Just stood up to my first payment avoider (or perhaps just a genuine clarification!)

Mum wanted to deduct fees from invoice due to cancellation of a lesson that was arranged for the holiday. I said no because I didn't get 24 hours notice. She challenged that and I said I'd made a note and that if she thought it was incorrect then to let me know. Hoping that she doesn't challenge further!

In fact the lesson in question perhaps did have 24h notice cancellation, but the lesson itself was a reschedule of the last lesson of term which didn't have 24h notice. So if I hadn't been able to reschedule then I would have charged for that instead.

Does that make sense?

Shall I stick to my guns if challenged when she comes in 15 mins?

Well, that's so complicated that I think you may have made a rod for your own back there.
If you can't explain it in two sentences without using the word "perhaps", I don't think a quarrelsome parent will accept your explanation :-)

Good luck!

Stick to your guns....!!

You may have to let this one go, for the reasons that Derek has said, but be very firm about future cancellations and make it clear that you are letting her off the hook rather than admitting that she is right.

Makes perfect sense to me. You rescheduled a lesson which was cancelled with less than 24 hours notice out of goodwill. You weren't obliged to do that, so in my opinion it doesn't matter how much notice you had for this one being cancelled, it should still be paid for.

If you want to enforce your terms and conditions then you have to charge otherwise you have created a very nice loophole:

Cancel lesson with less than 24 hours.
Rebook lesson at teachers convenience, irrelevant whether pupil can make it
Give more than 24 hours notice for cancellation of rebooked lesson

No need to pay for lesson that was originally cancelled at short notice and no need to make up.

Sorry if that sounds rather cynical.

Stick to your guns!

Pm'd you.

IMO you shouldn't have rescheduled the original lesson when less than 24 hours' notice was given, because that in itself is a loophole.

How did you get on?

ah...just seen this. magicfingers you PM'd me but I think you meant to PM ExpressYourself.

Update: Child turned up with the full amount :-)

It's stressful though isn't it.

Magicfingers, I didn't get a PM!

Result!

Sounds like Mum was trying it on then, and caved at the first sign of resistance.

You have now earned your business wings...

And I still say, "Who are these parent's that have the audacity to stand up to a scary teacher?"

You’d be surprised. Mostly it's passive resistance - forgetting cheque books etc, but I’ve come across some super-scary parents too!

I would genuinely forget the cheque book though!

Must . I did dream about Handel the other day so now I am getting very worried. I swear there is hypnotic subtext in these forum threads otherwise why would I go and practice at 12:30am?!

Been having a 'moment' and sent it to flobiano instead. Oops...
But hope it helps for future reference.

So glad you got paid in full. Well done.

Here is an example of someone messing me about from the beginning of a trial period of 4 lessons every week. The first lesson he turned up 15 mins late...the only time he turned up at the arranged time.

Although he then signed the contract I finished him after reading this:

Note the time:

"Wednesday, April 20, 2011 12:48 AM

I've got a lesson booked for tomorrow (actually now today) at 6:45. (rearranged again
I was expecting to get some chance to practice but this hasn't happened.
*** eldest son *** brought the family and kids up from *** from last Wednesday till
Tuesday. I haven't had a moment to practice with work and babysitting, going for family meals and socialising.
I suspect if I make the lesson tomorrow it will be a telling off session as I'll be no better than last week.
Can we reschedule please?
BTW he only comes up once or twice a year."

My response:

"With respect I think it's best we cancel lessons completely. For me changing lessons is an occupational hazard, but I don't expect to have to do it as often with you, especially at the last minute, and it causes me inconvenience as I have a life, children and commitments et al too. Plus the fact my mum is in hospital. Lack of practise is not a valid reason to rearrange lessons either. I also stipulate in my contract and also told you last week I can't rearrange lessons via email. Missed lessons must also be paid for which I think will irk you as you think I'm at your beck and call. So best to call it a day.

When you find another teacher please bear my thoughts in mind as all teachers get fed up with it."

I'm not interested in hearing excuses about family members turning up once or twice a year, lack of practise ( what's new? ) because of work, babysitting etc.

Oh and he didn't pay on time either.

I was rather stressed out about my mum, but she is fine now. All that travelling to the hospital takes it out of you.

I do try to be fairly flexible about re-arranging lessons, as it works both ways, but there are limits. I’ve only had a few people who persistently messed me around like this. The last one who got the boot was an adult who was occupying a prime-time Saturday morning slot but cancelled every other lesson - in one instance because his wife had a hair-cut booked and he had to babysit, grrrrr.

Trial periods, contracts and pre-payment sorted out 99% of the nonsense for me. I’ve yet to have a serious tussle with anyone since introducing these a few years ago

Over the years I've developed a much thicker skin and harder nose for these issues. I do, of course try to be flexible, and where I genuinely believe that a pupil was trying to get to a lesson and there is a really good reason why they could not attend, then I have been known to cancel the fee if they discuss it with me at the time and they do not make a habit of it. In those cases as there is a contract in place, and I make it clear that "as a goodwill gesture" I am waiving my right to collect my fee on this occasion.

I make it very clear this is my Job. It is not a hobby. It is my principal source of income and that the reason I charge professional rates is that I am a trained professional and am a member of a professional body to ensure that I keep up to date with current trends in my field, have appropriate insurance and that I uphold high standards (including professional ethics).

There just isn't a question anymore. Firstly I am a business woman, then I am a musician, then I am a teacher. I have to keep my business head straight at all times or risk being trampled under foot.