10 Responses for "Monthly Payments"

1. Julie September 10th, 2008 at 8:35 am 1

   First, I want to tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog about teaching piano. I found it via the Piano Adventures forum. Your insights and stories give me even more reason for why I enjoy the calling of a piano teacher – despite all of the little trials we may have, it’s worth it!

   Regarding this post, I don’t think it’s harsh at all for charging a flat monthly fee, no refunds, regardless of holidays or missed lessons. Granted, it may seem like it’s harsh at times… and we might feel bad for doing so when we have to really follow through with our policy of no refunds, etc, but in the end, it’s okay. When teaching is our only income (granted, I realize you have a husband who no doubt works, too, so teaching isn’t your main source of income), what would happen if we gave credit/refunds, etc. every time a lesson was cancelled or missed? Likely, we wouldn’t have as stable of an income as we would hope! In my short length of time for teaching (only 10 years, just graduated with a bachelor’s in music), I’ve learned that we have to treat our career of teaching as a business – as much as possible. How many dance schools or sports events offer a refund if you don’t show up for every class/cancel, etc? It may seem harsh to not offer a refund or adjust the monthly tuition when a student misses or has to cancel; perhaps to counterbalance this issue, designate one day a month for make-up lesson days, or just explain that their monthly payment reserves their child’s lesson time each month. People still pay full rent even if they were on vacation during the month, don’t they? Perhaps an over-exaggerated example, but could apply here….

   I’m still learning the ropes of wrestling with this matter myself… but slowly it won’t seem as daunting with each confrontation of it. It gets a little easier each time.

2. Marcia September 10th, 2008 at 8:21 pm 2

   Sometimes it just takes people a while to be educated into doing things your way. You are not harsh, your policy regarding tuition is completely reasonable. I try to solve my problem with parents by publishing my calendar along with the enrollment form, so they know exactly how many lessons the yearly tuition is covering. I would state something like this: There are 32 lessons during the 9 month school year; tuition for the year is $xxxx, and the monthly tuition installment is $xxx, payable on the first lesson of the month, September through May. I hope you come out OK with this parent.

3. atara September 11th, 2008 at 5:56 am 3

   I tell them it’s TUITION, and it is based on enrollment, not attendance.

4. Donna Jean Glasgow September 11th, 2008 at 7:35 am 4

   I don’t teach in my home, so the attendance policies are set by the institutions where I teach or have taught. (community music programs in colleges, and in a music academy). (If you do a Google search, you can read on line what some of these policies are. Try music lessons attendance policy).

   Compare tuition for piano lessons to the tuition for a college class. Everyone pays the tuition in the beginning, and no one gets a refund for NOT ATTENDING CLASS. It’s the student’s responsibility to ATTEND CLASS. The teacher has reserved that block of time for that student, whether they come or not. The reason doesn’t matter. In one of the places where I taught, there was ONE make-up day a semester, but they understood that there was only that ONE day. However, if the teacher missed the lesson for any reason, the teacher was required to make the lesson up.

   It wasn’t required of me, but I would allow my students to reschedule their lessons with advance notice; however, this was not guaranteed, but if I could, I would. It’s a good idea to give each parent a schedule schedule with the other parents’ phone numbers on it, so they can do their own calling around to exchange lesson times with another student, without the teacher being involved. That way it puts the responsibility on the parent to make sure they get a lesson that week.

   Parents should realize that learning to play the piano requires a commitment by the student as well as the teacher. When I take a student, I commit myself to teaching that student for however many years it takes him or her to learn to play well–ten years, generally. It’s not the *minutes* the I give each week that is so important, but the continuity of the process over a long period of time. Piano teachers, just like everyone else, need financial security.

   Therefore, we piano teachers must run our studios like a business. That is not harsh! It is FAIR. It is always a good idea to state the attendance policy IN WRITING at the beginning of the term, and make sure everyone knows the difference between “rescheduling” a lesson (in advance) and “making up” a lesson (after the fact). Make-up lessons should really just be only for when YOU, the teacher, have had to miss.

