To tell clients to just leave

[selfemployedwwyd]

I"m self employed with clients who pay monthly. I work 12 months of the year and take 4 weeks a year holiday which are unpaid - this is all explained upfront.

This year I've had an unprecedented number of clients who've informed me that they're not prepared to pay for my services over the summer as they're 'going on fancy holidays' and won't get the use of my services.

But they want me to take them back on in September once the summer holidays are over and the children are back in school.

AIBU to tell them they're free to go in June but I won't be giving them their space back in September?

I simply cannot afford to not be paid for 2 months. When I go on holiday (unpaid and only UK) I still pay all of my monthly bills (swimming, nursery etc)

I realise the cost of living affects even the wealthy, but it's the wealthiest clients who are doing this to me! For context, last year I earned £15k if that matters. I can't afford to take my children abroad (not that that's their fault I might add, but it does irk!)

AIBU to feel really pissed off and a little bit used/undervalued?

I think YWNBU to allow them to cancel the contract and refuse to hold the place. But at the same time when DDs did tutoring (or anything else - dance, football etc) it was term time only and we just paid for that. Occasionally they did extra tutoring in the summer, such as just before the 11+. I would find it unusual that it carried on all year round, as most things don't.

I think it's acceptable not to require/pay for a tutoring service over the summer holidays. My daughter has maths tutoring once a week during term time, if we can't make a week it's 24 hours notice unless circumstances can't be helped. (Sickness etc).

Having said that, if you think you can fill the slots with people who will pay all year round then go for it....

What is your actual job/services? I feel like it’s fair if you can give that space to someone else but if you can’t then i guess you’ll just have to accept it as much as it sucks as no point losing them as a customer. If it’s childcare, I would say they should pay, I still have to pay my nursery bill if I’m on holiday and they aren’t there.

I would say no problem

then fill the slot with someone else

their loss

they are free to go and call again in September. You are then free to tell them the slot is taken

you don’t owe them loyalty

if they want a guaranteed slot, they pay the “retainer”

it’s just business, nothing to get upset about or feel emotional about imo 🙂

I have done the same with clients in the past, it's your prerogative

If you can fill the spots then yes of course YANBU. You are under no obligation to them if they don't respect you.

Assuming your business is childminding, I suggest you re-write your contract that rather than a month's notice, they have to give half-a-term's notice i.e. any notice has to be given BY the first day of each of the six school-terms in a year, and the notice period during which fees will be due will be up until the first day of the NEXT term. This is totally normal for private schools and nurseries. Calendar months aren't very useful when the school terms don't really follow the months. Then if they do want to avoid paying over the summer you have a space for a new client to settle in during the second half of the summer term.

Put your prices up and look into a contract they can sign.

My DM used to tutor but on the side, 2-3 DC all for private school entries or to get their reading/writing and maths up to standard. She was lucky in that all her parents either booked her and/or paid for holidays or didn’t. But they would’ve been nice/professional and so was she. She was a school teacher too.

I thought OP said she was a tutor. Irritating if she’s being ambiguous about what it is.

Put up the monthly cost to cover the time you’re not paid.

@GonnaGetGoingReturns no that was my fault, I onlr read the first few posts before writing my reply and didn't get to the point where she had explained she is a tutor.

But I still think having a half-termly notice period will work in a tutoring context, even if payment is still monthly. Must be easier to get new pupils starting in the holidays for tutoring than it would be to get new child-mindees. It's at the end-of-term-exams that pupils realise how much they need some tutoring!

The way that your contract reads to me is that they still pay if they go on holiday but must also give you 4 weeks notice of that holiday. Why do they think that they don't have to pay ?

It sounds like good money for a very part time job which fits around your dh’s FT job and your family life.
You really don’t need to feel bitter and “unappreciated” I think that’s very misplaced.

I’m self employed with regular clients. If I’m not working, I’m not earning it’s that simple (for whatever reason)

If they don’t wish to pay for my services for a month during the summer then that’s entirely their choice, it’s the nature of being self employed; there is no contract of employment.

You sound like a good tutor but oddly resentful of a couple of wealthy clients who don’t require your services for a few weeks in the summer.

I’m also a tutor but I only work term times. I charge for September in July to keep some income coming in. I charge monthly or termly in advance and do not offer refunds for lessons missed for any reason but these can be rearranged to suit. If clients want to ‘take a break’, they lose their slots and take their chances along with new clients.

If you’re always fully booked and can easily fill spaces, I’m surprised that you only earn £15k. Are you charging enough?

