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Original poster

Do you think this rescheduling charge is fair?

28 replies

PapaStinky · 29/08/2019 11:10

I have piano lessons at £30 per hour. I consider myself an extremely reliable student in that I turn up on time to all lessons and promptly pay my invoices. Only once in the past year I had to ask to reschedule as one of my kids was poorly.

This week I've had a tummy bug and felt too unwell to attend my lesson. I mailed the teacher and was told it was £2 to reschedule a lesson. I replied I was unhappy about the charge as I was genuinely unwell and had given as much notice as I could that I couldn't attend. I know £2 won't break the bank and I understand it must be frustrating if other students wanted to reschedule repeatedly. But surely for something like illness this could be overlooked or in fact admin time spent on this kind of thing should be built into the rate?

Have been really happy with my teacher up till now but the tone of the email wasn't very nice. I know I shouldn't take it personally but it has pissed me off.

Am I right to be feeling this way or should I accept they are running a business and get over it?

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 29/08/2019 11:36

Seriously, I think £2 is more than fair. The teacher is probably well within his/her rights to not allow you to reschedule the lesson at all, and you'd lose the whole £30.

After all, if you have a regular slot, they're unlikely to be able to sell it to someone else as a one off or at short notice.

They've offered a solution that suits both of you. You still get to have your lesson at another time, for only a very token fee and they have a system in place that will deter piss takers who mess them about and repeatedly want to chop and change. Even if the rescheduling fee was a fiver, I'd think it was reasonable.

RabbitPied · 29/08/2019 11:39

I'd think myself lucky that I only had to pay £2.

augustagain · 29/08/2019 11:41

I thought you were going to say you were charged the full missed appointment, in the same way dentists do, etc. £2 is fine I think.

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IDontDrinkTea · 29/08/2019 11:41

To be honest I’m surprised you’re allowed to reschedule. I’d expect you have to have to pay the full £30

helpmeiamatoad · 29/08/2019 11:42

£2?! That’s nothing!

TitianaTitsling · 29/08/2019 11:49

You do mean TWO quid and not twelve or twenty?!

Floralnomad · 29/08/2019 11:53

I’m also surprised she doesn’t just charge for the lesson or a percentage of it . I go horse riding and they charge a percentage of the lesson cost depending on how much notice you give .

Redglitter · 29/08/2019 11:55

I cant believe you're questioning a £2 charge.

Sirzy · 29/08/2019 11:57

So she is losing £28 due to you being ill.

I would have expected, and infact offered, to pay the whole cost

AmIThough · 29/08/2019 11:58

How far in advance did you let them know?

It's £2 and they're losing out on £28. You should be grateful.

colourlessgreenidea · 29/08/2019 11:58

I mailed the teacher and was told it was £2 to reschedule a lesson. I replied I was unhappy about the charge as I was genuinely unwell and had given as much notice as I could that I couldn't attend. I know £2 won't break the bank and I understand it must be frustrating if other students wanted to reschedule repeatedly.

You have GOT to be on a wind-up!! Grin

augustagain · 29/08/2019 11:58

Have been really happy with my teacher up till now but the tone of the email wasn't very nice. I know I shouldn't take it personally but it has pissed me off

Is it the tone of the email that's annoyed you as much as the £2?

The trouble is, the teacher can make the rules here and you can accept/reject.

If you think they're a great teacher otherwise, it would be a shame to lose them over this.

Original poster
PapaStinky · 29/08/2019 12:22

Yes I guess it's more the tone of the email. Ok seems I'm being silly i'll accept it with good grace just thought the £30 an hour would encompass any rescheduling time. They were basically complaining about all the admin time rescheduling takes. Guess I was hoping for them to be a bit sympathetic due to my being unwell and also being courteous not wanting to take my bug round there.

OP posts:
whattodowith · 29/08/2019 12:29

Why are you so bothered about two pounds?

INeedNewShoes · 29/08/2019 12:30

This is why I have my pupils on monthly direct debits so that we don't have to negotiate over things like this (although for illness I will always try to rearrange).

Piano teachers are professional musicians who are earning a living through music. If someone's child is unwell and can't attend their swimming lesson/ballet class/after-school club no one expects a refund for that portion of the term's payment.

I think £2 is extremely reasonable.

emerencemaybehopeful · 29/08/2019 12:32

You should have known about the rescheduling/cancellation fee already. But it's not at all an unreasonable one.

Bunnybigears · 29/08/2019 12:32

Have you already emailed back saying you weren't happy with the charge? Hopefully you havent put yourself in the 'difficult customer' category.

itsabongthing · 29/08/2019 12:35

My assumption would be that if you are not able to make your regular slot for any reason, then there is no obligation for the teacher to reschedule you and you would just forfeit the lesson,

If the teacher was unavailable for your slot then you should be refunded or the lesson rescheduled.

Our teacher will try to squeeze in another lesson to make up for a missed one if I knew in advance about it, but I don’t think she has for illness - they may not have any spare suitable slots.

So YABU if your email assumed that it could be rescheduled.
But also charging £2 is a bit weird as it’s hardly worth it!

daisypond · 29/08/2019 12:38

£2 is incredibly generous. DH has piano lessons at the same rate and he has to pay full cost if he gives less than 24 hours’ notice for a cancellation. It doesn’t matter what the reason is - Illness, public transport failures, etc.

Seeline · 29/08/2019 12:38

When my DCs had piano lessons, the teacher always issued a list of terms and conditions at the beginning of each year setting out exactly what happened if oyu had to cancel or wanted to change a lesson, and what fees were incurred.
Similarly, she also set out what happened if she needed to cancel/change a lesson.

Made things so much simpler - everyone knew where they stood. Does your teacher not do similar?

I think you are unreasonable to quibble over two quid. Even if oyu rebooked your lesson, it I likely that your slot would remain vacant, so she is loosing money.

Rubicon80 · 29/08/2019 12:39

being courteous not wanting to take my bug round there.

That's not courtesy, that's the very bare minimum of acceptable human behaviour.

Evilmorty · 29/08/2019 12:42

My friend is a piano teacher and she has very limited space for rescheduling. She can barely get home in time to put her kids to bed because she is so busy, and she needs the money and work to keep up her good reputation. Pay the £2z

Raphael34 · 29/08/2019 12:43

I have to pre pay per month for various tutors for my family, including Spanish lessons, guitar lessons and dance and drama and swim classes for my children. If we have to miss a day due to illness, there’s no rescheduling or refunds for any of them

Evilmorty · 29/08/2019 12:44

also being courteous not wanting to take my bug round there

Haaaaaa! You’re doing no one any favours except you, so let’s not spin it that she should be grateful for you asking to have a lesson in a period that she might have set aside for free time.

Original poster
PapaStinky · 29/08/2019 12:48

Grateful for all the replies and accept I've been an arse. Just hope I haven't ruined the good relationship I've built up with my teacher.

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