Can I ask your opinions about paying for music lessons?

[Tokelau]

I'm interested in opinions from private music teachers and parents of children who go to these lessons.

I am a music teacher. I work part time, I would like to work more hours, but only have enough pupils to be part time. I am thinking of advertising, as all my pupils have come to me through word of mouth so far.

This is the problem. Most of my pupils and their families are nice people, dependable, they pay each week with no problem, turn up on time, and if they need to cancel, they let me know in advance and we rearrange for another day. However, a few are not like this at all. They cancel last minute, or forget to come, and then I don't get paid. I know that sometimes things happen, and that can't be avoided, but it's the same people all the time.

For example, one pupil forgot to come the week before half term. I texted the parents who said that they had something on that night and had forgotten to let me know. I didn't see them over half term, that's fine. This week, they didn't turn up so I texted the parents and had no reply. I was told by another pupil that the first pupil has gone on holiday for two weeks. They didn't let me know, and obviously won't be here next week either. That's three lessons where I was expecting them to come and now haven't been paid for. The parents are actually nice, but very disorganised I think.

I have another pupil whose parent has just texted me to say that they only got back from their holiday yesterday, so they want to cancel the lesson tonight as the child is tired. The child is in secondary school, so not a very young child.

I have a good relationship with most of my pupils, and if they cancel occasionally, I don't charge them for the lesson. It annoys me though when people mess me around regularly and I don't get paid. Would I be unreasonable to tell all my pupils that from now on, they have to pay for four weeks in advance? If they can't make a lesson, I will rearrange it if possible, but otherwise they will lose the money, not me.

What would you think about this? From a parent's point of view, or from a teacher's point of view? What do other teachers do in your experience?

I feel that it's unfair to do this to the reasonable pupils, but can't implement this to some and not others, as a lot of them know each other!

AIBU or should I just suck it up that I am not employed, and it's the nature of the job that if a pupil doesn't turn up, I don't get paid?

you could do a pay upfront, or cancellation policy.
'Cancel within one week - no charge - re arrange'
'Cancel within 48 hours 50% charge'
'No show or same day cancell full charge'
Also ensure if cancelling - that its only accepted as a cancellation with your reply. Prevents 'i did text, you mustn't have got it' messages.
Something likes this would discourage - such as the tired holiday child.
Take into account emergencies etc, but this is how it is done where i live.
Also, i would love music lessons.

I pay four weeks in advance (£32.00 a lesson). I once forgot a lesson, but insisted on paying as the teacher had waited for us and could have filled the slot. I think people need to pay for missed classes, or those cancelled with very short notice

Op, sadly whatever you do people will mess you about but termly or half termly invoicing will help a bit.
I work for a company that provides sports coaching, we invoice in advance but only 70% of people pay in time, they want refunds if they miss a class because child is sick or they go on holiday ( or any other reason) at the start of a new term they often dont let us know they are not coming back ( despite many calls & emails). Unfortunately some people are just a nightmare!

Definitely don't think it is unreasonable to expect them to pay for missed lessons and the easiest way to do this is by billing them termly/half termly in advance.

If they pay for a block of swimming lessons they will not get a refund if the child is ill or tired so it should be the same for you - and at least you have the option to offer them an alternative session if they give enough notice - for group swimming lessons that session would be lost.

I think it's perfectly fair that you charge regardless unless sufficient notice has been given allowing you to book someone else in and recoup your costs.

They're depriving you of income. You're selling a service that you were willing and able to provide at a specified time. Their lack of organisation is not your problem.

You could, for example, ask for half in an upfront, non-refundable deposit per term/block/month. Then half per lesson. That would compensate you for any 'disorganisation' at least. Get a contract drawn up and signed. Nothing like a contract to remind people you're a business

Yanbu

They're not taking

They're not taking you and your time seriously because they haven't paid for it upfront.

Half termly invoiced in advance. One half terms notice to end lessons. No refund for missed lessons, can be rearranged with 1 weeks notice (or at your discretion for the non piss takers)

Yanbu
I'd say pay monthly by standing order or by term.
As a parent I would be willing to do this.
Have a rule where they can have so many holidays per year, but they need to be booked in advance otherwise they are charged for them

My dds tutor charges a week in hand, so on the very first lesson you pay double, this means if they don't turn up for 1 you keep the money & it has been paid for. Of course you then have to charge double for the next lesson they do come to.

