A pupil was upposed to show up at 3.30 for a half hour lesson. No show. I finally managed to get hold of them at about 6.00. The explanation:

The dog ran off just before the au pair had to leave to collect the boy from school. Consequently she was late to pick him up. She then wanted to ring me but water had got on her mobile rendering it unusable. She rang the mum from a call box to get my number but the mum's phone was switched off. I can vouch for this as I tried to ring the mum too and found the phone switched off.

What I'm wondering is: why didn't the au pair call round to tell me what had happened? I only live 5-10 mins drive from the school (depending on traffic). She does have to pick another child up at 4.00 from a different school but that school is also very near me.

Anyway - my dilemma: should I charge them for this lesson? OK all these mishaps (probably) took place but I was sitting there waiting and ended up not being paid. If the mum rings up later to offer payment, then problem solved but I've heard nothing yet and it's now 8.00pm.

Grrrr!

Violinia

Hi Violinia
Difficult one but on balance I would expect to be paid. I really feel they could have made some sort of contact with you to let you know what had happened. I wonder if you would still be wondering if you hadn't made the phone call at 6pm. Do they pay you in advance or week by week. Its so much easier if its in advance because then in many ways you are in control and you can just tick it off as a lesson. I suppose if it was me and the mum phoned and apologised etc I might waive the fee (especially if they were normally very reliable )but if no phone call I think I would charge. Most other classes are paid up front - ballet, gym, ju-jitsu, tennis, keep fit etc etc. so its not unusual to still have to pay even if you don't attend the lesson.

I have a pupil who insists of paying for every missed lesson even when they have given me weeks of notice! I return the cheques but they won't have it. Their view is they have a commitment and if they can't make the lesson I shouldn't suffer financially. They are so nice!!

Yes, of course you should, violinia!! All lessons missed through non attendance should be charged for. It is their problem and I'm quite sure the whole dog incident didn't take up the full 30 minutes of the lesson. You were there keeping the appointment so you should get paid. Even if they did phone, I would still charge them. My students pay for lessons whether they turn up or not - in exceptional circumstances, (illness, bereavement) I will give them an extra lesson to make it up. Lets face it, dentists charge when you cancel within 24 hours, or don't turn up without notice.

You might be best off charging half? Yes, there were unforeseen events (probably), but you still had to chase them for an explanation - very inconvenient for you and inconsiderate from them.

I can't believe the excuses some people make, dogs! Football! Are these people in the real world?

I had to cancel a guitar lesson this week, I had no children for him to deliver it to one on a school trip and the other doing her piano exam. I've only cancelled twice in 3 years, the other time we were decorating and the room was in such a state no one could get in.

I think you should charge them in full, next time they will look after the dog. Yes we have a dog as well just incase people think I'm not a pet lover!

Speaking as a parent rather than a teacher, I would definitely expect to pay for the lesson in these circumstances - and I would be thoroughly embarrassed if our teacher had to ring us to find out what had happened to us.

We did have an incident last term where I had a minor car accident while taking the eldest to her piano lesson. We paid for the lesson - why should her teacher lose income because of my problems?

Violinia, this seems a good/unmissable opportunity for you to say that as a matter of practice/policy, you always charge for lessons missed without 48 hours notification although if the circumstances are beyond control, you will as a matter of goodwill charge only half with there and then emergency notification from them. So in this case, charge in full!

A case of genuine illness will differ of course. VN is crazy and insisted on going once/twice when she was genuinely ill but if we had missed as we did a couple of times when she was unwell/when her fingers were hurt, we offered to but he insisted we didn't have to pay.

I would charge. Experience has shown me that when you dont, parents then think that is is ok to cancel and you may find it starts to become a little more regular

Those who I have charged from the beginning seem to have a lot less "incidents" than those who know I wont charge them

Is this a female thing? It's amazing how many problems I've known occur because mothers/wives don't have their cellphones switched on!! Especially at times like after 3pm when their kids are all over the place. I mean, what is going through their heads??

I get so angry with my wife about this that I'm on a mobile-strike!
i.e. If she won't use hers, why should I use mine?

Two days ago a friend asked me to pick up her daughter from the school bus when I picked up my sons. The little girl wasn't there. I waited a while, all the time trying to phone. But phone wasn't on. After 30 minutes I got through to the Dad who said that Mum had already picked up daughter somewhere else. Both have cellphones. Both are intelligent. What is it with some people????

So yes! Make the woman pay and ask her why she didn't have the ###### thing switched on!!

Steve

Shotgun for both mother and dog methinks...

Is this a female thing? It's amazing how many problems I've known occur because mothers/wives don't have their cellphones switched on!!

NO it isn't! My husband does it all the time.

yes Violinia - I think she should pay.

Thanks for all responses - much appreciated. You're all right of course, and I've decided to ask this particular mother to pay me up front for both her children - half a term in advance. There's no other way to keep her in line. I will make up lessons missed for genuine reasons of illness during holidays or later in the week, but I can't have her messing me about like this (it aint the first time).

Thanks again.

Violinia

It's that last thing that is the clincher "it ain't the first time". I had a pupil whose clutch went on her car, her answerphone message read "of course I'll pay for the lesson". Fortunately car was fixed in time so I was able to teach her. As a voice teacher sore throats and genuinely ill pupils are one thing, but all other incidents are someting else... except when there's snow forecast where if a pupil has a long journey, I do not want their car accident on my conscience, so the decision over whether to charge a cancellation fee is made in consultation with the pupil/ pupil's parent depending on who has got to drive the car.

