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?

THANBU for trying to cut their own costs really. But it does sound like some are being cheeky about it.

YANBU for doing as you see fit.

Honestly, I think you should allow customers to pause for their own holidays... but you should put your overall prices up to make this financially feasible for you.

That way your customers won't feel ripped off, and you won't feel vulnerable. Same result, but both parties think they've won.

I use a self-employed service (not tutoring) and I'm on old rates because I'm a good customer. I give plenty of notice when I can't use the service, and if I have to cancel at short notice because of an emergency or sickness, I pay anyway even though I'm under no obligation to do so. If I'm asked to move my appointments at short notice and I can accommodate that, I'm flexible. I also pay a Christmas bonus (again, this is not contractual - I just think it's a nice thing to do).

I think it's fine to have different rates depending on how long you've had a client relationship, but you should only keep older customers on lower rates where they're really good customers. If you can replace their slot and they're hard work, put their fees up and/or bin them off.

When you're self-employed and in demand, it's down to you to keep the clients you actually want. Don't keep bad clients where you can replace them with better ones.

I had one last year for piano who sent the child for the first week in September. Straight after the lesson she sent a message saying "X is transferring to the local music school so Y (sister of X) will be taking over the lessons instead".
Er no....... I'd already given Y a trial lesson in June and said she was too young and that they should wait for a couple of years as she wasn't ready to start piano.
So then the mother started kicking off wanting the money back for September because it was me cancelling the lessons and not her. Again, no.. because the agreement was to teach the other child - and he must have been registered with the music school before the summer to even get a place there - so I feel like she did it deliberately to try to force me to take on the younger child.
I didn't refund her the money and I suggested the younger child also went to the music school, whereupon the mum said "Yeah, we asked but they said they had no space".

Had to add clause to terms and conditions about lessons not being transferable to other children.

People really do try it on. Or I should say "some" people, because most of them are fine.

In a way you’re not bu but in another way would you pay for a service you didn’t need because you weren’t there to use the service? But I don’t know how you fix it tbh.

Can your clients pre-pay you for a term? My children aren’t at the age for tutoring yet but I pre-pay a term for their gymnastics, drama school, swimming etc. I think they would be less likely to cancel on you then and you can re-word the contract. I don’t know what subject you tutor but your rate sounds low to me. I was looking into tuition for next year and £40-50 is the rate for virtual group learning. 1-1 in person is £80-120 in London.

I'm in the North.

I don't know any tutors locally that charge more than £45. I agree it seems low given my Mum used to pay £25 an hour 30 years ago! But I genuinely cannot see people paying as much as £80 an hour.

Pre payment of a term of gymnastics is only going to be £40/£50. Prepayment for a term of lessons at £40 a go is considerably more.

They pay monthly. I'm happy with that. It does mostly work.

One who wants to finish shortly wants to send sibling for the last few lessons!

I don't have anything in my contract at the moment so what can I say other than sure. Suck it up - fume about it internally! But it has made me realise I've seriously got to cover for all scenarios.

I agree, most are fine. I've got some fabulous clients.

This is your business and not a hobby. Sounds like you need to sort out all of your Ts and Cs (with proper advice) but broadly, you need to be clear how long people are signing up for, what the rate it, notify them of an increase each year, not permit 'breaks' and so on.

If you are in such demand, you can afford to reset the clock with everyone and they can take it or leave it.

tutors round here are £50-£100 (south east) if highly regarded

I do. I pay for my kids swimming, gymnastics, tutor, nursery and tennis when I go on holiday. Granted, individually they cost less (aside from the tutor) but I simply inform them that my child won't be there.

I wouldn't dream of asking for a refund or telling them I"m not paying the full amount that month. Why should my holidays mean their income is affected?

If I go on holiday, I can't ring the bank to say I'm not paying my mortgage that month as I'm not living in my house !

I would simply email those cancelling and advise them that they are doing just that, cancelling. Therefore their place will not be guaranteed in September as its your income and therefore you will be taking on new clients from your waiting list.

should they wish to start again in September please contact you and see if a space is available and you will arrange for a new contract to be completed, and that will entail prices being at the new rate

i would increase fees from September and write to all those on the old rate and advise them it’s going up, if you don’t want to do £30 to £40 in one jump do it in £5 increments over the next couple of years.

the only other thing you could do is get them to pay the 12 months fees over 10 months so you don’t lose actual income, and in effect your hourly rate goes up

I agree.

Tbh I'm great at tutoring. Not so great at sorting out Ts and Cs and asking for money.

If anyone knows where I could get a decent sample contract from, that would be helpful! As it stands, the Ts and Cs are simply on my work page and quite basic.

Suggestion: consider whether you could change your pricing. There has been enough inflation to justify a price increase anyway. You could just increase prices overall, or you could change your pricing structure to allow a discount for people who pay and commit to 12 months in advance.

For example: if you normally charge £100 per month, then change your price to £120 per month, but offer a discounted annual rate of £1200 if someone signs up for a whole year prepaid and in advance. People who are committed on an annual basis will end up paying the same as they do now, and CFs who try to get a price cut by cancelling and rejoining 2 months later will find that this no longer works.

