Hi folks!

I am having some problems collecting payments at the school where I work; I sent a letter out to some parents saying they hadn't paid me either per lesson or per term yet, then I sent out an invoice to them today, saying that if they don't pay me by the end of term the school will chase it up; have since realised it isn't school policy to chase up payments as it's my responsibility, but what do I do if the parent's don't pay up before term? Do I stop their kids from coming to the classes in January?

I'm in the MU if that helps, I suppose I should ask them about this, but would love to hear from teachers who've been in this situation before.

Cheers

I get a bit of this.

Firstly, do the bills go out with the children or do you send them directly? I've had more than one mother mortified to discover she hadn't paid a bill because it was folded about a hundred times and squashed into the bottom of a recorder bag. In a few cases I put the bills in stamped envelopes and ask the school secretary to put them in the post. I'm considering the use of email, that way the children won't lose the bills.

I have a letter I use which vaguely hints at "further action" without being specific. This has always worked, as has mentioning that the child won't be able to start classes next term until the bill is settled.

It's a difficult situation as you probably don't get any contact with the parents. Hope you get it sorted out.

I've had many years chasing unpaid bills. It is very time-consuming and costly sending out reminders and then either asking MU or ISM to chase up on your behalf. It is unbelievable just how many people make the bill for the music lessons low priority. When I was owed £1,000 half-way through one term, I changed my system, set a payment date about 1 week before the start of term and only added a pupil's name to the timetable if the payment was received in time. Admittedly there are a few late payers with some excuse or other and I try to accommodate them, but generally this is now working brilliantly. I have the respect of the parents and I also feel much less stressed and more focussed on the teaching rather than the admin.

The teachers at Guildhall are told if any parents have not paid in advance for the term and we are told not to teach the child if he/she turns up...the parents very quickly get the message...

I bill the parents of my school pupils at the beginning of every half-term - they are meant to pay by the following week, but in practice I normally give them a couple of weeks' leeway. Then if they haven't paid I warn the child that they will be excluded next week if they haven't paid - and I do exclude them, which usually produces the required results.

Some of the families of my group-taught children are very low-income and struggle to meet even the modest payment they have to make, so I'm happy to have those split it into two smaller payments, as long as I get paid by the end of that particular half-term - it's the showing willing that's important to me!

I have had awful problems with this too. I currently have nearly £3,000 due in for this term and almost a thousand from a selection of previous delinquent payers.

Does anyone else find it really hard and embarassing to phone and chase? I just can't do it. I send repeated letters through the post but even that doesn't always work. I did buy some red stickers which said "your remittance would be appreciated". I stuck them to reminders and it certainly got a few to stump up quite quickly.
I have very prescriptive T's and C's which state no lessons after week 3 if payment hasn't been made. BUT they don't seem to work. This is probably my fault as the pupils keeps turning up and I can't bring myself to send them away. I did once and it did work although the mother wrote me a very stroppy note along with the cheque! She owed the previous term and it was half way through the next term What a cheek!
I feel it's unfair on the pupil as it isn't their fault!

Anyway I joined musicteachershelper in August and this has improved things enormously. I cannot recommend it enough. I can send out repeat email invoices as often as I think appropriate. I find that doing it weekly is getting results. The amount owing is reducing quite a lot each week. I have 80 pupils on a one to one basis at the moment and the admin is horrific. This site has revolutionised my life! I am able to say to parents that the repeat invoices are sent automatically until payment is recorded in the system! That way they don't get cross with me bombarding them with invoices!

Interestingly, most of the parents love the site too. It also allows the pupils to reschedule lessons on the online booking service. This helps with the perennial problem of missed lessons and will the parents pay. Mine are told to go to my online calendar and choose from a selection of free slots and book a replacement. if they don't they have to pay for the missed lesson.

I am afraid to say that in our line of business, whatever we do it will always be a bit of a problem. For some reason parents think of it as a pocket money occupation. Probably due to the old stereotype of an elderly lady teaching the piano to supplement her pension!

I do find that telephone follow-ups work much better than invoices! Especially if you actually talk to the parents rather than leave a message.

It's horrible and I hate it, but it has to be done.

Something like "I'm ringing about Little Jonny's invoice for piano lessons which was due several weeks ago!"

I do have one parent who would ALWAYS blame it on her son not having given her the invoice. This term I posted it first class to her and she STILL claimed not to have got it! I may have to hand deliver it next time - her house is on the way home from school for me. This is a pupil who also claimed not to be able to practise for an entire term, as the plug had come out of the back of his keyboard and his mother didn't know how to plug it back in again!!!!! We had to wait for Daddy to come home (Daddy works away) before he could practise.

Don't you just want to slap them sometimes? The parents, not the kids!

I also bill by the half term at 2 of my schools. At the State Primary I send out reminders if necessary, then pass any non-payers to the Youth Music Trust I work through who chase them up. At the Private Primary the wonderful people in the office happily chase the late payers for me - they are just brilliant.

My other school, an Independent Secondary, has a similar policy to Guildhall - we are not allowed to teach children until the parents have paid for the term. We bill during the holidays prior to each new term. The Music Department there has good admin back-up and have always chased any late payers effectively.

It's horrible when you start out and haven't a clue how all this works and seem to spend hours typing invoices, phoning etc etc, but once you get settled into it everything will fall into place. Bad payers always cheese me off especially the ones who,when chased, say "I had every intention of paying but have been too busy". I must try that in Sainsburys sometime Sorry, The Bag is clearly in Sarky Mode today

x