Out of curiousity: do you follow the same logic with yourself or are these 24 hours rules one-way streets?
For example, if you cancelled a student's lesson less than 24 hours in advance would you give them an extra free lesson to compensate for the inconvenience to them of you not meeting your commitment?

If the teacher cancels then the student doesn't pay and if the student cancels the teacher doesn't pay.
Seems fair to me.
If I have to cancel at all I always offer another time (except for holidays of course).

It's also more likely that a if a teacher cancels at short notice that it is a genuine emergency.

Interesting...so I guess the underlying assumption is that the student (or student and parent's) time is worth nothing....or that only teachers have genuine emergencies. Doesn't really sound very customer friendly or plausible to my ears.

True story happened to me this week:

Have recently signed a 5 lesson contract with a technique specialist who will work with me on relieving tension and improving legato. Was warned in no uncertain terms that the planned dates & times are set in stone and that any cancellations from me will result in forfeiture of the lesson fee. First lesson, lots of talking, tea drinking and a demonstration of excellent teacher playing, 5 minutes at the piano and a goodbye. Second lesson, teacher called day before and asked to move to the next week due to need to practice for upcoming concert. The night before the new, moved lesson date he called up to say that the weather would be really hot the next afternoon and could we move it to the morning. This was not possible for me due to a business meeting in the morning and the need anyway to rush to get back for the new lesson time he proposed. I offered to skip a fortnight but the teacher insisted that, no, we will go ahead tomorrow afternoon. When I arrived after fighting traffic at the lesson the teacher was not there and when I got back home there was an email sent 3 hours before the lesson time cancelling due to "not feeling up to it". When I confronted him on the fact that my entire afternoon had been wasted by driving 2 hours for nothing, I was told that he had cancelled hours before and it was not his fault I did not read my email...

I agree with the answers given in this thread for the most part. And I suppose dealing with half-motivated kids and scatter-brained parents must be a nightmare. But, personally, my experience with teachers who want up-front contracts and want to enforce 24-hour rules is that:

1) they are often a poorer quality of teacher that knows they couldn't keep students based on the value they would offer on a lesson to lesson basis without first locking them into a pre-paid contract (in other words if you experienced them through a few non-contractual lessons you would never continue with them), or

2) they are prima donnas who nonchalantly cancel students' lessons at the last minute while relishing in penalizing students if circumstances require them to cancel or change.

As an adult I always enjoy taking my lessons from my regular, carefully chosen teacher: we both behave as mature, responsible adults and I pay each lesson after completion. If either of us needs to change or cancel, we go out of our way to give a heads up as soon as possible; but in a relationship of mutual respect I don't expect to be charged for lessons not taken and my teacher doesn't expect for me to be bothered about lessons he must skip or change because I hear about them far enough ahead of time to plan. My regular teacher knows that in each and every lesson he needs to deliver added value - and he does deliver it - and that is what keeps me coming back. And, my teacher doesn't need contracts or pre-paids or penalties because students who don't act responsibly aren't asked to come back.

There is an old Dutch saying: "in the way the innkeeper trusts his guests, that shows his true nature."

they are often a poorer quality of teacher that knows they couldn't keep students based on the value they would offer on a lesson to lesson basis without first locking them into a pre-paid contract (in other words if you experienced them through a few non-contractual lessons you would never continue with them)

Some of us offer a few non-contractual lessons first before putting terms and conditions on the table.

I don't see how I gave the assumption that either students or teachers time is worth nothing.
Neither should lose out if the other party cancels.

Seems like you had a bad experience with a teacher who is not prepared to commit to delivering what he claims. I suppose our assumptions are dependent on our experience and that is a personal thing.
As a student and as a teacher I value lesson time and I've never had a teacher myself who would cancel or ask me to rearrange unless absolutely necessary.
My own lesson is in the daytime and my teacher will let me change day if I have a problem.... if she haa a problem then I am prepared to change.
As I only teach a few hours I am able to be a bit more flexible than those teaching full time. If i am prepared to rearrange occasionally then my students are prepared to accept a rearranged lesson if I have a problem at their usual time.

I still say that, in my own experience, students (or parents) are more likely to cancel for parties/football/shopping trips or just because they are not in the mood or didn't do much practice.
One didn't turn up last week because his nanna who brings him was away and his mother just didn't bother.
Another I was expecting last week, Having asked whether he was away for one or 2 weeks, but i didn't see him and passing his house (in my street) it was obvious they were still away. He didn't turn up today either (no contact yet) and they want to rearrange or cancel every time there is football after school.
I know that juggling these things is sometimes tricky but my piano lesson has always come first. If anything else was at that time then I just couldn't do it. It might sound unfair to someone not so commited but I only expect from others what I am prepared to do myself.

Trust is a two way thing...... I'm more flexible with those who don't mess me around.
Dutch saying are all very well but some people you just can't trust.....

I can't understand why giving you notice would compensate you for losing income. I mean you can't exactly ring someone on your waiting list (if you're lucky enough to have one), and arrange a one-off lesson, can you?
I tend to charge for lessons missed for no good reason, not charge for illness or genuine catastrophe, and charge half for "educational" reasons, school trips, concerts &c., regardless of how much notice I'm given. Having said that, I'm a bit soft about ringing and asking for it.
Steve.