Non or late paying parents

[TeaAddict235]

Part of my work allows for personal tutoring. I offer pay as you go weekly sessions to students and pupils. But from time to time I have had the student who after the lesson has declared that they will "pay at the end of the month" once all lessons are completed, or the parent who 'hasn't brought the cash' with them, and 'why can't I pay by bank transfer?'

I find it sneaky and in effect theft. The agreement at the beginning is that cash is to be paid at the end of each session, accompanied by a receipt and signature in a cash book (by the parent). But too often I encounter the parent who wants to argue (!) or disagree with the payment method.

Today, again, I have allowed for a payment to be paid next week after the session, as the parent (who i set up the agreement with) "didn't have any cash" with him). And now I am considering charging a 'late payment' fee as a solicitor friend suggested.

I have a waiting room/ area, where beverages are on offer, and WiFi. The parents who stay use these offered facilities. The parent who stayed today also enjoyed the facilities. My office is attached to my home, and so I am not sure if this makes people think that i am doing some volunteering or something.

Have many of you who tutor experienced the same thing?

Why can't they pay by bank transfer? Can you not get them to pay for a block of sessions in advance?

You know the answer - they pay in advance.
At the very least they pay at the beginning of the lesson rather than at the end.

I'd set up a website where they pay as they book.

Or get a sum up machine and take card

bank transfer clearing 3 days before the lesson or the lesson is cancelled.

Set up a paypal account and use that.

It’s quite straight forward and advise lessons only go ahead if payment reaches your account in time.

DDs driving instructor did this!

Thank you for the feedback. I will work on emphasising at the beginning of the contracts that cash must be paid or at least ready in advance.

The problem with a late payment penalty is that people will just disappear without paying and so a session is unpaid for.

@dementedpixie I have allowed for bank transfers in the past, but then they quickly became later and later paid. So the payments would arrive a day or two, then a few months down the line a student would tell me that their parent would pay at the end of the month, which one student conveniently told me at the beginning of the month.

Working with companies, payments occur via bank transfer and with adults then one month in advance. But it just happens to be with the under 18s who turn up without payment, but only reveal that at the end of the session.

Good idea @GreenTulips , maybe i should offer my Paypal account, but then the late payments scenario may arise and be taken advantage of again.

I think that I have to operate on a 'two strikes and out' approach.

I tutor privately and now only provide tuition sessions if I've received payment in advance. I personally do half termly in advance and I dont refund if they miss or cancel a session after they've paid but I know this doesn't suit everyone. I had to do this due to behaviour like you describe. I only lost one parent when I brought it in... she was one of the worst offenders and was leaving me out of pocket regularly.

Write yourself a set of simple terms and conditions including a cancellation policy and email it out to all your clients stating that due to the behaviour of some parents, in future (say from beginning of February or after half term maybe) lessons are not booked/reserved until advance payment is received and state when payment is expected. Give yourself enough time between the payment due date and the lesson itself to offer it to another child if payment doesn't arrive on time.

I've just seen that you charge adults one month in advance. Why are you not doing this for younger students?

Have you thought about increasing your fees by say £5 and giving a discount of £5 to those who pay prior to the lesson?

My nephew has a couple of tutors, they receive a paypal invoice a month in advance and this must be settled in advance or no tutoring will happen.

For music lessons, we used to give a cheque for five at a time, and a page at the front of our book for the dates of payments and tally of lessons since. Could something like that work?

Allow bank payment but make it clear must be paid before the lesson. No payment, no lesson.

I would personally avoid the need to pay cash for something like this, as it can be a pain to make sure that you have the right amount with you and not everyone's daily routine takes them past cash machines.

But Paypal or online banking would seem to be the route to go. If you have reasonable signal you can ask them to pay there and then. Put up a 'Have you paid?' sign in your waiting area!

Childcare fees have to be paid in advance for most settings and if payment is made, care is not provided. I don’t see why you can’t use this model for tutoring. If they don’t pay, via bank transfer prior to the session, they don’t get the lesson. Whenever any one pays me, it goes through pretty much instantly and when I pay others, it’s there really quickly, so sure why it’s taking so long for payments to reach your bank? I think you just need to get stricter with parents tbh.