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I am looking for some tutoring business advice. I work with about a dozen steady clients right now, and for the most part the business end of things has always run smoothly.
The problem I'm having is that one of my clients has a tendency to cancel at the last minute.
The first time I figured, "no big deal," but it has happened every other week now for the past few months. Most times he doesn't even bother to call or email, he just doesn't show up at our tutoring appointment. It's not only kind of frustrating, but it also makes it difficult to schedule my time.
For the record, we tutor twice per week, Tuesday and Thursday, and I have been tutoring him for about 2 months now.
Any help in getting this situation figured out would be most appreciated.
Thank you!
Julie, music tutor
Answer: Hey Julie, thanks for your question. Last minute cancellations can definitely throw a wrench into your tutoring schedule. Plus, unless there are some good reasons, last minute cancellations are just plain rude when no notice is given.
The first thing I would do is have a talk with your tutor.
Communication is key here - sit down and talk about what has been going on with his schedule. Talk about the frequency of the missed tutoring sessions. Mention that you want to help him, but your schedules don't seem to be meshing, and maybe it is time to plan the tutoring sessions differently.
Talk to your tutee about setting up alternative arrangements for when and where to meet. Is he getting stuck in traffic and can't make the appointments? Maybe an earlier or later time would work, or maybe the location can be moved so that it is easier to get to on those days.
Secondly, I would talk to him about setting up a way to contact you should he need to cancel the appointment for a good reason. Make sure he has your phone number and email address, and let him know that you would appreciate some form of notice a few hours before the session begins.
I typically request cancellation 12 hours before the tutoring appointment, as this gives me enough time to fill that time slot, and avoid spending time and gas getting to an appointment that has been canceled. I have also found that by requesting (not demanding) half a day's notice, I have fewer cancellations.
There are also those tutors who will have their tutees sign a contract stating that any cancellations not given within a specific time frame are subject to being charged as a "no show." The rate on a "no show" charge can be anywhere from 1/2 of the tutoring session price to the full amount.
I'm kind of on the fence about this. Here's why: unless the cancellation issue is being repeatedly abused, charging for a "no show" takes away some of the goodwill between you and your tutee. In other words, it can make the tutoring relationship a little tense. Plus, there are those times when a cancellation cannot be avoided (emergency situations), and charging a tutee for those times is not good business. This technique is definitely a last resort to be reserved for situations when a tutee is obviously abusing the cancellation policies that are in place.
Chances are you will never need to use the "no show" charge, and the situation will be easily fixed with a schedule change or a request for a few hours advance notice.
Good luck, and happy tutoring!
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