Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Piano Teachers Forum Haggling over makeup

I work in a music store for a variety of reasons. One of the disadvantages is make up lessons. Even though my policy states that makeups are a courtesy, they expect a makeup for every missed lesson (even the store contract states they are NOT entitled to make ups when they cancel) and at their convenience! My policy is also very strict about sending sick students in for lessons, due my health issues. Policy states that I will not teach a sick student. This particular family never pays on time, expects make ups when they are out, and on more than one occasion, sent in their children (I teach 2 siblings) who were obviously sick. Last week, I was still recovering from a 3 week sinus infection, when one sibling comes in with a wet cough, and sounded very congested (which were my initial symptoms). I told her I couldn't teach her and I left (student was my last for the day).

The next week, parent approaches me and claims student was not sick (they ALWAYS say that), and said that I should've called them to let them know so the siblings wouldn't have to sit in the store for 1/2 hour. The truth is they have a cell phone, and keep the siblings waiting until the store closes every week while their parents shop. Parent was using every tactic to insist I make up the lesson. Even if the student was not sick, at some point, I have to use my judgment, especially with families who have a history of disregarding my policy.

Of course, I stood there talking to parent for 10 minutes (of my time), I give 3 recitals a year (on my days off), I purchase music for them at a discount and they pay me, and send various emails with links to music they might want to learn. I am so tired of fighting for something that is a courtesy. I am ready to let this family go. I should have called them, but I knew if I did, they would argue and deny that the student was sick. Also, this student is a deadbeat student - for most of the summer, she's worked on 2 pages of music--music that she wanted to learn. She doesn't follow instructions, doesn't focus and laughs when she makes mistakes--she's pre-teen. Sorry this is so long, but I'm trying to give background on the family.

I decided to give the makeup, but in the future, I plan to give no credits, and provide no discounted music to them. Makeups will be limited.

This is the norm when working in a company studio. Whenever a parent cancels, there's almost constant "nagging" for the makeup lesson. This is the first time I sent a student out the door when I felt the student was ill. Normally, I rely on their insistence that they aren't sick, but she really sounded terrible.

Let this be a warning to all teachers. When, during the initial interview, the parent invariably asks about make-ups, the answer is "Of course not. There are no free lessons, including makeups." You can temper that by saying, "Oh, that's so Twentieth Century." Or perhaps, "Oh, yes, I remember my Grandmother telling me about the old days when some teachers still gave away lessons, like makeup lessons." And laugh.

Remember always, the parent paid for your time, and you were there, as contracted. If they chose to be somewhere else, sorry."

"I am so tired of fighting for something that is a courtesy. I am ready to let this family go"

Why did you wait this long? There isn't enough money in the whole world to compensate your frustration, and the abuse you have put up with.

I never give make-ups, and all lessons are conducted completely at my discretion.

You made a decision, and then went back on that decision. That's what's eating you, possibly more than having to fight for courtesy.

You should have either not given the makeup lesson, or not given them any pain over it.

It would have been a common courtesy for you to phone the parent and let them know you are unable to teach their sick child. You have to discuss things immediately, not let them stew.

You say you're ready to let them go and in the next paragraph you've decided to give a make-up. You officially have my permission to dismiss yourself as their teacher. Look at all the red flags you posted: pays late, doesn't practice, doesn't leave ontime, shows up sick, and look how much time you continue to waste on them.

Say this to yourself 3 times in a row the moment you feel your resolve slipping sway: "it's ok to let them go."

I don't think this is about make-ups. It's about zero respect.

I do quite a few make-ups when make-ups fit into my schedule. But I do it for students I like with parents I like.

For me it depends on why students miss.

Example: I have a couple 6 year-olds who truly make my week. I love teaching them, and I very much like their parents. I don't WANT to miss a lesson with these kids. Kids like this are why I became a teacher in the first place. Both have missed quite a few times. Both always show up other days when I have openings. The parents are always thankful. And stuff happens to little kids.

But if parents I don't like start trying to push me around, with kids who don't do much work (these two things do not always go together), I hold to policy.

You have to know when to hold and when to fold.

I do give make-up lessons, especially since I have to rearrange numerous lessons during the testing and competition season. I think of it as a two-way street. I can't say no to make-up lessons when I'm the one asking to reschedule a bunch of lessons. I would be a hypocrite otherwise.

But, in the case of disrespectful clients who DEMAND make-up lessons, I would just dismiss them. I have a clause in my studio policy that I can dismiss the student at any time, with or without cause.

It sounds like we're discussing rescheduling of lessons, not makeups.

Maybe I'm thick, but I view this episode differently. Our teacher chose not to teach a contracted lesson to a student who was on time and ready to go. She sent her home arbitrarily, saying, "No lesson for you today, child. You sound sick, and I can't take a chance on your infecting me. Be gone."

That's ok to do, I suppose, but not without expecting to give a makeup lesson. It's a paid lesson not received. The fact that our teacher doesn't like this student or her family seems to me a whole different story.

So you do a lot of stuff for them they don't pay for, like a friend would, and like a professional service provider would not.

So the lines get blurred in their minds, and they don't give you any respect.