It's really easy, you tell them yes they can go on the waiting list to rejoin in September but that is to make things fair as there is already a waiting list. If you have a website you can actually set things up with enquiries so you have potential clients added to a waiting list all the time who can be emailed when a space becomes available. You also say that rates are increasing for the new joiners so if they do that they will be on the new higher rate. That might focus their minds. That way you stay professional and don't burn your bridges you are just being honest with them. Problem solved?

This. You're running a business. If your clients expect you to take them back full time again in three months then they need to pay for that gap when you're not earning money. Otherwise you need to take in new clients because bills don't pay by itself. You should inform a client at the beginning so that they know what to expect.

Of course you tell them no!

She's charging 40 an hour

You've had lots of great advice on here OP.

The only thing I would add is that you need to stop taking things so personally. This is a business arrangement. If parents don't want to pay over the summer as they're away for a couple of months then fine. You say you can easily fill the gaps with other clients, so there's no issue. They're entitled to cancel the contract - which is what they're doing. You're under no obligation to recommence offering your services in September.

Your finances, and your personal circumstances are not their concern. Getting offended because they've decided they don't want your services over the summer holidays is bizarre.

Clients don't owe you anything. As long as they fulfil the terms of the contract re payment and giving sufficient notice, then that's all you can (and should) expect.

And I speak as a self-employed person myself. I've been self-employed for 12 years+ and some clients I have worked with long term. Occasionally long-standing contracts have been cancelled abruptly (through no fault of mine). It's annoying and at times has really screwed up my finances - but the client is perfectly entitled to do so. It's the nature of being self-employed.

You can't take things this personally - it's business. You sound a tad over-invested in what you're delivering to their children - there are lots of other good tutors too, they'll find another one if you pick up new clients so no need for the hand-wringing. You say you have no problems finding new clients so there's not really any harm done to either party.

Firm up your contracts, fill in any gaps, sort out the correct payment level and you're sorted. No point wasting head space on this.

15k divided by 40 an hour at 48 (4 weeks off) weeks works out at only 8 lessons a week.

I completely agree with this.

I think I'd just cheerfully say that's fine, if I still have a place in September you will be welcome to rejoin.

I'm sure these people that say they "don't want to pay for your services while they're not using them" still pay for their other costs like Sky TV, etc, while they're on holiday and not using them. They're trying it on with you because you're a sole trader that they see as a soft touch.

Those that do cancel and come crawling back in September need their rates upped to assume that they'll do the same each year. So, £30 per week over 48 weeks a year = £1,440. If they're going to drop you to 39 weeks to miss July to August then your rates go up to £37 an hour to recoup the difference.

But, then again, if they're ending the contract they'd be coming back as a new customer at £40 per hour. Using the same principals you could quote £50 an hour and expect it to only cover 10 months.

If you've got other clients you can pick up, great, but if there is space available still when they want to restart in September, you know they'll be hard pressed to find someone else, so if they really want a tutor they'll have to suck it up!

The admin side of a business is the hardest if you're on your own. I'm very good at my actual job, that I spent many years qualifying for, but no-one ever teaches you how to run a business. Unfortunately it's CF's that teach you what your Ts & Cs need to say.

Then replace them and advices that IF you still have space you will put them back on when they return

Hi OP. This is really frustrating too but I really believe a comprehensive contract will make your life a lot easier. If it states something to the effect of “you can’t decide to end to your contract when it pleases you after signing a contract to end on X date” (a bit more formally of course!), they can’t argue with that.

I also think you could do with being more upfront more generally eg “In the contract it states the price for academic year 2022-23 is X and therefore your recent bank transfer of X means the balance of X is still outstanding. Please pay by X.” You don’t need to go into cost of living increases or be apologetic (not saying you would) - it’s all in the contract. And this is your livelihood and sole one at that. People take the piss but they are paying for your time, expertise and experience.

This is why I have never tutored. If it was just the teaching it’d be great but I know it’s not. I’d try to seek some professional advice about contract writing as I think it’d be worth it in the long while. Good luck!

OP I think our fees are fine. I pay £40 for a secondary maths tutor and not more than £50 for A level which is standard. I also pay monthly, this is a good idea. However, I have never had a tutor who charges during the school holidays, they run term dates including a break for half term. Over the years I had several maths tutors, GCSE science, primary school tutors, A level politics and psychology and English tutor right through secondary so I am quite well spread in terms of having tutor experience and none have charged over the summer holidays. Summer is usually when they see ad-hoc kids. I wouldn't have paid during the school holidays but then again, if the contract says they should then obviously it needs to be abided by.