[Eliza Fyfe]

All good advice above – although I would tend to disagree with the add-on “make up for it” lesson or rearrangement in the same week. Surely you are still taking a loss by doing that?

[Eliza Fyfe]

All cancellations including illnesses should all be fully charged. No exceptions. This is your business; you lose out when you’re ill too. Also, rearranging is literally the same as a cancelled slot.

[Eliza Fyfe]

Bang on, Kat and Mark. I barely let people off if someone has died.

OK, maybe a little extreme. But the point is, that’s their business.

[Eliza Fyfe]

Great points Matthew. Bang on about increased innovation. My system, prices and policy is in correlation to the new ideas I’m putting forward all the time (at least I hope it is!)

@Sally – I have to say, if there’s competition in Brighton for teachers, I wouldn’t have thought a 1 week cancellation policy would encourage students to pick you over someone else! While I completely agree that you have to value yourself and others have to respect the business, this would completely put me off booking if I was the client. At the same time, you know your worth and I’m sure you’re better than all the others!! Good for you for being strict..! However, I would say YES make sure students realise this is your income, but it’s still a services business, which, whether we like it or not, IS something that has to be at least a little flexible.. it’s just finding the line, isn’t it!

Having said that Sally, you’ve actually given me an idea! So as I’ve mentioned before, this is what I have in place: Cash in hand for the first lesson, then block monthly payments in advance, with 48 hours’ cancellation policy for any lesson. But maybe I should do a 1 week notice cancellation policy for those that don’t want to refresh the block?

Thoughts?

Also, let’s elaborate more on putting ourselves in the student’s shoes, as Matthew suggests. I actually book lessons for myself with a vocal coach now and then. It’s funny – I am actually a total hypocrite, as I haven’t committed to a singing teacher before… but that’s because they haven’t minded me seeing them flexibly (quite bizarre that I’m using their skills to better myself and my teaching and with a better system in place than they have..!) but if they told me they had a policy that was the same as mine, I would totally respect this and be more than happy to pay for a month upfront because I know I would probably get a decent amount done in that time and it would probably be more beneficial than random lessons anyway! Then I would decide whether to do another month thereafter.

[Eliza Fyfe]

Well said, Kat. Was an interesting read though Lewis, makes me think I should write up an agreement a little more formally, although people seem to respect what’s already in place and has been for 3 years now. In fact, I do have the policy outlined in the invoice, but also most recently featured in a little more detail in my new Welcome Pack.. right at the end of the warm welcome! And it’s short and informal. With a little strictness of course.. here it is if it’s any help:

Cancellation Policy
I have a 48 hour cancellation policy in place for all booked lessons. Due to the nature of my business, it’s important that I keep to this rule in order to enable the smooth-running of the business. When students come on board, they are assigned a slot that is theirs every week/fortnight. Lessons are paid for upfront monthly, preferably by bank transfer.

Terms & Conditions
Payment must be made 48 hours before the start of the next batch of lessons. Cancellations and rescheduling must be made 48 hours in advance of the lesson, with no exception; otherwise the full price of the lesson has to be paid. This cancelled lesson will be deducted from one of your prepaid lessons. For any cancellations made by your teacher, that lesson would be carried over to the next scheduled appointment. In the case of a lesson being rescheduled by the teacher, which is then cancelled by the student, the 48 hour cancellation policy applies to the second rescheduled lesson.