Here's the scenario........

Beginning of the year I post out a letter to all parents of pupils explaining that I'll now be asking for a month's fees in advance for private lessons, and give them a deadline. After consulting with one family, who are paying for 2 children to have a lesson at 30mins each so it's expensive, they say they can afford to do this (before this they have been paying me cash in hand per lesson). I ask if they are sure and they insist it isn't any trouble. I continue to give lessons despite the fact that they missed the initial deadline and haven't set up a standing order, because they pay me by cash for that lesson to make up for it and promise that they'll set up a S/O as soon as possible. I give them a final deadline of today. I check my account and it hasn't been paid in, the lesson is tomorrow.

Do I teach them?

PS: I didn't think about charging a late fee.... should I?

Hi - I recognise this scenario from when I first got a diploma back in 1987 and I made the change from accepting weekly payments to asking for blocks of five weeks. Some parents didn't understand the change and some took it personally - as if I was indicating to them that I hadn't been paid promptly via weekly cash. I decided from then on that any big changes I made in admin would only be applicable to brand new pupils and not existing pupils - making any changes a very gradual process. A difficult situation - I hope you manage to find a solution.

I think I would give tomorrow's lesson(s) since the day is so close, but check your account if you can just before you start teaching. You may find it's appeared - in which case all well.

If it's not there you might like to warn the parents at the end of the lesson that you won't be available to teach next week's lesson in the circumstances. Not easy though - I'm sure you feel you don't want to risk losing them.

I don't think what you 've done is at all unreasonable and I hope they settle it up without further hassle ! A month is not a long period - not as though you've tried to move on to termly payments!

If they said it was no problem to pay in advance, it could be that they're just not very organised. Another option would be for them to pay you personally for 4 lessons in advance (either in cash or by cheque) which is the way I work. I've always found it to be a good system. I give my students an envelope at every 4th lesson with their name and the amount due written on the front and they bring it to the next lesson with either cash or a cheque. It seems to work well for everyone.

Thanks for your advice everyone, much appreciated. I have checked my account and it hasn't arrived. I'll definitely have to bring it up in the lesson today but I was hoping I wouldn't have to do that, it's awkward. And I could ask them for a cheque or cash in hand but a cheque could bounce, whereas if they set up a standing order......

Maybe I should go back to the way things were before but it's just not convenient for me; I have monthly payments coming out that I wanted the money to be there for, on time. Why is it such a problem for some people to sort this out? I've given them a month to do it after all, if not longer..... and now I'm forced into an awkward situation. Do I charge a late fee or just refuse to give the lesson next time?

Awkward situation, but I noticed myself that some people still seem to think that teaching music is some kind of hobby and the money just pin money for us.

So if you talk to them today, I would definitely stress that one: That you are doing this for a living, that you have bills to pay and how they would feel if their boss went: "Oh, I'll just change the pay-day and you'll get you money when I can be bothered." It sometimes really helps, and it won't make you look desperate but will normally give them quite a bad conscience ...

Apart from that, whether you charge a late fee or stop teaching the child is a matter of taste, the latter being slightly stricter of course, but also more in your hands. Because charging a late fee could still mean running after your money.

I usually stop teaching after the second reminder, meaning: If a balance is open, I remind them once to bring in the money the next time (or transfer it, whatever). If this doesn't happen, I tell them the next time that I cannot teach them next week if the don't bring in the money beforehand. Usually this happens, and I only lost a student once. So be it, you really can do without those people ...

Where I work is slightly old fashioned in that I get paid weekly. It's much more convenient for me to pay for lessons in cash on the day they occure. I'm sure if I were paid monthly then I'd be happy to pay in advance.

It has just occurred to me that there's a discrepancy here. When I was employed I was paid monthly, at the end of the month, ie after I had done the work. Teachers who ask for the money at the beginning of the month are therefore being paid before they've done the work.

Now I know all the reasons that instrumental teachers give to justify asking for money at the start of the month/term etc, and I agree that it is different to being employed in that in general one can rely on an employer to come up with the cash at the end of the month without fail, but one can see a parent's point of view too.

