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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think you should pay if you cancel?

89 replies

helpagirlout17 · 17/12/2019 22:37

DP is a tutor, he is also a full time teacher and tutors after school. This means all his teaching work gets pushed back so he can earn the extra income. He isn't cheap - we are in a huge grammar area for the best schools in England and he teaches Maths and Economics.

Anyway, a lot of people just cancel and don't even offer to pay.
I mean hours before he is due to drive round or maximum around 24 hours in advance.

Now the thing is, he is fully booked, already doing 7 hours a week. Lots of enquiries always coming in and a big waiting list. The people cancelling is unfair. He wants to put a policy in place - would you find it outrageous to pay for a tutor if you had to cancel?

(As I know this comes up sometimes, he's set up as a private company and pays taxes on the income)

OP posts:
GreenTulips · 18/12/2019 12:37

It’s no different to driving lessons m. Payment upfront and still applies if you cancel.

ElluesPichulobu · 18/12/2019 12:38

When I did tutoring I charged full price if there was less than 5 days notice because I needed that length of notice to arrange to fill the slot with another pupil. And if they hadn't paid by 5 days before the next booked slot I considered that a cancellation and filled that slot with another pupil until the debt was paid. If a tutor is in-demand they don't need to accept unpaid slots.

I'm very glad I don't need the extra cash any more.

hellsbellsmelons · 18/12/2019 12:39

If he really doesn't want to implement a cancellation policy then at least do a 'one strike and you're out' thing.
Then replace with someone else.

billybagpuss · 18/12/2019 12:40

If you pop over to the Abrsm forum there are so many threads on t’s and c’s. Music teachers are always being messed around.

I tend to be very flexible until it gets to a point then I send an email stating you’ve attended x number of lessons from an available number of y, this is not sustainable for me as I have a waiting list, going forward I need payment in advance or for you to relinquish the slot.

In 17 years of teaching I’ve only had 3 needing this treatment, one chose to pay the other two stopped.

itbemay1 · 18/12/2019 12:42

DS tutor has a contract that I signed and cancellation policy is minimum 24hr or full payment

Getitwright · 18/12/2019 12:42

Cancellation policies are perfectly standard. It just needs writing out, giving all the terms and conditions, then make sure anyone who wants his services understands and agrees them. There are an awful lot of people nowadays who take the suppliers of services (such as tuition, restaurants, etc) for granted, and cancel either on a whim, or too late. Personally, I would have no problems with Doctors and Dentists refusing access to services for those who abuse appointments and don’t turn up. Huge waste of time and resources.

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 18/12/2019 12:43

I think the cancellation policy is definitely the way to go.. Slightly different but my son’s driving lessons, if he cancels with less than 24 hours notice, he still has to pay.

Mumdiva99 · 18/12/2019 12:44

We had to pay tutoring in advance. Blocks of about 6 at a time. Cancellation policy is absolutely standard.

furrytoebean · 18/12/2019 12:49

You need to take payment in advance and have a cancellation policy.
You can't rely on people offering to pay.

Having a booking policy can make or break a business like tutoring.
Otherwise you end up resentful and it shows in your work.

Also you'll be amazed how few people cancel once a policy is in place.

Missteebeee · 18/12/2019 12:52

I am self employed and I take payment in advance and charge (in full) for late cancellations

Could he do the same?

Knowhowufeel · 18/12/2019 12:53

YADNBU.

I agree that he should definitely have a cancellation policy. If he then chooses to use his discretion for truly, unexpected emergencies that would be up to him, but at least both parties would know where they stand.

50% if notice given is between 48-24 hours, and 100% if less than 24 hours notice is given, which seems fair.

rosesinmygarden · 18/12/2019 13:11

I tutor full time and have done for about 5 years.

My terms are full payment half termly in advance. If they cancel it's non refundable. If I cancel they get their choice of a rescheduled lesson, an account credit or full refund via bank transfer.

I do offer replacements for genuine cancellations where possible but only in other cancelled sessions and not in my own time so they aren't guaranteed.

I used to have a 24 hour cancellation policy and take payment on the day. Several parents used to cancel regularly at the 25 hour mark and I came close to not being able to pay my bills or feed my family, yet these parents expected their guaranteed weekly slot to be reserved.

One summer a family booked 15 summer tuition sessions in advance of 11 plus. I then turned other clients away. Yes, you guessed it ... that family cancelled most of those sessions with pretty short notice and there was no way I could then fill the spots. Several parents did this that summer and it nearly broke me.

