At Duet, we love hearing about the different ways our teachers manage their private music studios. Our teachers think deeply about their values and how their studio policies reflect those values, which we love! During webinars, during one-on-one consulting calls and when we meet you at live conferences, we love chatting with you about what kinds of policies you've put in place and how Duet can support those.
We've learned that private music teachers often encounter cancellations from their students, which can disrupt schedules and impact income. You've told us that handling cancellations requires careful consideration to maintain professionalism, fairness, and a positive student-teacher relationship. We hear you! In this guide, we'll explore three crucial aspects of managing cancellations: whether to charge for the lesson, the appropriate notice period for cancellations, and the feasibility of offering makeup credits.
1. Charging for Cancellations
One of the primary dilemmas faced by private music teachers is whether to charge students for missed lessons. This question changes depending on if you are charging a per lesson fee or a monthly subscription fee. But for purposes here, we'll mainly be discussing a per lesson fee model.
On one hand, charging for missed lessons ensures that the teacher's time is valued and that cancellations do not result in financial loss. Private music teachers often rely on income from lessons to sustain their livelihood, and missed appointments can disrupt this income stream. Additionally, charging for missed lessons encourages students to take their commitments seriously and prioritize attendance.
On the other hand, enforcing a strict cancellation policy can strain the student-teacher relationship and discourage open communication. Students may feel unfairly penalized for legitimate reasons for missing a lesson, such as illness or unexpected emergencies. Imposing financial consequences for cancellations can create tension and resentment, detracting from the learning experience.
To strike a balance between accountability and flexibility, many teachers adopt a tiered cancellation policy. For example, students may be allowed a certain number of free cancellations per semester, after which a fee is charged for additional cancellations. This approach acknowledges the occasional need for flexibility while reinforcing the importance of consistent attendance.
Ultimately, the decision to charge for cancellations should be guided by the teacher's individual circumstances, the student's level of commitment, and the overall dynamics of the teacher-student relationship. Whatever you decide, we highly suggest codifying your policies in a document that you share often with your studio families.
2. Notice Period for Cancellations
Another crucial consideration in managing cancellations is determining the appropriate notice period for students to cancel their lessons. Establishing a clear policy regarding notice requirements helps maintain consistency and minimizes disruptions to the teacher's schedule.
While it may be tempting to enforce a strict notice period to mitigate last-minute cancellations, it's essential to balance this with the realities of students' lives and unforeseen circumstances. A reasonable notice period provides students with the opportunity to cancel without penalty if they encounter genuine obstacles to attending their lesson.
Typically, private music teachers require anywhere from 24 to 48 hours' notice for cancellations. This timeframe allows teachers to adjust their schedules accordingly and potentially fill the vacant lesson slot with another student. However, some teachers may offer greater flexibility for extenuating circumstances, such as illness or family emergencies, understanding that these situations may arise unexpectedly.
Consistency and clarity are key when communicating the notice period for cancellations to students. Teachers should clearly outline their cancellation policy in the lesson agreement or studio policies document provided to studio families at the beginning of their instruction and consistently after. Additionally, teachers can remind students periodically of the importance of adhering to the notice period to minimize disruptions for both parties.
3. Offering Makeup Credits
In addition to charging for missed lessons and establishing a notice period, teachers must decide whether to offer makeup credits as a form of compensation for cancelled lessons. Makeup credits allow students to reschedule missed lessons at a later date.
Offering makeup credits can be advantageous for both teachers and students. From the teacher's perspective, makeup credits provide an opportunity to recoup lost income without imposing additional financial burdens on students. Moreover, makeup lessons enable students to receive the instruction they paid for, ensuring that they continue to progress in their musical development.
However, offering makeup credits may not always be feasible or practical. Independent music teachers may have limited availability for makeup lessons, particularly if their schedules are already full. Also, coordinating makeup lessons can be logistically challenging, especially if multiple students require rescheduling simultaneously.
To effectively manage makeup credits, private music teachers can establish clear guidelines regarding their availability for makeup lessons and any limitations on rescheduling. For example, teachers may designate specific days or times each month for makeup lessons or offer virtual makeup options to accommodate students' schedules.
Happily, Duet has an extremely easy way for you as the teacher to allow your students to reschedule their own lessons, if you choose to let them do so. From your Dashboard, Calendar or the student's Lesson History, click on the lesson you wish to reschedule. Then click the "Reschedule" button. This will trigger a link that will be sent via text message to your student's Primary Contact, allowing them to see your available lesson times and select a different one that works for them. It's super easy! (Remember you'll want to schedule availability blocks on your calendar first so your students have times to choose from.)
We know managing cancelled lessons can be tricky, which is why we've built the self-scheduling feature into Duet. Hopefully this article offers some other ideas that you as teachers can incorporate into your studio policies and into your use of Duet.
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