I'm not being awkward or arguing for payment one way or another, but it's just a view point which some parents may have, and which they could, quite frankly justify.

Sorry, just realised that this hasn't really answered the point of the original poster. I think I'm with whoever said teach them this week, but then discuss payment too.

Well, I gave the lesson and spoke to the father afterwards. It turns out he had not set up the Standing Order yet anyway, as he wanted to know why I asked for a month in advance. I explained this last month and did so again today, and he seemed a bit miffed but gave me a cheque in advance anyway and said he'd set up a S/O as soon as he could (which I've heard before). This guy is self employed himself so I thought he might understand my situation.

I am starting to think I should have left things the way they were but I know a lot of teachers charge in advance so I'm not the only one, and I do have bills to pay! And I clearly explained that if any lessons were missed I would either make it up somewhere else or refund the money, which would be easier with a standing order anyway. I'm just trying to make sure my finances are sorted out so I don't get in trouble with bills and things, that's all. And now I'm being made to feel guilty for it. I suppose one of the posters was right in that I should have let the old pupils stick to the original agreement, and have the new one drawn up for the newer pupils. But I thought this would be confusing.....

Don't worry about it too much. You're right, music teachers (drama teachers, tennis coaches etc etc) all get paid in advance. Don't feel guilty. Money can be a little awkward for some of us (including me) but its something you will get used to dealing with. And now its all sorted out (fingers crossed); and new pupils will be coming into a pre-existing arrangement, which is always much easier.

Glad you got your cheque!

Don't worry, most people do understand and are more than happy. At least now with new pupils they can start off like this. If the guy agreed to it before hand it's weird he's only querying it now though. He must have a short memory

I think he was just trying to make excuses for 'forgetting' to do the Standing Order.... I just hope the cheque doesn't bounce.

Try not to feel anxious about it amt. I wouldn't say I was right in my decision - it was just my own personal response to what happened at the time. I suppose it all depends on circumstances - how long they have been paying weekly, whether you visit them or not etc. There will always be problems like this to sort out during a teaching career, however organised we are - some unexpected, 'out of the blue' sometimes. We are dealing with the public and it can be very difficult. You are right to stick with what is best for you - I just thought it would be better to keep the pupil even if they continued paying weekly. On the other hand there could be a problem with some pupils paying weekly and some monthly as they might know each other and you would get complaints that way!

All the best

I'm surprised the father is making such a fuss about this. I pay for piano lessons (for my son) half-termly in advance - usually 6 lessons - and have to pay termly in advance (10 lessons) for clarinet lessons from the music service. He is lucky you're only asking for a month's fees!

The hardest stage with regard to charging is when you reach that stage at which you have more than two or three pupils for whom you're grateful, and move to feeling like you need to be more business-like, for the sake of organising yourself, apart from anything else. It's easy when a new pupil starts, but it's hard to change the attitudes of the ones you've got. Maybe it would be best for every new teacher to start out with set terms and conditions, but it never works that way, and if the parents know you've only got a few pupils you can make yourself look unnecessarily officious. It's a hard one to deal with. I'm always being criticised be my own ex-teacher for not being more business-like, but the way I work works for me, and I have no problems with payment or missed lessons. I accommodate them and they seem to appreciate it - and as such I actually don't have much that I need to 'accomodate'. They do their best to accomodate ME, which isn't hard, because I'm never sick; I only have to ask for understanding for the odd carol service or whatever. If it ain't broke, methinks, don't fix it. If you're sure of being paid and relations are good, then I think it's best not to change. New pupils may be different. The problem arises, though, when payment doesn't happen - but we usually know whether it's been overlooked or deliberately dodged.

Few poeple will risk giving a dud cheque, the fees are horrendous. I'd just let it ride - you've given no indication that payment was ever a problem and presumably you don't mind having a bit of cash once a week.

Liz

I have similar problems....the majority pay 5 or 10 weeks in advance... but it would be easier to have all in 10 weeks....I have allowed one weekly payer.I have decided to put my fees up next term but continue to charge the same for those who pay in ten week blocks...I suppose it seems a bit unfair but it might mean I don't have to do so much invoicing and chasing up. The five week payers quite often get in arrears.
Does this sound reasonable to you all.

