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Would like some insight into how some of you handle a situation like this.

I have had several student families "complain" that they are not getting the "full time" they have paid for when in fact they are. I go by the clock in my studio and when they start late I go later (if there is any way possible).

I know that there are some policies out there they say if you sign up for an hour-long lesson, you will get at least 50mins and if you sign up for 30-min lesson you will get at least 25 mins. I have heard it called a "university" policy... or something like that. Does anyone have something like that written into their policy.

I ask because there are times when it is unavoidable to start late or have to end a few minutes early (restroom time?). I have gotten to the point that I know "who" to 'rush' in and out of the studio so that the moment the lesson before stops, their lesson STARTS immediately -- I can't wait for the child to saunter in, say hello, ask how things are, look over their practice book, them to ask if they can go to the restroom, etc. Mostly I see parents "complaining" that this is a "recurring" problem when it only has happened once. I own a music school, so I hear it from all sides of the coin.

Anyone -- have any ideas of how to put a "guaranteed" lesson length in your policy.

I'm just asking for some ideas -- I am NOT trying to get out of giving them their whole time or making it up the following week, etc. I just need to have something in my policy stating that lessons length might not be "absolutely" an hour (or 1/2 hour) in length because it takes time to get students from waiting room into studio, the student was in another studio "too long", etc

I hate the word "always" -- it is such a catch-all word when they don't necessarily mean "always" -- as in: Both my husband and I have noticed that xxxx's lesson always seems to start 5-10 minutes late" --- haha -- not true!!!! but how can we counter that awful word?

uugh -- ok == done venting

Just call it a 25 minute lesson in the policy (since that's what it is.)

And something I've experimented with this year that's worked VERY well is to schedule breaks for myself. For every two hours I teach, I get a 15 or 30 minute break. It gives me time to recharge, get a drink, go to the bathroom, and maintain student records, and most importantly, be as fresh and energetic for the last lesson of the day as I am for my first.

I, too, schedule personal breaks into my schedule. However, I'm very firm - the student's clock starts ticking at the appointed time, whether they are there, music is ready, or not, and lessons end on time, unless the following student is late/absent.

The reason I encourage parents to go with a 40 min lesson for beginners is that it translates to a solid 33-35 minutes of instruction. There is always warm-up and closure, within the 40 minute slot. My advancing students take 50 min lessons, which gives them a solid 45+ min of instruction. Most parents are adult enough to grasp the concept.

This seems more of an issue with 30-minute lessons than with 45-minute or sixty-minute lessons. If for whatever reason you lose six minutes of a half-hour lesson, it's 20% of the paid time wasted. That could be significant to some niggling parents.
John is right: teach longer lessons if you can.

I do teach longer lessons and I agree with the reasons -- this "one" family has an HOUR lesson and wants to complain ... wow

John -- you are right SOME parents are adult enough to grasp the concept. I had one little girl who was skimped a bit on lessons because of things happening in the studio for a couple of weeks. I apologized to the mom and told her I was going to comp her a lesson. She was SURPRISED and humbled. She graciously accepted but said "we believe in what you are doing -- we don't mind supporting the Academy" -- That made my day! I have to remember those days when I get trampled on by other families

My first teacher, who was also my daughter's teacher and taught mostly kids, had a kitchen timer on the piano.

It wasn't a modern digital one, it was one of those old fashioned twist types that clicked away as it spun down.

When any of her students sat down at the piano, she started the timer. No arguments, no fuss, no running over and delaying the next student, and some sense of organization, because you always knew what you had to get done before your time ended.

I've never had that complaint before. Could there be something else bothering this family?

I've never had that complaint before. Could there be something else bothering this family? Sometimes people get picked about things other than what their real issue is.

I think you just had a very picky parents.
I had this type of parent before, thankfully, she stop and go to another teacher now. She complaint that I spent 2 minutes to greet the child, to open the books and to put the books on the piano in the beginning of the lesson. She also complaint that I took one minute to close the books, put the books back to the bag and say goodbye to the child. So, I lost 3 minutes, that is 10% of the 30 minutes lesson.

EZ -- that sounds a bit like some of my parents -- some are VERY picky -- I feel like having the piano outside so they can just drive by, the child jumps out of the car onto the piano seat and the lesson starts..... but that is where it stops.... the next child has to WAIT for "that" child to slowly put his books in the bag, start to leave the piano and then turn and ask a question and , and, and ==

I have to laugh at one parent who complained because I let the child go 2 minutes early and so we walked back into the studio, took the books out, told the child again what to work on for the week and packed them back up..... yeah- -- lots was accomplished during that last 2 minutes .. hahah

Are you charging enough for lessons? I know this seems counter-intuitive, but when I charged less for lessons, I attracted parents that were looking for a cheap teacher, not for quality. Once I charged more, the students that really cared stayed, and the difference in price was not huge to break anyone's bank. Just enough to make sure I wasn't the cheap teacher in town.

That aside, whenever these parents complain, ask them if they arrive early for lessons so that the child and use the restroom, wash their hands, and get their books out of their bag so that when it's time for their lesson they can begin on time? I guarantee that they do not, and that if they did, they'd get more lesson time in. Also, if they arrive late, they do not get their full time.