I do. I pay for my kids swimming, gymnastics, tutor, nursery and tennis when I go on holiday. Granted, individually they cost less (aside from the tutor) but I simply inform them that my child won't be there.
I’m sorry but that seems insane to me. Where I am things shut down over the summer for camps or else you just re-sign up for the term after. I’m in Ireland so maybe it’s all different but paying for a service you’re not getting seems nuts, different if you miss a week/weeks because of sickness then of course I’d pay- but if we were away for July then I just wouldn’t do the summer term and would hope to get back in in autumn

You appear to be very uncomfortable around money and that's making things unnecessarily hard for you. I know that can be hard to change! You sound like a great tutor with a depth of experience. I would start offering new spots at a higher rate and gage the response. Highlight your experience and outcomes so people know what they are getting. Not all tutors are the same.

I am using a tutor at the moment and I'm happy to pay more (fortunate that I can) but I do pay for lessons only (weekly) rather than per month regardless of whether it's term or holiday time. I guess that feels fair to me

In terms of future increases I would increase at regular intervals, small amounts each time, either annually or no more than every second year. Once people have enjoyed a low rate for a period of time they can be resistant to change.

Maybe look fur a business mentor or guidance. The government might provide some services.

Perhaps you need to change your contract slightly to reflect "X pounds annually. Annual payment receives 10% discount. 12 equal installments does not." Of course, you'd have to have it written up in legalese, but that's certainly doable.

You need to adjust your contract terms for new starters. Your rate of pay needs to cover you for the month you are not available to teach, so that you can draw down from your account during that month - ie paying yourself 12/12. You also need to activate a waitlist, and be prepared to go back to people you turned down in March to say a vacancy has now opened. Clients who cancel are welcome to join the waitlist in September, under your new terms. It is not surprising that clients want to pay for the Sept-June period, that’s the way most extra curriculars are charged, which isn’t ideal for you, but you have to adjust your rate of pay so 10/12 months’ pay gives you 12/12 income.

@selfemployedwwyd massive squishes. Self employed here since 2004 and I feel your pain.

1. draft a letter for ALL clients that from 1st September prices will be rising for all current and new clients to £xx as you haven’t done it in X long.
2. inform CF that they can go away for holidays but not paying you means the contract and business relationship is finished. That you have a waiting list and can’t guarantee them a spot.
3. make a ‘shit list’ clients that are a pain in the ass. Once they are gone - they are gone and can’t come back. I have a Cheeky Fucker price that I will quote such monsters to try and repel them in the future or at least make it worth my whole to work with them. I normally add 30-40% on.
4. the minute someone says they are not paying for a month etc.. start advertising that from X month you will have x spaces opening up.
5. if you don’t already - start a waiting list for enquiries, do contact them in future when slots open up to offer them first refusal.

I wouldn’t hold their spot, I would inform them you’re likely to be booked up by September, and I would just find new clients. Yanbu.
We still pay for my daughter’s nursery in summer even if we travel and don’t use it. If we didn’t we would have to accept someone else would probably fill her spot in the meantime. Same with childminders etc I think. I still pay my cleaning lady too even if we cancel from our side - she still has the same bills to pay!

I subscribe to a service (not tutoring) that charges for missed weeks if you cancel and then re-enroll within a short time period. People moan about it, but I know a lot end up paying in order to re-enroll.

You could add to the T+C that if breaks in enrollments are less than x number of weeks (three months perhaps?), then missed classes will have to be paid for on re-enrollment.

Every year you need to have a new contract. The person paying the 2018 prices is ridiculous.
Up your prices so that what they pay in 9 months is what they would pay usually over 12. Then you can budget for the time they take off and enjoy your own holiday/respite time.

See I'm not sure this is the norm for tutoring. It's certainly not the norm for music lessons, most people run them term time only or holiday lessons are an optional extra. It's an expensive 1:1 service, feels more like paying for haircuts you're not getting than a swimming class that runs year round whether there are 3 kids that week or 10. The small class swimming we did when kids were toddlers stopped in holidays too. A cleaner can clean whether you are there or not and doesn't require your kid to work in their holidays. Music lessons stop in holidays, and the tutors I know do similarly. May be different in places where tutoring is a major industry, more of a seller's market.

So perhaps clients are doing that because they feel that your terms are unusual or unreasonable expecting tutoring to continue in the holidays. (Which they might do even if it's usual in your area if they don't know that!)

Think like private schools, you charge by the term, enough to pay salaries for the year; you don't charge pupils for July and August unless you offer an extra optional holiday club. Might there be a market for summer intensive courses in your line of business? A daily lesson for a week to give regular clients or others a boost?

I'd definitely aim to have everyone on the same rate, and have regular price increases. Annual or biannual is easier than having one big hike. You may need to phase it for ones that are lagging a long way behind market rates.

(But if you want clients to just leave YANBU - one of the joys of being self employed, completely your choice.)

I’d 100% let them know that you can’t hold their spot and you are fully booked with a waitlist, I think most people would pay to keep their spot rather than lose a good tutor.

Play them at their own game. When they contact you in September, say you’re currently full but will add them to the waiting list. They’ll be gutted as their child will have a relationship with you and you know their learning needs well. Then contact them around half term offering them a place at an increased price. I won’t do the lesson unless I’ve been paid for the previous one. If you offer lessons on zoom when your clients are away then they should still pay for that lesson if they choose not to take it. Perhaps offer a small discount for a block booking? Good tutors are hard to fine, know your worth.