People who don't pay

[MadamSamba]

At a class the other night, I heard a teacher asking a student to pay for a class she'd just done. It turned out that she hadn't paid for several classes, yet attended every week then skipped off.

The teacher gave up hoping she might pay-up and when it became obvious she wasn't going to, she took things into her own hands. It would have been pretty humiliating for her because most of the class heard the exchange, even though it was unintentional on the teacher's part.

Apparently it happens all the time. A friend is about to take over the class temporarily and is a little nervous about how to handle such offenders. Any advice/tips or experiences you wish to share?

[Flat Shoes]

Establish a clear policy for paying! Make sure the attenders know it!

Then it is much more difficult for people to ignore it. If there's no clear policy, it's much easier to be casual about the whole thing.

If people still ignore it, then confront the person at the beginning of a class and say "You haven't paid! You can still join us today, but if you don't pay next time you can't join the class."

Use your own words, but be clear yet friendly. The key issue here is to be clear about the policy all the way.

[cocodrilo]

I do appointment-only translation work and get this occasionally. I dislike asking people to "pay up", but I remind them of my payment policy and this usually works. If not, I plead with them and let them know that I, too, have a mortgage to pay! BE FIRM! :evil:

[Genesius Redux]

Deadbeats.

But alas, all too common I fear! My teacher is so casual about the whole thing that I have to remind her to take money. I think especially some of the really good teachers can be absent-minded about the business end of things, because they're so used to giving generously of their time.

I think it's also the responsibility of the student to remember the financial transaction so the teacher doesn't have to be in the awkward position of having to remind someone. It's just good manners.

[cocodrilo]

How about asking for the monthly lesson fee in advance, at the beginning of the month, when the first lesson starts?

[jen88]

I am a private piano teacher in my home, and I have found that charging by the month with payment due at the first lesson of the month works the best. People are then more apt to attend regularly, and that gives you time charge a late fee if they don't pay by a certain date. Hope that helps! :D

[Bob]

I say you make them dance 300bpm until they puke or pay up!

:twisted:

[pygmalion]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[ShyDancer]

At my studio you pay before each lesson, whether it be a class or private lesson.

I have to agree with Genesius that its just good manners to pay someone for a lesson.

[Sagitta]

I sometimes pay at the start of my first lesson for a series of group classes, and sometimes pay at a later class, but I always pay. I'v enever had a problem with an isntructor insisting that I pay before a class, and I've never not paid, or had to be asked to pay. I'm always upfront.

[cocodrilo]

So, MadamSamba-
Did you give mention our advice to those teachers? Did they heed our advice? just wondering what the outcome was...