Ask Micki: Last minute cancellations

Question: Hi, Micki, I have a question about a problem I've been having with one of my tutees.  We usually meet twice a week to go over his chemistry, but it seems like he has been canceling a lot of tutoring sessions lately.  I'm talking about 3 or 4 every month.

I understand if he is busy, or something unexpected comes up, but this is happening a lot. Plus, it is getting difficult to figure out my tutoring schedule, because I never know whether or not I'll be free for that hour of the week.  Well, that, and it is just plain frustrating to get a "I have to cancel" call 10 minutes before the session begins.

Any help you could give me would be unbelievablyappreciated, thanks!

~~~ Signed,
a Frustrated Chem Tutor in Alabama

Answer: Hey, there, Frustrated Chem Tutor - Last minute cancellations can be a huge pain to deal with, not only because they are irritating, but also because they interfere with your schedule planning.

The next time you meet with your tutee, take a few minutes to go over what has been happening lately.  Bring it up in a friendly manner, though - you don't want your tutee to feel attacked.

Mention that you have been noticing that about half of the tutoring sessions for the month have been canceled, and ask him if he wants to reschedule some of the sessions to days and times that work better for him.

If his schedule doesn't allow for rescheduling, mention that, if he is doing well in the chemistry course with only an hour per week of tutoring, maybe the second hour every week isn't necessary.

Now I know what you're thinking - you hate to lose the extra hours every month from an established client.  Trust me on this, in the long run your tutoring business will be better off - think of it this way, by freeing up that hour time slot every week, you will have the opportunity to schedule a more devoted tutee. 

If your tutee can't reschedule, and doesn't want to drop the extra hour per week, let him know (in a friendly tone of voice) that you need at least a few hours before the session begins for cancellations.

Let him know that because of your drive, your schedule that day, etc. that it would be really appreciated if he could let you know a few hours in advance that he will need to cancel...even better, ask if he could try to cancel 24 hours in advance if he thinks something may interfere with the tutoring appointment (i.e. a non-sick related reason, since sickness isn't planned).

Good luck and, as always, happy tutoring!
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