There also has to be time to get settled in. Developing rapport with students is important. They need to feel comfortable, understood, and lessons can only be stiff if it's a matter of playing piano all the time. This is very important, and the parents need to be able to trust you that you know what you're doing and that they are not paying for necessarily 30 minutes of your time, they are paying for their child to learn to play piano. If they are paying for 30 minutes of your time, then there's no need to even talk to the student or teach them or anything. But to learn piano, trust must be developed between teacher and student. The teacher has to get to know the student to learn how best to reach them, what music they like, what other interests they have. If I know a student plays a sport, I will use analogies using that sport to help them understand concepts. But these things cannot be known without discussion. Parents need to understand this, but some never will.

I call it a "30 min lesson block" and say in my policy that includes the lesson and transition.

oooh -- NM -- I like that clause --

Morodiene -- I am in complete agreement. I have a quality studio and MOST families know it and I am not the cheapest teacher but I am not the most expensive teacher either. I have to laugh at your statements about analogies -- I am known as the analogy queen ... I can even connect biology to music, etc -- crazy at times but the students "get" it when I make analogies

In my introductory material I let the parents know that lessons are scheduled in half-hour increments; however, a lesson lasts as long as it takes to get the work done.

That is, I don't teach by the minute. There are lots of days when a lesson goes late because there's still important work to do. There are also those days when a family rushes out because they must not be late for the next event.

I do my very best to teach a quality lesson, whether it takes 25 minutes or 35 minutes. And if I feel I've really shorted someone (this can happen if someone gets stuck between two "needy" students,) I give an extra lesson along the way.

^ agree Wagepc -- That is what I do too, however, I haven't spelled it out in the policy. Good ideas

I agree with defining the lesson period as a block that includes both the lesson and transition in/out of the studio. I had several issues with this when I transitioned from teaching in students' homes to teaching in my own home. Parents had been accustomed to getting extra time for chit-chatting, especially since I had buffered extra time between students when I drove from house to house. They became offended when they started coming to my house, and lessons were promptly one hour on the dot. As a result I set it black-and-white in my policy, that the hour includes the transition time, and the next student is responsible for waiting in the studio area (not outside) in order to signal their readiness.

This happened to me today just about an hour after I had read this topic in Piano World and I couldn't believe the rotten luck of such co-incidence. A new student at her 2nd lesson had a parent questioning my policy, registration fee and student fund and very much taking up additional time as she had come early without telling me she was coming early. It made me 5 minutes late to start the new student's lesson. We did not reconcile the issue she asked and she responded by saying I am not going to pay the registration fee but I will pay the tuition fee. Then she went out to her car and called her aunt who had referred them to me and asked her if she paid registration fees. Came back in and said she was not going to pay this fee. She appeared angry with me and wanted to know when I would give the make up lesson because her daughter had missed a total of 10 minutes during which she and I were talking. A parent in the driveway did not come in with her daughter following this lesson because the previous student had not left yet and she had arrived early and was waiting for the 1st student to leave. Then this parent (a great friend and long term student) said I have to leave exactly at 5:30 after the lesson as we have somewhere to be. That gave my 2nd student a 20 minute lesson by the time everything had transpired. This hasn't happened in a very long time but today was the day. I'm blaming it on the sun storm that started Saturday and is expected to send particles to earth this week. I felt frantic between the 1st and 2nd student and had to gulp ice cold water from the refrigerator to calm down. My next student is in 5 minutes. I hope nothing unpleasant happens while they are here it would be the end of a very unusual and horrible teaching day.

Wow, Betty, I hope that new student just had her last lesson with you!

Thanks for the empathy, Stanny! I did tell her that if she was going to be unhappy that I would return her check and she could give me a new check for the 2 lessons she'd had so far. She perked up and said "No, that wasn't what she wanted." I think she was surprised at my confronting the problems as they were happening and defending myself. I don't think she knows how these things appeared to me. The families are both from another country and I have found her other relatives I teach to have fantastic and friendly manners and I have no complaints. There certainly was a lot of intensity from these things going so awry so quickly. I truly don't know what to expect. The two little girls are sweet and great guests as their cousin brought them several times to her piano lesson and I gave the girls paper and colors to draw while they were there and we just had a great time while they listened to their cousin's music and colored some very interesting pictures. Their visits were a surprise to me and it was later I learned the parents wanted the older to have piano lessons. I should have been much more formal and careful in my usual 1st lesson and introduction to my studio which is an interview/1st lesson. They were already decided on studying with me so I started her without the usual "procedures". That will teach me! And, the cousin had taught the new student some of my "Piano Power" beginner pieces and she came with several memorized so I just felt very comfortable doing what we did. Now I know not to rush the process and have all questions answered completely up front. I would give anything to be able to do all of this over again and use the process that works for me so well. What was I thinking? Duh!

I know, it seems no matter how long we do this, someone or something comes along with a situation that throws us for a loop. I've never had someone try to negotiate a rate or tell me they weren't going to pay it. I'd be speechless!