   While it may be uncomfortable to broach the subject with parents when they are asking something unreasonable, but you can just remind them of your policy and tell them you are sorry but you cannot make the lesson up. If you break your own rules against your own judgment, then you will become resentful, and that is not good.

   Some places give a discount for those who pay in a lump sum at the beginning of the term. In one place where I taught, students could opt to pay in two equal installments, each due on a certain date (for example, one payment due the week their lessons start, and the other on October 15). Only in exceptional cases were the parents allowed to pay by the month, and they had to arrange that through the office as a special case.

5. Bethany September 11th, 2008 at 7:44 am 5

   http://pianoeducation.org/pnotstud.html Here is a website that deals with these exact issues. I’ve had the same issues, and understand your point, however, I charge per lesson (lessons are paid once a month at the beginning of the month). I allow no refunds EXCEPT for weather or family emergencies (i.e. death in the family, which has happened). My students are only allowed 2 make up lessons per semester. I personally don’t agree with charging over the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, & Hanukkah; Spring Break is optional).

   Because (I’m assuming) your lessons are individual lessons, people will expect a little more leniency, unfortunately. I’m not saying you can’t stick with your rules but just know that some time, you may lose clients if you don’t budge whatsoever.

   Personally I think you’re being a little too harsh and I know your policy wouldn’t do well in my area. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for you. =0) Best of luck!!

6. Ruth September 11th, 2008 at 10:37 am 6

   I realize that for many teachers, this is their only income and that must be taken into consideration…but, for lots of us, piano teaching is a second income and we do it because we love kids and love teaching. We are living in perilous economic times and piano lessons are the first to “go”. Perhaps we can cut these parents a little slack and allow them to pay as they can…weekly or monthly. It is hard to compete with soccer, little league, dancing lessons and all the many things that are available to these kids today. If we expect to produce another generation of pianists…we have to do whatever we can to make that happen. Face it…attending a piano recital isn’t on the top of many parents list…. We need to be committed to teaching kids and not worrying about how they pay us. If you have a parent who does not pay…drop the student and move on!

7. Lauren September 14th, 2008 at 11:24 pm 7

   Your policy is completely fair and reasonable. You may need to remind to the parent that they are not paying for the holidays and days off because you did not charge for them in your annual tuition in the first place. Or you could say that each month’s tuition pays for approximately 3 1/3 lessons (or however many)–and think about how much it would be to pay for those 5-lesson months! Just offer an explanation, but don’t apologize or try to justify the way you run your business. They may just have to think about it for awhile to grasp it.

   As for lessons THEY miss–have your policy in place about whether you will reschedule or offer makeups, and then stick to it. Whatever works for you is fine if you apply it fairly to all.

   It’s true that we offer a non-necessary service and it may be one of the things to go if someone hits hard times, but it will not be your policy that makes them leave.

8. Monthly Payments (and makeup lessons) Revisited » Piano Teacher’s Retreat September 17th, 2008 at 1:04 am 8

   [...] surprised to see how the opposite opinions!  If you haven’t had a chance to read them, go here!  I decided I need to be a teeny bit more lenient on makeup policies so that payment appears more [...]

9. Ruth September 17th, 2008 at 8:09 am 9

   How can we put a $$ sign on the privilege of teaching kids and helping to put them on a lifetime track…..Priceless!!!!

10. Cynthia Marie VanLandingham September 18th, 2008 at 10:37 pm 10

    Hi,

    I have found a great solution for the make-up lesson dilemma. I offer “shared make-up” opportunities instead of make-up lessons. When a student informs me ahead of time that they will have to miss a lesson, I make their lesson time available to another student who would like a make-up lesson. A student may not get their requested make-up lesson in the same week they missed theirs, but as will get one as soon as one opens up in the next week or two. With this plan I tell parents, that I don’t give make-up lessons, but I do off “shared make-up opportunities,” that are dependent on parents giving a little notice when their child will be out. Parents understand and are happy to cooperate and work together to create make-up opportunities for all our students.

    Hope this idea helps someone. And I hope you’ll check out my newly published Piano Bears Musical Storybooks at http://www.PianoBears.com

    Warm regards,

    Cynthia