As long as you are consistent and upfront, I don't think it unreasonable to have termly payment or some form of cancellation charge.

Most of DCs' music teachers still get paid each lesson, but one charges per term according to length, you can pay all at once, or in 3 standing orders.

We pay termly in advance-if 48hrs notice then we can rearrange, if less then we forfeit.

This is sensible-it's your business and livelihood. Similarly to how I still pay our cleaner if we choose to go on holiday.

Good lord, I'm amazed that you don't have at least pay a month in advance fees in place. I also wouldn't consider any refund for a lesson missed by a pupil. I'd refund if you are sick or unable to make it, but not for pupil absence. I'd also go for a two strikes and you're out rule - obviously you can show some flexibility on a case by case basis.

Your "good" families won't be impacted by any change, and you might get rid of the less committed ones.

I pay my own lessons in advance, and all my children's activities are done on either a term(swimming) or half-term basis.

My daughter has music lessons at school but via our local music service. In September we have to commit to paying for the whole year even if we cancel part way through although the actual payments are made termly. They agree to provide a minimum number of lessons for this. If we miss them due to sickness etc we do not get a refund. Whilst ours are subsidised to a degree you are offering a great deal of flexibility to your detriment - I would look at doing whatever you need to!

It's been a while since I had piano lessons but I've been to language classes and they were all payment upfront for the term.

One music teacher of ours was very relaxed but I felt bad cancelling last minute even for sickness so would pay her double the following week - it's her wages.

Another teacher had a contract upfront where you paid 6 weeks in advance for each half term. The dates were on the contract. She was flexible in that if you had to rearrange or cancel one she would try to fit you in somewhere but the odd lesson would be missed. I was happy with this.

Not grabby at all.

I pay half a term in advance for both children's music lessons. One is direct with the individual piano teacher, the other is through a music co-op with a guitar teacher.
It works fine. If the teacher has to cancel I have always been flexible in making up the lesson on a different day. This has meant they are flexible with me too - if I have to cancel they are both offer to try and fit me in somewhere else. However, most of the time if I cancel I just accept it is my issue and I take the cost.
I do understand how this works as I am a teacher and I work with part-time staff who do tutoring to make up their wages. I hear similar tales from them regarding people who cancel at the last minute.
Unfortunately if you allow this to happen and not charge them they will take the mickey and do it again without thinking. I only cancel when I have to as its costing me £££s.
If you make your terms and conditions clear upfront then there can be no argument.

I'm a music teacher and have 2 dds who learn a variety of instruments. If they learn at school or Saturday school then we pay termly in advance. The private lessons are billed in arrears but those teachers are the type you have to grovel and beg to take you on so you know if you mess them around you'll lose your place with them.... I bill in advance for half a term payable on or before the first lesson of that half term. When taking on a new pupil I give a free initial lesson and if it goes well I send an invoice to be paid on or before the next session. No one has ever queried this. The vast majority of parents give plenty of notice if they need to cancel/rearrange a lesson and with them I am flexible. The ones who mess me around get less sympathy....

I'm self employed on an appointment basis and this really annoys me. You could stipulate that missed appointments without 48 hours notice are chargeable, you could take block payments and stress no refunds or rebooking appointments at short notice.
If I want to make changes like this, I always do it with a letter or a notice. For example please note as of the 1st August 2017 blah blah blah.

Half termly in advance.

Can I ask a question to you and other music teachers though and apologies about a slight thread hijack.

This half term I know in advance that there will be three of the normal scheduled lessons that I will miss due to holidays. I have told the music teacher with lots of warning that this is the case. WIBU not to pay for these given that, in theory, he could schedule something/someone else at those times.

I think it's reasonable to charge per term / half term. Definitely charge in advance, not in arrears.

I pay in different ways.

1. Pay by term, no refunds if I miss.
2. Pay by half term. If I say in advance then any missed come off the next half term
3. Pay about 8 lessons at a time. They say she I need to pay the next. She doesn't usually charge if I miss even when short notice-however that's perhaps happened 2-3 times in 10 years.
4. Pay for next lesson at current lesson. If I give less Tha 24 hour notice then I pay.

All work well. However I've only once forgotten (lesson time changed and I was half an hour late, and he had that time free) and only occasionally given less than 24 hours notice, and that has always been illness.

We pay half termly in advance.

We pay by term, in advance. I thought that was the norm!