Please put a contract in place to protect his income, and message me if you want a copy of my terms/contract. If he is popular and has a waiting list, the only people it will put off is those who intend to cancel regularly.

Biscuitsdisappear · 18/12/2019 13:12

Your DP should be taking a more professional approach and making a late cancellation policy clear to his clients. Turn the table round and say money in advance and I'll return 50% for late cancellations.

3timeslucky · 18/12/2019 13:27

Like others said, get payment in advance (monthly, by term, by number of sessions booked) and make the cancellation policy clear.

I have two children who have piano lessons. I pay in advance (option of paying by month or by term) and if I cancel it is "on me". Having said that, the teacher will always try and accommodate the children at a different time IF she can, and I've told her in advance. I do not mess her around and she knows it. I also understand that she makes a living based on her lesson schedule and she can't slot a new student in for a one-off lesson if I cancel. Who would think that was ok????? (clearly many people ...)

rosesinmygarden · 18/12/2019 13:28

Think very carefully about refunds within a certain amount of time. If your dh is like me and has the same kids coming at the same time every week in term time, then in my experience he will struggle to fill 'one off' sessions. This is why I don't offer refunds unless it's my fault that a session doesn't go ahead. The parents are paying to guarantee a day and time with him fpr gheir child and most parents want this as opposed to ad hoc sessions.

rosesinmygarden · 18/12/2019 13:29

Great minds think alike 3timeslucky!

makingmammaries · 18/12/2019 13:38

Would he pay his clients compensation if he had to cancel last minute because he couldn't make it?

I’ve always thought these things should work both ways, as it happens, ever since DH had a specialist dentist who was in the habit of cancelling because allegedly the ordered parts hadn’t arrived, right there on the spot at the time of the appointment, after we’d planned around it and driven over an hour. Clients’ time has a cost too.

TrickyKid · 18/12/2019 13:42

I have to pay in advance each term. If we can't make it for whatever reason they will try and reschedule but a last minute cancellation still has to be paid for Totally fair to charge cancellations, he needs to change his terms and conditions.

KateFTC · 18/12/2019 13:43

My mother tutors and she has a cancellation policy (which she doesn't rigidly enforce) but also will stop tutoring if there are too many cancellations/changes. She has a waiting list so another child could make much better use of the time

Purpleartichoke · 18/12/2019 13:59

Cancellation policies are totally normal. 24 hours is standard. Honestly, I wish it was something like 9am on the morning of because you never know when your kid is going to wake up with a fever.

Original poster
helpagirlout17 · 18/12/2019 14:16

@BlaueLagune he's never been off sick in his life - so it's a difficult one. Although if he has to rearrange because of Parent's evening he does it weeks in advance and/or stays an extra half hour.

In general he always works longer than he's paid for ie if someone isn't grasping the concept or they're half way through a convo. He also gives feedback for 10-15 mins out of his own time.

OP posts:
Original poster
helpagirlout17 · 18/12/2019 14:22

@rosesinmygarden I'll message you!

OP posts:
Original poster
helpagirlout17 · 18/12/2019 14:24

In summary, DP is a soft touch who needs to sort his business out Grin

If anyone has any advice on how he should approach it moving forward please let me know!

DP uses a tutor website to get clients (they pay a one off fee to get his details) and then they arrange things by text and/or email.

DP always travels to them and if there's a lot of traffic can sometimes be late. I think that would worry him about putting formalised contracts in place.

Should he just send a text in the new year or implement a contract?

OP posts:
GracefulHippo · 18/12/2019 14:25

From what I see on this thread, it seems your DH definitely should have a cancellation policy. I didn’t realise there were so many CFs out there Shock.

We don’t have academic tutors, only music teachers and they often reschedule (But with 1-2 days notice) due to playing commitments - which is not a problem at all for us. We reschedule very rarely, but then with more than 24 hours notice. Having said that, I think once DD was sick and we cancelled on the day. We didn’t pay anything, but that was once in five years, so I guess we built up some goodwill....

BarbourellaTheCoatzilla · 18/12/2019 14:38

DP is a tutor, he is also a full time teacher and tutors after school. This means all his teaching work gets pushed back so he can earn the extra income.
Honestly, this worried me more than anything. I wouldn't be happy if my child was being taught by him, if his part time hobby job took a bigger precedence than his actual job.

But yes I would expect to pay if I cancelled with less than 24 hours notice. If he cancelled with less than 24 hours notice I would expect not to pay / be refunded if already paid. He needs a proper contract and something he should have looked at before getting so invested tbh.

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