To charge for tutoring in advance?

[Wantanotherpizza]

I'm currently tutoring in the evenings after work for 3 different pupils. I'm a qualified teacher and have around 15 years of experience.
Realised I shot myself in the foot by not requesting payment in advance or having a cancellation policy, and now I've had a parent cancel twice this month with under 48 hours' notice, for non-emergency reasons.

I tried to be accommodating but this is still my income at the end of the day and I know it's zero-hours work but it's unreliable income.

I've emailed all 3 parents requesting advance payments from now on. However, if they cancel within 48 hours and don't pay me the 50% fee that I've requested, is there really anything I could reasonably do?
My rates are already cheap as it is. Fortunately I've just been offered an additional role that is a bit more reliable. Has anyone else had this in tutoring?

When cancelling the parent didn't offer to pay even a certain amount of it. Without sounding rude they are certainly far from hard up judging by the house they live in, the cars they have and so on. Obviously I can't know people's circumstances for sure but they also go on several luxury holidays each year. They are certainly doing a lot better than me and could easily afford to pay me.

Ts&Cs don’t seem important or exciting when you start a business but bloody hell they’ll save you a lot of heartache time and time again.

Don’t take on any more pupils without strong Ts&Cs in place. (You could ask chat gpt to write them for you, if you explain your business well to it)

Have you heard back from your existing pupils?

One has agreed to it, but the parent who's cancelled twice hasn't replied yet.

I need to start being firmer and not trying to accommodate others before myself all the time.

You're right to get a policy in place. In reality there's not much you can do unless it's enough to make it worth small claims.

You could charge in blocks maybe? Or make a deposit necessary to book online like hair and beauty places often do.

YY previous poster about how important good T&Cs are.

Nothing unreasonable about asking for payment in advance or having a cancellation policy that suits you.

If your terms become so onerous that they put off clients you might have to reconsider some of them, but one of the joys of working for yourself is that you can tailor things to your liking.

Have you considered the thorny issue of what happens during holiday weeks, yet?

Yes you do (I know it’s hard!) but this is a business, it’s not personal. If you lose the flaky parent it’s no loss since they aren’t paying you anyway and it’ll leave space for a new client who is happy to sign the contract with your shiny new T&Cs

Switch to charging half a term in advance, all my kids clubs charge a half term or term, and if we don't go that's on us. No payment by the first day of term = you won't open the door.

I charge half a term up front. My T&Cs say that if they cancel, I will try to offer an alternative time that week if I can, but if we can't find a convenient time, they will lose the money. Otherwise, they all expect me to catch up lessons in the holidays, and once I've reorganised childcare, I'm basically working for free. You could tell your existing clients that you are going to start doing this from Easter onwards. You won't regret it.

Oh you're in the right place to talk about tutoring and what to do about non paying customers!

They think you are a mug and are treating you as such.

All lessons paid in advance.
They cancel they lose out.
The end.

I have paid piano lessons in advance for many years.
If we cancel it is on us.

Run it ruthlessly or people will think you are a fool.

I would replace the petson who cancelled twice.
My goodwill would be gone.

If you are cheap, you will be treated as desperate.
Up your prices substantially if you keep on the piss takers.

You could ask for a block payment per month in advance (or term or whatever). Then if they cancel with enough notice you offer an alternative slot or roll the payment over to the next month (set your conditions). If it's a last minute cancellation for no good reason you have the money and you can decide what to do. Illness can happen so decide what to do in that case. The important thing to do is to get the money up front. Then you have the power!

Let the flaky ones go.
Replace them with another. There will be another.
I'm a tutor. I'm fully booked every evening with a bit of a waiting list. I ask for payment upfront for the first lesson. Most of my clients are longstanding so although i outline a cancellation policy i only really enforce it if i feel they're taking the piss. My policy is usually 24 hours rather than 48. It works for me.
I teach adults in the daytime too so kids after school is not my sole income

I hope you told them that due to people taking advantage you are going to have to insist on payment in advance. You have to be strong and just cancel people who don't pay or don't turn up. Customers who don't pay are not customers.

When I did tutoring I sent terms and conditions at the start, which included 50% payment if cancelled within 24 hours. This was good at setting boundaries and expectations. Most were reliable and gave some notice if they needed to change. I had a few that flaked out a number of times and I quietly dropped them. Sending a reminder email/text 48 hours before the session was useful. I has one who texted me 30 mins before a lesson whilst I was leaving the house saying that they had decided to go to the park (!!!). I didn't get in touch with them again.

Do you have a contract with them?

DD has music lessons, and of the 4 teachers she's had (across several instruments!) so far, only one has asked for payment in advance, and she taught at school; the others we go to their houses. We've not had a contract with the other three either. Having said that, we've never cancelled a lesson last minute; we've always given at least 2 weeks notice (DD is blessed with good health). However the teachers know that I 'get' music, and how tuition works.

So I'd start with a contract, as well as advance payment, given you're getting flaky parents.

On this front - if you hadn't told them in advance that they would need to pay you for lessons they cancel, then you are unreasonable to expect or ask for payment for the lessons they've already missed.

You're the one running the business and it's up to you to make clear in advance what the terms are.

Going forward, you aren't unreasonable asking for the money in advance - and probably best to require payment on the first of the month for all the month's lessons than just in advance of the start time. It's unlikely to be worth taking them to court for 50% of one missed lesson, but you can refuse to provide further tutoring to them until they are in good standing (i.e. have paid you what they owe).

How accommodating you should be probably depends on how easily you can fill up your schedule with other clients. If you have more people wanting your services than you can handle then drop the ones who are tedious, don't pay on time, constantly ask for changes, etc. (or up their rates so they are worth it to you). If you really need more clients then don't be too strict.