get used. Days or months later, I end up throwing it out. I don’t get a refund from the grocery store for the unused merchandise. If I sign my child up for swimming lessons at the local pool, and s/he refuses to return after the first lesson, I can’t get my money back. So there are lots of situations in our everyday lives where we regularly pay in advance for goods or some service, and if we end up not using what we have purchased, we have to just ‘swallow our losses’. On the other hand, if I purchase an item of clothing, and get home and change my mind, I can take it back and expect either a refund or a store credit.
So why do I believe that music lessons fall into the first category of ‘non-returnable merchandise’, rather than into the second case of ‘exchange privileges unlimited’ (which I think is one of the advertising slogans of an established women’s clothing store!)? Speaking now as an economist, I would claim that the reason is that items like clothing are “durable goods’ – meaning, they can be returned and then resold at the original price – whereas music lessons are non-durable goods – meaning, once my Monday slot at 3:30 is gone, my son’s teacher can’t turn around and sell it again. The only way she would be able to give him a lesson later in the week would be if she were to give up time that she had scheduled for her own private life; and that seems pretty unreasonable – I can’t think of many employees who would be thrilled if their bosses were to announce that they couldn’t work from 3:30 to 4:30 this afternoon, but would they please stay until 6:30 on Thursday, because there will be work for them then!
Many teachers hesitate to refuse our request to shift lesson times (because our busy schedules *do* change), because unless they keep us parents happy, we will decide to take our child somewhere else for lessons (or to drop musical study), and they will lose part of their income. This is particularly true in areas with lower average income, where it can be particularly difficult to find students. So rather than telling us that ‘well, actually, the only time when I’m not teaching and that you can bring your son for lesson is during the time I set aside each week to go for a long soul-cleansing walk, and I *can’t* do that on Monday at 3:30 when you should have turned up’, they agree to teach us at a time that really doesn’t suit their schedule. Teachers who are ‘nice’ in this way often, in the long run, end up exhausted, and feeling exploited; they try to draw a line in the sand. However, too few parents ask to switch only when absolutely necessary, and too many parents want lesson times when it suits them this week, which is not the same time that suited last week. The only time that I would feel entitled to discuss shifting a lesson time is if the reason I can’t make the lesson is because (i) I have to do something for the Suzuki school and the only time at which that other event can happen is during my lesson time; (ii) my teacher were to ask us to participate in some other activity (e.g., orchestra, etc.) and that other activity were to create the conflict. If the conflict arises because my child is in the School play, and they have their dress-rehearsal during his lesson time, then I feel that I must choose between the two activities, and if he attends the dress rehearsal my private lesson teacher doesn’t owe me anything.
During May, my eldest son will be missing three lessons because he is going to accompany me on a trip to New Zealand to visit his great-grandparents. I do not expect my son’s teacher to refund me for those missed lessons, or to reschedule them by ‘doubling up’ lessons in the weeks before or after our departure. Since there will be lots of advanced notice, I might ask her to consider preparing a special ‘practice tape’ for that period, or to answer my questions via e-mail, but if she doesn’t have the time (the second half of April is going to be really busy for her, and she wouldn’t be able to do the tape until more or less the week we left) and so has to refuse, then that’s fine. I certainly don’t expect her to credit me with three make-up lessons; there is no way for her to find a student to fill a three-week hole in her schedule during our absence. Instead, I hope that she will enjoy the extra hour of rest during those three weeks, and that we will all feel renewed enthusiasm when we return to lessons at the end of the trip.
Barry says
I too have suffered from this problem and to some extent still do even after forty years of offering private tuition. And that’s despite all the contract forms ever invented.However, just like the ‘Ford Motor Company’ my policy is one of continuing improvement and I now work to a very clear manifesto. I offer the basic half hour lesson at fourteen pounds per one lesson bookable in advance or, allternatively ten lessons, payable in advance, for ten pounds each.In effect book ten and the price is discounted. These last mentioned are sold on the clear understanding that they are not transferable neither can they be made the subject of re-schedualing. In short they are sold on the ‘use it or lose it’ principle. This seems to work well although I will very ocassionaly turn a blind eye where a very good client with an excellent history is concerned.In my experience adults are by far the worst offenders when it comes to this type of behaviour, with very few children playing the same trick. But it is a sign of the times I’m afraid, some people do expect to have their cake and eat it.
I agree with the tenure of this article, firm rules save a lot of heartache , and a lot of wasted time. It’s a pity the country cottage ethos has to go but there’s nothing like the general public for wrecking something.
Stephanie Johnson says
Currently I do not have a make-up policy. I’ve been fortunate with my group of students; their parents are awesome and let me know in advance if their child will be absent. I wasn’t so fortunate in the past. I’m in the process of rewriting my studio policy and this is one of the topics I’m trying to figure out how to address. Personally, I don’t like the idea of make-up lessons, just because it seems like a big hassle and a way for you to be taken advantage of. But I don’t want to come across as rude and inflexible. Anyone have any suggestions on how to communicate “no make-up lessons” in a kind manner?