Peter, there in lies a thorny problem. A lot depends on the policies provided to the parent and agreed upon, before lessons begin. I schedule 36 lessons for the school year. In the past, parents would question me about what happens if their child is ill and cannot attend. My stock answer was, that's built in to the tuition. I assume you'll miss 2 - 3 lessons during the year, due to unavoidable circumstances. If your child is extremely healthy and manages to make all 36 lessons, then you've really received several bonus lessons. This has made many a parent quite happy.

The simple fact of life is that some parents have no clue when their kiddos should be home in bed. So teachers need to phrase their policy using some wording to the effect that if the student arrives at the studio displaying symptoms of the common cold, flu, or other illness, they will be dismissed. However, if you give me the courtesy of calling first thing in the morning and telling me that so and so is staying home from school today and will miss lessons, I will usually find another time to offer the student.

John and laguna, one of the reasons I (and probably other teachers) give make ups is to stay competitive with other teachers in the store who give make up lessons and/or credits. Some teachers have such a huge student load (40 to 60 students!) that they give out credits without hesitation, because they cannot offer make up times. I am fairly certain all the teachers offer makeups. Of course, some teachers hate doing make up lessons, so they offer credits.

Candywoman, I was avoiding a 20 minute argument with the parents who would have come into the store, and wasted 20 minutes of my time, claiming she was suffering from allergies. I think I know the difference between allergies and a sick student. These people are very manipulative. I learned from the staff that they often try to get staff to give them credits, when they know I have to approve any credits.

Peter, you are right on target with my dilemna. They did arrive for a lesson, however, since I've gone over this sick policy issue with them ad nauseum, I feel that I had a right to refuse to teach the student (a nationwide conservatory in my state has the same policy). The dilemna is that I can't prove she was sick and for the parent to deny she was sick a week later, weakens my claim. Further, the contract with the store does not provide for a sick policy, so technically, they can hold me to that contract. Either way, they are not getting another credit or make up lesson after this.

Yes, I told the older sibling who would often come in for a lesson when she was sick, that if it happened again, she would have to find another teacher. I told her that I appreciated her dedication to come to lessons, but since I've discussed this issue repeatedly with her, I felt it showed no respect to ignore my policy.

John, my policy is very specific, symptoms include: runny nose, cough, sneezing, fever, lice.

I offer makeups for last minute calls, and credits for 24 hour notice. I think that's more than generous. But parents do not want to be inconvenienced by coming in on a different day for make up lessons. Schools are clamping down on this issue of sending sick children to school, and as I mentioned below, a conservatory in my area gives teachers the right to refuse to teach a student (with no make up offered.)

John, some people were not around when you first made that distinction, so it might bear repeating. Most of us, when we say "makeup", are also thinking about what you call "rescheduling".

As I recall, it goes something like this:
If a student knows in advance that he cannot make it for the next lesson, and it is a valid, unavoidable, not frivolous reason, then you will allow that student to replace the lesson he will be missing, with another lesson on another day or time. That is what you call "reschedule".

If a student phones in 3 hours before lesson time and tells you that he's at a birthday party, you will not reschedule that missed time - this is a "makeup" of a kind you don't give.

I imagine that if a student gets into a car accident two hours before a lesson and phones you from the hospital, you would treat that as a "reschedule" despite any "48 hour notice" rule.

Yes, rescheduling implies before the fact, not after the fact. Makeup has a past tense implication to it. Something you've missed. You haven't missed a lesson 6 hrs before the fact. One problem we face is dealing with last minute emergencies. Of course, there are many paid for events in life where it's a use it or lose it proposition. Parents often expect or demand teachers be more flexible. If you oblige, you need to factor this consideration into your tuition/lesson fee. That far too many teachers have little or no business savvy makes for a very tough economic environment for those of us attempting to earn a living.

I look at it from another angle. It says very clearly in my policy that lessons are given solely at my discretion. It's not up to what the parents want or not. It's entirely up to me, and I can say no anytime I want, and for any reason. If they don't like it, they should find another teacher to work with. Also, I don't give refunds. If they give me a check and want it back for some reason, no can do!

The reasons parents or students give for missing lessons is simply not my concern, nor should it be. If I'm in town and teaching, which is often the case, then they paid to show up as scheduled. If they can't or don't make it, that's too bad. They have to eat that. If they don't come back, it's no loss to me. Yes, the unforeseen happens from time to time for the student and gets in the way. But I often cannot make any changes to my schedule, and that's just too bad for the parents.

If I ever had a young student show up with lice in their head, they wouldn't get a lesson and I'd be sending the fumigation/cleaning bill to the parents just for sending them through the front door.

Now, I am pretty liberal and fairly accommodating about my schedule. But I'm busy, I do travel for part of my work, and I expect students to be interested enough in the piano to work around that some. I say "no" just often enough that people know that's what I mean.

I explain this in great detail to people when they come for a lesson, including several worst case scenarios. If I ever get much argument from anyone, I offer the option of paying for lessons individually at at $125/hr.

Brief public service hijack:

Ew, lice. Just fyi, unless you shared hats or hair brushes or bedding with the student, you wouldn't need to fumigate. You could just send the kid home. Also, older students could have lice too. I have experienced them both personally and professionally. They are a nuisance but not miserable. I think the flu is worse.

/hijack