I have a school where (by school policy) we have to invoice in 5 and 10 week blocks. The 5 week payments are almost always late - sometimes by a few weeks - and I have just enquired with the school if we can either charge a late fee, or charge extra for the 5 week-ers, but to no avail.

I don't think the school realises that if you have payments coming in over a couple of weeks, the accounting/administration time increases dramatically

I have 3 different teachers teaching my sons. Two I pay weekly and one is paid termly in advance. My only issue with paying in advance, is that is a lesson is cancelled (it rarely is), by the teacher, I have not gotten a refund. This teacher also runs the band at school, for which I pay £5 a session for. This often gets cancelled and I never see a refund. The teacher used to charge in arears for how many lessons etc he took, but I think that some people ended up not paying at all or very late indeed. So I guess there are two sides to very argument.

I pay in 10 week blocks (i.e. termly) for my son's lessons, and at least three were missed by the teacher last term - I expected there to be a discount off this term's bill, but there wasn't. The original Ts and Cs mentioned "no refunds" for lessons missed by the pupils, but didn't mention anything about lessons missed by the teacher I've not said anything about it this term, but will do if it happens again. I'm assuming he has taken it as "sick pay" as he was actually ill.

That is a bit naughty I think.
Fair enough paying for lessons not taken but if the teacher is the one who cancels I don't think that the student should be paying.

[quote name='sbhoa' date='Jan 27 2008, 05:41 PM' post='659243']
[quote name='hazel' post='659239' date='Jan 27 2008, 05:34 PM']
This often gets cancelled and I never see a refund. T
[/quote]
I pay in 10 week blocks (i.e. termly) for my son's lessons, and at least three were missed by the teacher last term - I expected there to be a discount off this term's bill, but there wasn't. The original Ts and Cs mentioned "no refunds" for lessons missed by the pupils, but didn't mention anything about lessons missed by the teacher I've not said anything about it this term, but will do if it happens again. I'm assuming he has taken it as "sick pay" as he was actually ill.
[/quote]

That is a bit naughty I think.
Fair enough paying for lessons not taken but if the teacher is the one who cancels I don't think that the student should be paying.
[/quote]

i agree with sbhoa...that is very cheeky. If it happened once you could say it may be an oversight (a busy teacher who doesn't keep good records) but three times in a term is pulling your leg!

I don't think it is your problem that the teacher was ill. Maybe he is planning to give lots of extras coming up to exams or something? If I miss a day (which doesn't happen often, I try to keep it to one a year of each day) pupils are either refunded in their next bill or get their lesson as an extra at a time when they need it (a few weeks before exams etc)

I would ask the teacher, in a non-confrontational fashion what the story is.

Definately. On the rare occassion I would cancel a lesson it's either re-arranged for the same week or else I just give them their next invoice a week later.

One parent insisted I take money even when I was sick, but I don't expect that. If a pupil misses a lesson they pay for the missed lesson (usually it's re-arranged anyway though). If I have to mis one, then I lose out.

That's how I operate too, and I'm surprised that anybody could get away with doing otherwise! Mine pay termly in advance, and I've only ever canceled because of having to play at something myself, but I certainly wouldn't expect pupils to pay for lessons that are canceled by me! Rescheduling is what people seem to be happiest with when this happens, or an extra lesson at a later date, but I'd be happy to refund if this didn't suit.

It's happened to us too. One of the reasons I stopped my Daughter's drum lessons through school was due to cancelled lessons. In one term the teacher made only about 1/3 (he was ill his daughter was ill etc). We didn't get any refund. I assumed the Music Service didn't give them but I always get them when the Flute Teacher is off (which is hardly ever).

I agree. If the teacher has to cancel I think the lesson should be made up or credited on the next invoice.
(and like Dulciana I would refund if necessary).

I'm quite shocked by this, too. You would have expected the teacher to at least send out a letter with am apology and offering to either refund or make up the lessons.